Yonkers criminal defense lawyer.
Were you or a loved one arrested in Yonkers? This number rings Kevin Finkelstein, a licensed New York criminal defense attorney, and the first call is free.
If you can't talk right now, text the same number and say so.
This page is general information for people facing a criminal charge in Yonkers. It is not legal advice for a specific case, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Outcomes depend on the facts and on the court.
Where is a Yonkers case heard?
A Yonkers case moves through a handful of places. Three are downtown on South Broadway: the city court at 100, and police headquarters and the district attorney's Yonkers office at 104.
Yonkers City Court
The courthouse in the Robert W. Cacace Justice Center, where weekday arraignments happen, felonies included. Misdemeanors and lesser charges tend to stay here to the end of the case.
Yonkers Police Department
Police headquarters. The department covers the city through four precincts.
District attorney's office, Yonkers
The Westchester County District Attorney's branch office in Yonkers. These are the prosecutors on a Yonkers City Court case.
County courthouse, White Plains
The Richard J. Daronco Westchester County Courthouse. Weekend and holiday arraignments for every city court in Westchester happen here, Yonkers included. Indicted felony cases continue here.
County jail, Valhalla
Where people are commonly held if they aren't released after arraignment.
Family Court, Yonkers
Juvenile delinquency and family violence matters. Some cases involving young people or family members start here.
If someone you love was picked up on a Friday night and is being held, the arraignment will generally be over the weekend at the county courthouse in White Plains, not at Yonkers City Court.
Yonkers shares its southern border with the Bronx, and the firm handles cases on both sides of the line.
What happens after an arrest in Yonkers?
The arraignment
If you're held after the arrest, you'll be in front of a judge fast, and where that happens depends on the day of the week. With an appearance ticket, your first court date is the one printed on it. At that first appearance, the charge is read and the judge decides whether you go home and on what terms. That decision shapes the months that follow, which is why it helps to have someone there who already knows your situation.
Where the case goes next
A misdemeanor tends to stay in Yonkers City Court. Felonies are different. The charges generally go to a grand jury, and if the grand jury votes to indict, the case continues in Westchester County Court, at the county courthouse in White Plains.
The evidence comes in
The prosecution turns over its evidence. That can mean body camera footage and police reports, along with recorded calls and lab results. Somebody has to go through all of it, line by line and minute by minute, and that work is where the useful questions come from.
Motions and negotiation
Many cases are resolved at this stage, before any trial. Motions test how the evidence was gathered. Whatever survives them sets the terms of every conversation with the prosecutors afterward.
Trial, if that's the right path
Some cases should be tried. Others shouldn't, and the honest answer often isn't clear until the evidence has been read and the motions decided. Either way, his job is making sure you decide with the whole record in front of you.
Who answers when you call?
Kevin Finkelstein. The attorney on the first call is the attorney on the case.
He reviews the prosecution's evidence himself and works out the plan with you. When something changes, he's the one you call.
If you're reading this at two in the morning because someone you love was arrested in Yonkers, call or text anyway. It's easier to help before anyone has talked to the police or missed a court date. If I can't pick up, leave a message. And if I'm not the right lawyer for what you're facing, I'll tell you that.
Kevin FinkelsteinWhat clients said.
From our first conversation, he made me feel comfortable, answered all of my questions, and took the time to explain everything clearly. … Throughout the entire process, he was responsive, professional, and truly cared about helping me. It's clear that he goes above and beyond for his clients.
I hired Kevin during a stressful time and couldn't have asked for a better person in my corner. He was professional, responsive, and straight with me from day one, including when the news wasn't what I wanted to hear. I always knew where things stood and what my options were. … I'd recommend him without hesitation.
After meeting him I became very confident in his approach and ability to represent me. It was the best decision I made.
What should you do tonight?
- Don't talk about the case with anyone until you've talked to a lawyer, including the police and the other people involved. The only exceptions are the purely logistical information discussed below in Common Question 01 and answering any identification-related questions required by law.
- Calls from the county jail are recorded, including whatever the person on the outside says. Keep the case off those calls completely, and let that person be the one who calls the lawyer.
- Write down what you remember while it's fresh, including which police agency made the arrest and any officer's name. Hand it to the lawyer and nobody else.
