Rick is a general practice attorney who specializes in the following areas.
He handles all matters relating to estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, elder law, special needs planning, estate and trust litigation, and guardianship.
He litigates matters under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules (CPLR) and all other claims and actions against the state, county or local municipalities, federal civil rights suits under 19 U.S.C. § 1983, and all Family Court matters, such as divorce or separation, domestic violence, support and custody proceedings.
He also has a great deal of experience in criminal matters, but since his election as Village Judge, he is no longer accepting criminal cases. In the past, he has specialized in the following types of cases:
- Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs or Alcohol (DWAI) (Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) § 1192);
- Sex Offenses (Penal Law, Article 130);
- Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) Hearings (Correction Law, Article 6-C);
- Drug and Controlled Substance Offenses (Penal Law, Article 220);
- Larceny (Penal Law, Article 155);
- Harassment (Penal Law, Article 240);
- Assault (Penal Law, Article 120);
- Criminal Mischief (Penal Law, Article 145);
- Disorderly Conduct (Penal Law, Article 240);
- Trespass (Penal Law, Article 140);
- Fraud (Penal Law, Articles 170 and 175 - 178);
- Termination Hearings from Drug Court; and
- Violation of Probation or Parole Hearings.
(For more information on specific areas of practice, click on the links contained in the sidebars on the right).
He appears in all local state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate levels, but specifically in the following federal courts:
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY);
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); and
- Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
He appear in the following superior and appellate state courts:
- New York Court of Appeals;
- New York Supreme Court Appellate Divisions for the First and Second Departments;
- Rockland County Court;
- Rockland County Drug Court;
- Rockland Supreme Court;
- Rockland Family Court;
- Westchester County Court;
- Westchester Supreme Court;
- Westchester Family Court;
- Orange County Court;
- Orange County Supreme Court; and
- Orange County Family Court.
For existing clients, or in other special situations, he has also appeared in New York City courts and other courts throughout the state.