QUESTION

Would it be beneficial to turn myself in for a crime I haven't been charged with yet?

Asked on May 29th, 2021 on Criminal Law - New York
More details to this question:
So I'm in a situation where I did something stupid and I know it will catch up with me sooner or later. I believe I would be charged with grand larceny in the third if caught. I never ment to do this and especially go this far I'm scared and don't know what to do. How beneficial would it be to just get an attorney and come clean
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1 ANSWER

Assault Attorney serving Islip, NY
3 Awards
Honestly your question is a bit difficult to answer without having additional details - I certainly would recommend speaking with a Criminal Defense Attorney to discuss the specific facts of your situation. However, generally speaking if there is an arrest warrant out for you and you are aware of it, then the benefit of "turning yourself in" is that you are able to select when/where you will surrender yourself to police. This ensures that you are able to do so in as comfortable a way as possible, rather than finding yourself getting pulled over and that warrant coming up during a routine traffic stop. It also helps your attorney in making the argument during any potential bail request that you voluntarily surrendered yourself and will therefore continue to appear in court to fight your case. Furthermore, it will help your attorney when attempting to negotiate with the District Attorney's Office. HOWEVER - and this is very important - regardless of whether you have an arrest warrant out for you I would make sure that you speak with a Criminal Defense Attorney before contacting any agents of law enforcement - anything you say to the police can be used against you and you may find yourself admitting to criminal conduct and essentially giving the police and the District Attorney the tools to commence a case against you. While you mention you believe you can be charged with GL3, I would point out that you may be better off speaking with an attorney who can advise as to whether or not your conduct was criminal at all. Furthermore, your attorney would also be able to discuss with you whether or not the police might even have probable cause to arrest you. I hope this information is helpful. 
Answered on Jun 22nd, 2021 at 8:49 AM

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