No one wants to be put in a position of searching for a criminal defense attorney. But sometimes, it’s inevitable. It can be emotionally, and oftentimes, financially stressful. At the Criminal Defense Office of Ricky Shah, we are here to make this process as stress-free as possible for you. Many people searching for criminal defense attorneys sometimes make the mistake of hiring the first attorney that comes up on Google, or the attorney with the fanciest website. Or even the attorney who has the highest retainer, under the misguided belief that because they charge the most, they must be the best. I’m here to tell you that is that is not true, and that you do not need to spend thousands of dollars to get an excellent legal defense.

The reality is, many criminal defense attorneys are so bogged down with their caseload, or have been doing it for so long, that all you’ll get is an hour or so of their time. Eventually, they’ll reach out with a plea offer which you’ll likely be told is the best the DA can offer. My office is different.

What separates us?

What separates us from many other law firms is that our firm is fully remote, and we use the most modern (i.e. efficient) legal software on the market. That helps keep our costs down, which more importantly, helps keep your costs down.

We offer one of the more affordable legal defenses you will find in Long Island or New York City, with even higher quality representation you can expect from anywhere else. Just reach out and you’ll see. Because we’re fully virtual, we don’t pass on costs to our clients such as rent, office utilities, office supplies, etc, like other firms do. We’re strictly business, and we can assure you, that you are only paying for your legal defense, and your legal defense only.

Our conferences will be conducted through Microsoft Teams, and all documents will be exchanged through secure file-sharing networks on our state of the art legal platforms. And of course, when you have a court appearance, we will be there in-person, right beside you.

We take pride in transparency. Our primary goal is to make this process as simple and painless for you as possible. We’re available whenever to answer your questions, and unlike any other criminal defense attorney, we’ll independently provide you monthly case updates without you even having to ask. If there’s no update, we’ll just say so. But at the end of the day, you have the right to know what is happening on your case!

Why choose us?

The reality is, criminal justice laws in New York have changed dramatically in the last few years, and too many defense attorneys out there today have no idea how to navigate them differently than how they’ve been doing so for the last 20+ years. I’m talking primarily about discovery reform, which is a major criminal justice initiative that many people are unaware of, yet is the most impactful criminal justice upheaval in recent memory.

As of 2020, there is a significant legislatively required burden the prosecution must undertake in terms of they must turn over to the defense, and if not done properly, your case may get tossed out altogether - no plea required. Make no mistake - these legal differences are crucial in our criminal justice system. Our expertise in understanding the nuances of these new discovery requirements is what sets us apart, and is the main reason why you should choose us to represent you during the pendency of your case.

As a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney who began my career just before these discovery laws took place, these new legal requirements are all I know. And being on both sides of the aisle, I know how to use them to my client’s advantage better than most other criminal defense attorneys. I will hold prosecutors accountable to their legally required mandates, and pursue action if not followed through on. By choosing us, not only are you getting modern criminal defense representation, but you’re getting it at a better rate than anywhere else, while also receiving unmatched client service.

How it works

Once you reach out, we can schedule a free one-hour consultation to evaluate and analyze the facts and circumstances of your case. It’s possible if you’re reaching out, you’ve already been arraigned, so you’ll already have some idea of your charges. That’s just the beginning. There’s now an entire complex field of discovery, motion practice, and legal arguments that need to unfold over the next several months to potentially over a year. We will take over everything from there. We will always start by reaching out directly to the prosecutor assigned to your case. What evidence do they have? What witnesses? Who are the police officers involved in the arrest? What’s their credibility like? From there, we demand to examine the evidence and pursue the best course of action. There are many ways to obtain a favorable case outcome, whether it’s a reduction of charges, or an outright dismissal. No matter what, we will be there with you every step of the way.