Village of Geneseo decorates for the holiday season

At our new office, we have embraced our part of the Geneseo tradition. Along with the other tenants of our office building, David A. Hoffmann, Attorney & Counselor at Law has decked the front window of 75 Main Street. The Geneseo Merchants Association is sponsoring a contest for local businesses. We will continue to update the site when we receive our award! In the meanwhile, enjoy a stroll through the historic village and take in the decorations in all of the storefronts.

Role of the Grand Jury in New York State

When clients come to me charged with a Felony level offense, one of their first questions is "What is the Grand Jury?". In this installment of GeneseeSun.com's Courtroom Spotlight, we discuss the Grand Jury, and its role in criminal cases. If you or a loved one has been charged with a felony or any other level offense in Livingston County or the Genesee Valley, call David A. Hoffmann, Attorney & Counselor at Law. There are important and time-sensitive steps that can be taken before the matter gets presented to the Grand Jury. If you have already been indicted, it is critical that you hire an attorney you can trust with the experience necessary to guide you through this confusing and difficult process.

The video content is provided by GeneseeSun.com after a period of exclusive availability on their site. For the most up-to-date episode(s) of Courtroom Spotlight, see http://www.geneseesun.com/category/suntv-newsroom/. The information provided in this program is not intended as - and should not be perceived to be - legal advice. Every case is different. Speak to an attorney about your specific legal issues.

Shining the Courtroom Spotlight on Contractor Fraud

The GeneseeSun.com may have changed their logo, and High-Powered Local Attorney Kevin Van Allen may not have been there, but I still showed up to discuss an all-too-common legal headline. People frequently claim to have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors, who defraud them out of their hard-earned money. On Courtroom Spotlight, GeneseeSun.com publisher Josh Williams and I discuss the legal particulars behind the headlines. The information provided in this program is not intended as - and should not be perceived to be - legal advice. Every case is different. Speak to an attorney about your specific legal issues. The video content is provided by GeneseeSun.com after a period of exclusive availability on their site. For the most up-to-date episode(s) of Courtroom Spotlight, see http://www.geneseesun.com/category/suntv-newsroom/.

Courtroom Spotlight continues to shine

GeneseeSun.com has invited Mr. Hoffmann to return to the Courtroom Spotlight program to continue to inform the community about legal topics in the news. While they do not discuss specific cases, the program attempts to educate people about the complex legal issues behind the headlines. In this episode, the panel discusses "Hate Crimes", a topic of some interest locally as of late, due to allegations of assault targeting a SUNY Geneseo transgender student. While the facts of this particular incident are not discussed, the attorneys talk about the legislative history and intent of the relatively new Hate Crime laws, and what impact the new laws have on these types of cases. The information provided in this program is not intended as - and should not be perceived to be - legal advice. Every case is different. Speak to an attorney about your specific legal issues. The video content is provided by GeneseeSun.com after a period of exclusive availability on their site. For the most up-to-date episode(s) of Courtroom Spotlight, see http://www.geneseesun.com/category/suntv-newsroom/.

GeneseeSun.com Courtroom Spotlight

I am honored to have been invited to participate in GeneseeSun.com's Courtroom Spotlight. The GeneseeSun.com is a 24/7 community news, sports, and broadcast site for Northern Livingston and Southern Monroe Counties in Western New York. In addition to breaking news, the site features also community events, sports coverage and human interest features. Recently, the Publisher, Josh Williams, approached me with questions regarding specific criminal charges which were making headlines. An idea was born to broadcast a weekly program to help the community better understand some of the complex legal issues in the news. All too often, misinformation and conjecture take the place of facts and understanding. Courtroom Spotlight is intended to clarify some of the issues and reveal the truth behind the buzzwords. The information provided in this program is not intended as - and should not be perceived to be - legal advice. Every case is different. Speak to an attorney about your specific legal issues.

Pardon our dust

We are making progress on our new primary home in Geneseo, NY. If only there were frequent flyer miles for the New York State Thruway! I continue to make appearances in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Lockport in addition to my work in Avon, Geneseo and Livonia. While we are not yet ready to publicly announce or new address yet, I expect to be up and running by October 1. In the meantime, I want to once again thank my colleagues who have generously offered to allowed me to share office space during this transition, especially Brandt, Roberson and Brandt in Lockport and Michalski Militello in Avon/Pittsford.

While I am logging a lot of miles, remember that my office line is always available and can even be forwarded to my cell phone if need be. If you ever need to speak to me, even after a late-night traffic stop, call (585)447-7597. In the unlikely event you don't reach a live person, please do leave a message, and I will respond to you. Of course, email is also available around the clock for less pressing matters at DavidHoffmannAttorney@gmail.com .

Free advice can be expensive

I receive a lot of phone calls from people who just have a quick question or are just looking for some advice. I always try to help, and I don't want to be rude, but it can be difficult and dangerous for a lawyer to give advice over the phone. Without taking the time to get all of the information, it can be very hard (and reckless) to give out legal opinion. If you call me, you'll probably hear me tell you to call the police, or some other agency uniquely positioned to handle your issue. Or you may hear me say something like "based on what I'm hearing" or "without more information" followed by general legal rules and principles. Just like general info available on a blog, you cannot take free advice given after a five minute phone call as binding legal precedent. Remember that you get what you pay for - especially when it comes to free advice. Any attorney (or accountant, or doctor) who is giving out professional advice without actually looking into the issue probably isn't worth paying for, anyway.