New law gives New York Judges authority to waive surcharges and fees for people under 21

New York courts now have broad discretion to waive surcharges and fees where the judge finds that the person being sentenced was under the age of 21 at the time of the offense and that:

· the waiver is in the interests of justice;
· the imposition of the surcharge or fee would work an unreasonable hardship on the defendant, the defendant’s immediate family, or any other person dependent on the defendant for support; or
· after considering the goal of promoting successful and productive reentry and reintegration), the imposition of the surcharge or fee would adversely impact the defendant’s reintegration into society.

The new law was effective August 24, 2020 and the full text is available here.

New York State's Sparkler Law: What's legal, what's not.

While most fireworks remain illegal in New York State, a recent law has authorized counties and cities outside of New York City to legalize sparklers and certain sparkling devices for those who are over 18 years of age.

A list of legal fireworks, and the counties that allow them, can be found here.

It is a crime to provide a sparkler to a person less than 18 years of age, even in the jurisdictions where sparkling devices have been legalized.

For additional information about this law, including information on sales, please visit the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) web page.

This Fourth of July, be safe, celebrate America and have fun.