- Find the paperwork. An appearance ticket or a release form has the court and the date printed on it.
Who is Kevin Finkelstein?
Kevin Finkelstein, J.D./LL.M., is the principal attorney of Finkelstein Criminal Defense PLLC. He handles criminal cases in the state courts in and around Westchester County, including Yonkers City Court and the county courthouse in White Plains.
A United States Navy veteran, he earned his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and his LL.M. from Cornell Tech. Before opening his own firm, he practiced at three major international law firms.
He's admitted in New York and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, which named him a 2025 Empire State Counsel Justice For All Awardee, in recognition of pro bono service and commitment to access to justice. There's more on the about page.
The office is at 75 South Broadway in White Plains. Yonkers has a South Broadway too, and that's where Yonkers City Court is, so check the city before you put the address into a map.
Matters outside the firm's areas of practice, or arising where its attorney is not admitted, may be referred to independent counsel in conformity with the New York Rules of Professional Conduct.
What are you facing?
You may not know the name of the charge yet. That's normal. Below are some examples of scenarios you may be facing and links to general descriptions of the same.
- A night out ended with someone hurt and police on the scene. Assault
- The car got pulled over, and police say there was a gun inside. Weapons charges
- Police found something on you, or in an apartment. Drug charges
- You were stopped on the Saw Mill or the Cross County on the way home, and the officer asked you to step out of the car. DWI
- An argument at home ended with police at the door, and then a court order telling you to stay away. Domestic violence
- Store security held you at the exit, or money went missing at work. Theft
- Your employer called you into a meeting with someone from outside the company. White collar crimes
- Agents came to the door, or a letter arrived from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Federal crimes
- Your child was arrested, and you don't know where they are or what happens next. Juvenile charges
- You missed a meeting with a probation officer, or a drug test came back positive. Probation violations
- An old case still surfaces every time somebody runs your name. Expungement and sealing
- You were driving and had no idea your license was suspended. Suspended license
- A traffic ticket came with a date to appear in Yonkers City Court. Traffic violations
Common questions
Find out where they're being held and where the arraignment will be. On a weekday that's ordinarily Yonkers City Court at 100 South Broadway; on a weekend or holiday, it's the county courthouse in White Plains. Write down what you were told, especially the charge and the precinct or police agency. Keep the case off the phone when they call, because those calls can be recorded. Then call. If it's late, text the same number.
At 100 South Broadway in downtown Yonkers, in the Robert W. Cacace Justice Center. Police headquarters and the district attorney's Yonkers office are at 104. Weekday arraignments happen at the court, and misdemeanor cases frequently stay there from the first appearance to the end of the case. Weekend and holiday arraignments are at the Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
It typically starts as a Yonkers City Court case. If a grand jury indicts, the case moves to Westchester County Court, at the county courthouse in White Plains. The stakes are higher and the timeline is longer, so the early decisions matter even more.
Make sure the lawyer hears exactly what was said. Talking to the police is common, because people think explaining will make the problem go away. Those words become one part of the case, and the plan has to account for them. Call soon.
It's worth having one. A misdemeanor conviction leaves a criminal record, and it can come up in background checks for jobs and housing. People underestimate that part. A call is a quick way to find out what you're actually facing.
Ordinarily, the court for the place where it happened: Yonkers City Court on the Yonkers side, and the Bronx courts on the other. The paperwork you were handed names the court. Either way, the firm handles cases in both.
Typically, to the Westchester County jail in Valhalla. That happens when bail is set and not posted, or when the judge orders the person held. Calls home from there are recorded. Keep the case off the phone, and let the lawyer handle anything that needs to be said about it.
Cases involving young people can go to Family Court, which has a Yonkers location at 131 Warburton Avenue, or to the criminal courts, depending on the young person's age and the charge. Call with what you know. The first step is finding out which court has the case.
Nothing. The first call is free and there's no obligation attached to it. If the firm is engaged after that, the fee arrangement is in writing before the representation starts.
Say so on the call. If hiring private counsel isn't the right move for your situation, he'll tell you that and point you to where to go instead.
Before you call, find any paperwork you were handed and keep it nearby. If there isn't any, call anyway.