INTRODUCTION:

When many people think of the law, they gravitate to criminal law. An abundance of books, movies, documentaries, and television shows are based on criminal law storylines. However, it is the rare movie or television show that portrays criminal cases as they really are. This chapter will explain the path from arrest to trial to appeal of a New York State criminal case. To better facilitate an understanding of a criminal trial, one must also understand the basics of the NY Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law (CPL).