New York City Bribery Lawyer
If you have been arrested or charged with bribery in New York City, seeking legal help from an experienced New York City bribery lawyer can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.
A seasoned criminal defense attorney can explore every opportunity to get your charges reduced or dismissed and employ the most vigorous defense available.
Bribery Laws in New York
Under New York Penal Law, there are two main categories of bribery offenses–bribery involving public servants and bribery involving non-public servants. Bribery charges can result from accepting or offering a bribe or attempting to accept or offer a bribe. In New York, bribery charges separate address the person offering the bribe and the individual who receives or accepts the bribe.
Bribery refers to a wide-range of offenses in New York and most of them are classified as felonies. New York classifies felonies by letter, from A to E, with A being the most serious. Generally speaking, bribery involving public servants carries more severe penalties, but bribery of non-public servants is still a very serious charge. A bribery attorney in New York City could explain these charges and their potential penalties in more detail.
Bribery Involving Public Servants
Article 200 of New York Penal Law covers bribery involving public servants. The two most commonly charged offenses are bribery and bribe receiving. Bribery and bribe receiving are felonies of varying degrees depending on the specific circumstances of the offense.
For either charge, the state must prove that the benefit is conferred on the public servant upon an agreement or understanding that their vote, opinion, judgment, action, decision or exercise of discretion as a public servant will thereby be influenced. This does not, however, mean that the public servant had to actually follow through with the act agreed upon on.
The offense of bribery addresses the person offering, conferring, or agreeing to confer a benefit upon a public servant. There are three categories of bribery charges under Article 200:
- Bribery in the Third Degree – Class D Felony
- Bribery in the Second Degree – Class C Felony
- Bribery in the First Degree – Class B Felony
The offense of bribe receiving addresses the public servant who solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept a benefit from another person. There are three categories of bribe receiving charges:
- Bribe receiving in the Third Degree – Class D Felony
- Bribe receiving in the Second Degree – Class C Felony
- Bribe receiving in the First Degree – Class B Felony
Bribery Involving Non-Public Servants
New York Penal Law Article 180 governs bribery of non-public servants, which includes the following offenses:
- Commercial bribing in the first degree – Class E Felony
- Commercial bribing in the second degree – Class A Misdemeanor
- Commercial bribe receiving in the first degree – Class E Felony
- Commercial bribe receiving in the second degree – Class A Misdemeanor
- Bribing a labor official – Class D Felony
- Bribe receiving by a labor official – Class D Felony
- Sports bribing – Class D Felony
- Sports bribe receiving – Class D Felony
- Tampering with a sports contest in the first/second degree – Class E
- Felony/Class A Misdemeanor
- Rent gouging in the first/second/third degree – Class E Felony/Class A
- Misdemeanor/Class B Misdemeanor
Each of these offenses have their own distinct elements. Individuals who want to know more about bribery offenses and their corresponding elements should get in touch with a skilled New York City bribery attorney.
Contact a New York City Bribery Attorney
A capable attorney can attempt to obtain the best result possible for you. A New York bribery lawyer can help by providing valuable legal guidance and building customized defense strategies for your case. Contact an attorney today and find out how they can help.