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We Defend New York Criminal Accusations

We have more than eighteen years (each, not combined) personal experience practicing criminal defense in Queens County, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan criminal courts, as well as Nassau County, Westchester County, and Putnam County criminal courts. Our practice is limited to New York criminal defense. We are in Court nearly every day.  We have the courtroom skills, experience, and local knowledge to provide high quality criminal defense for those arrested in New York City, Nassau County, Westchester County and Putnam County.

No lawyer can guarantee a particular result. But we can guarantee the skill, dedication, and experience to provide you or your loved one the highest quality defense possible.

We are proud of the quality of our work. Click here to read samples of our legal work.

Where We Practice

New York City

We defend people accused of crimes in all New York City Criminal Courts, including:

  • Queens Criminal Court
  • Queens Supreme Court
  • Brooklyn Criminal Court (Kings County)
  • Brooklyn Supreme Court
  • Manhattan Criminal Court (New York County)
  • Manhattan Supreme Court
  • Bronx Criminal Court
  • Bronx Supreme Court

Our New York City Office is conveniently located in Forest Hills, Queens, easily accessible to Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx by public transportation or by automobile.

Westchester and Putnam County

Likewise, if you need the assistance of a criminal lawyer in Westchester County or have a Westchester County Criminal Case, you can contact Shalley and Murray as well. Clicking on one of these links will take you to our Westchester County Criminal Defense web site where you will find a great deal of information specific to Westchester County.

James Shalley manages the Westchester office. The Westchester Office is also covers Putnam County.  Mr. Shalley has extensive experience handling criminal cases in the numerous local criminal courts in Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Our Westchester County Office is located in Somers, a short drive from most of the numerous criminal courts sprinkled throughout Westchester County and Putnam County.

Nassau County

If you need the assistance of a criminal lawyer in Nassau County or have a Nassau County Criminal case you can contact Shalley and Murray. Following these links, you will find our separate web site devoted to Nassau County Criminal Defense where you will find information specific to Nassau County.

New York Criminal Cases

Some of the types of cases we have handled include:

Don Murray

Don Murray graduated from Williams College in 1986. He graduated from The University of Florida College of Law, with honors, in 1989. During law school and briefly afterwards, Mr. Murray worked for William DeCarlis, a prominent criminal defense lawyer in the Southeast. While working for Mr. DeCarlis, Mr. Murray assisted in the defense of a number of complex criminal cases, including an international drug smuggling conspiracy case out of Atlanta, Georgia.

It was his work with Mr. DeCarlis that sparked Mr. Murray's interest in and commitment to criminal defense. In 1990, Mr. Murray accepted a position as a trial lawyer for The Legal Aid Society, criminal defense division in New York City. While a trial lawyer for The Legal Aid Society, Mr. Murray defended a wide variety of criminal matters, and tried quite a few criminal cases.

While a trial lawyer with The Legal Aid Society, Mr. Murray published a chapter in the Matthew Bender series of books Criminal Defense Techniques. The series is a reference tool for criminal defense lawyers, and Mr. Murray's chapter analyzed the law as it relates to cross-examination of witnesses with their prior convictions.

In 1996, Mr. Murray, along with James Shalley, founded the law firm Shalley and Murray and began practicing criminal defense in the private sector. Mr. Murray currently handles a caseload of criminal matters primarily in New York City, including Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan, and Nassau County.

Mr. Murray was retained by a law firm in London, England as an expert in the field of New York Criminal Law as part of an international defense of a person sought in an extradition matter in which the defendant (in England) was wanted by New York State.

Mr. Murray has also served as a faculty member for the Cardozo Law School's intensive trial advocacy program in the area of opening statements.

Mr. Murray's recent publications include an article in the Queens County Bar Association Journal about the despicable state of discovery rules in criminal cases in New York State.

Mr. Murray is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Westchester County Bar Association and the Queens County Bar Association.

James Shalley

James Shalley graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1989. While in law school, he clerked for the United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York and the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.

In 1989, Mr. Shalley became a Trial Attorney for The Legal Aid Society in New York City in their Criminal Defense Division. As a Trial Attorney in Queens County for about 7 years, Mr. Shalley distinguished himself as an excellent trial attorney, conducting a wide variety of trials in both Criminal and Supreme Courts.

Mr. Shalley has taken on management responsibility for the firm's extensive Westchester practice and therefore finds himself frequently making appearances in the various local criminal courts in Westchester and Putnam County.

Mr. Shalley is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Westchester County Bar Association, and the Queens County Bar Association.

Directions to Forest Hills Office

We are conveniently located in the Forest Hills Tower building, a short distance from the Queens Criminal Court Building. Our street address is 118-35 Queens Blvd. JetBlue has a large presence in the building.

Parking is available in the building. There is parking on the street, but it is sometimes difficult to find and is heavily monitored by traffic personnel.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Traveling on the Van Wyck Expressway toward JFK, take the Queens Blvd. exit and bear to your far right as you approach Queens Blvd. Take a right onto the service road and then an immediate right that will take you directly to the parking area of Forest Hills Tower. The building will be on your left and you will see a picnic area by this side entrance to the building. After parking your car, go in this side entrance, go straight ahead to the elevator and go to the 12th floor. We are located in Suite 1220.

Traveling on the Van Wyck away from JFK, take the Queens Blvd. exit and merge onto Queens Blvd. You will find yourself traveling down Queens Blvd. with the Criminal Court building on your right side. Keep traveling on Queens Blvd. until you go through the busy intersection of Queens Blvd. and Union Turnpike. You will see a large statue on your right. The Forest Hills Tower building will be on the far side of this intersection on your right. It is quite a tall tan building with large round ornamental holes built into the very top. Continuing toward the building, bear right to go down the small one way road that will take you by the side entrance and toward the parking area. After parking your car, go in this side entrance, go straight ahead to the elevator and go to the 12th floor. We are located in Suite 1220.

SUBWAY

Forest Hills Tower is conveniently located by the Union Turnpike subway stop, serviced by the E and F lines.

Coming from the direction of Manhattan toward Jamaica, ride at the back of the train and get off on the North side of Queens Blvd. You will then be in the shadow of Forest Hills Tower. If you walk in the entrance right on Queens Blvd. you will have to walk toward the back of the building and go down steps to get to the elevators that will take you to the 12th Floor. We are located in Suite 1220.

Coming from the direction of Jamaica going towards Manhattan, ride at the front of the train and get off on the North side of Queens Blvd. You will then be in the shadow of Forest Hills Tower. If you walk in the entrance right on Queens Blvd. you will have to walk toward the back of the building and go down steps to get to the elevators that will take you to the 12th Floor.  We are located in Suite 1220.

Client Rights and Responsibilities

Rights

You are entitled to be treated with courtesy and consideration at all times by your lawyer and the other lawyers and personnel in your lawyer’s office.

You are entitled to an attorney capable of handling your legal matter competently and diligently, in accordance with the highest standards of the profession. If you are not satisfied with how your matter is being handled, you have the right to withdraw from the attorney-client relationship at any time (court approval may be required in some matters and your attorney may have a claim against you for the value of services rendered to you up to the point of discharge.

You are entitled to your lawyer’s independent professional judgment and undivided loyalty uncompromised by conflicts of interest.

You are entitled to be charged a reasonable fee and to have your lawyer explain at the outset how the fee will be computed and the manner and frequency of billing. You are entitled to request and receive a written itemized bill from your attorney at reasonable intervals. You may refuse to enter into any fee arrangement that you find unsatisfactory.

You are entitled to have your questions and concerns addressed in a prompt manner and to have your telephone calls returned promptly.

You are entitled to be kept informed as to the status of your matter and to request and receive copies of papers. You are entitled to sufficient information to allow you to participate meaningfully in the development of your matter.

You are entitled to have your legitimate objectives respected by your attorney, including whether or not to settle your matter (court approval of a settlement is required in some matters).

You have the right to privacy in your dealings with your lawyer and to have your secrets and confidences preserved to the extent permitted by law.

You are entitled to have you attorney conduct himself or herself ethically in accordance with the Code of Professional Responsibility.

You may not be refused representation on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability.

Responsibilities

Reciprocal trust, courtesy and respect are the hallmarks of the attorney-client relationship. Within that relationship, the client looks to the attorney for expertise, education, sound judgment, protection, advocacy and representation. These expectations can be achieved only if the client fulfills the following responsibilities:

The client is expected to treat the lawyer and the lawyer’s staff with courtesy and consideration.

The client’s relationship with the lawyer must be one of complete candor and the lawyer must be apprised of all facts or circumstances of the matter being handled by the lawyer even if the client believes that those facts may be detrimental to the client’s cause or unflattering to the client.

The client must honor the fee arrangement as agreed to with the lawyer, in accordance with law.

All bills for services rendered which are tendered to the client pursuant to the agreed upon fee arrangement should be paid promptly.

The client may withdraw from the attorney-client relationship, subject to financial commitments under the agreed to fee arrangement, and, in certain circumstances, subject to court approval.

Although the client should expect that his or her correspondence, telephone calls and other communications will be answered within a reasonable time frame, the client should recognize that the lawyer has other clients equally demanding of the lawyer’s time and attention.

The client should maintain contact with the lawyer, promptly notify the lawyer of any change in telephone number or address and respond promptly to a request by the lawyer for information and cooperation.

The client must realize that the lawyer need respect only legitimate objectives of the client and that the lawyer will not advocate or propose positions which are unprofessional or contrary to law or the Lawyer’s Code of Professional Responsibility.

The lawyer may be unable to accept a case if the lawyer has previous professional commitments that will result in inadequate time being available for the proper representation of a new client.

A lawyer is under no obligation to accept a client if the lawyer determines that the cause of the client is without merit, a conflict of interest would exist or that a suitable working relationship with the client is not likely.

Queens Criminal Court

New York, New York Criminal Defense Lawyers

Background information about Shalley and Murray, including locations, areas of practice, partner profiles, and more.

New York, New York criminal defense lawyers at Shalley and Murray have been defending people accused of crimes in Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan for eighteen years. This article outlines how a new york criminal defense lawyer from Shalley and Murray can help defend your case.

Call 718-268-2171 for more information or to schedule your free consultation with a New York criminal defense lawyer from Shalley and Murray.

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