New York Burglary Defense
New York Burglary in the Third Degree Lawyer
Burglary in the third degree is the baseline New York burglary felony. It requires knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime inside.
What Is Burglary in the Third Degree in New York?
Burglary in the third degree is the baseline New York burglary felony. It requires knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime inside.
Burglary is often misunderstood as simply “breaking in.” Under New York law, the prosecution must prove more specific things: unlawful entry or remaining, knowledge, intent to commit a crime inside, and any degree-specific aggravator such as dwelling, injury, weapon, or firearm-display allegations.
Elements Prosecutors Must Prove Under the Jury Instructions
The New York Criminal Jury Instructions break burglary into the core entry/intent requirements and the aggravating facts that raise the degree.
Penal Law 140.20: building / intent to commit a crime
For this theory, the People generally must prove the following beyond a reasonable doubt:
- The defendant unlawfully entered or remained in a building.
- The defendant did so knowingly, meaning the person was aware that he or she had no license or privilege to enter or remain.
- The defendant did so with intent to commit a crime inside the building.
Key Burglary Definitions
Building
Building can include ordinary structures, certain vehicles or watercraft used for overnight lodging or business, elementary or secondary schools, enclosed motor trucks, and separately secured units inside larger buildings.
Dwelling
A dwelling is a building usually occupied by a person lodging there at night. Mixed-use or multi-unit buildings can raise complicated dwelling questions.
Unlawful Entry or Remaining
A person enters or remains unlawfully when there is no license or privilege to do so. Permission, public access, partial public access, and orders of protection can be central issues.
Knowingly
The prosecution must prove the person was aware that he or she was entering or remaining without license or privilege.
Intent to Commit a Crime Inside
Intent means conscious objective or purpose. The prosecution may have to identify the intended crime if the indictment or bill of particulars specifies it.
Aggravators
Injury, dangerous instrument, deadly weapon, explosives, firearm display, and dwelling allegations can raise the degree and change sentencing exposure.
Example Scenario
A realistic example is an allegation that someone entered a closed business, apartment hallway, office, school, or secured part of a store intending to steal, damage property, violate an order, or commit another crime. The defense would examine permission, public access, whether entry was actually unlawful, whether the person intended any crime at entry, and whether the facts are closer to trespass than burglary.
The example shows why burglary cases should be analyzed element by element. A person can be accused of entering a location, but the defense may still challenge permission, knowledge, intent, whether the location was a dwelling or building, and whether any aggravator is proven.
Potential Sentencing and Consequences
Burglary in the Third Degree is a class d felony. The maximum exposure is up to 7 years in prison. Burglary allegations can also affect bail, immigration, employment, housing, licensing, education, orders of protection, family issues, and reputation.
Defense Issues to Examine Immediately
Proof and Element Defenses
- The entry or remaining may not have been unlawful.
- The person may have had permission, public access, or a mistaken but good-faith basis to enter.
- The prosecution may not prove intent to commit a crime inside.
- The location may not meet the charged building or dwelling theory.
- The injury, weapon, dangerous instrument, or firearm-display theory may be unsupported.
Evidence and Procedure Defenses
- Video, access logs, texts, phone data, and witness accounts should be preserved quickly.
- Statements, searches, identifications, or recovered property may be suppressible.
- Order-of-protection entry cases require careful review of the order terms and alleged intended crime.
- Forensic evidence such as fingerprints or DNA may be incomplete or context-dependent.
- Grand jury advocacy may narrow or prevent felony or violent-felony exposure.
Related Burglary, Theft, Robbery, and Weapons Pages
Burglary allegations often overlap with trespass, larceny, robbery, assault, contempt, weapons, and broader criminal-defense issues.
Official Legal References
This page is structured around Penal Law 140.20 and New York Courts CJI materials, including NY Courts CJI Article 140 index, NY Courts CJI burglary third degree.
How Lebedin Kofman LLP Approaches Burglary in the Third Degree Cases
Lebedin Kofman LLP focuses on the exact CJI elements, evidence preservation, access and permission issues, intent proof, location classification, weapon or injury allegations, suppression issues, grand jury strategy, and collateral consequences.
See our representative cases and media coverage and client reviews for additional context about the firm’s work. Every case is different, and past outcomes do not guarantee a similar result.
Talk to a New York Burglary in the Third Degree Defense Lawyer
Burglary charges can create felony or violent-felony exposure, bail risk, orders of protection, immigration consequences, housing and employment issues, licensing problems, and long-term reputational harm. Early defense work can preserve video, challenge entry and intent, and address dwelling or weapon allegations before the case hardens.
Lebedin Kofman LLP represents clients in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and federal matters around the United States. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Burglary in the Third Degree FAQ
Is burglary in the third degree a felony in New York?
Burglary in the Third Degree is a class d felony under Penal Law 140.20. The exposure and collateral consequences depend on the facts, criminal history, and charged aggravators.
What does “enters or remains unlawfully” mean?
The prosecution must prove the person had no license or privilege to enter or remain. Public access, partial public access, permission, terminated permission, and order-of-protection issues can all matter.
Does the person have to actually commit another crime inside?
No. Under the CJI, burglary is complete when a person knowingly enters or remains unlawfully with intent to commit a crime inside, even if the intended crime is never completed or attempted.
What evidence matters in a burglary in the third degree case?
Important evidence can include surveillance, access logs, building records, text messages, order-of-protection documents, witness accounts, location data, body-camera footage, fingerprints, DNA, property records, and statements.
Why People Call Lebedin Kofman LLP
When a criminal allegation, DWI arrest, federal investigation, Title IX matter, or high-stakes accusation can affect your freedom, license, job, education, immigration status, or reputation, you should be able to speak with a defense lawyer quickly and get a clear plan.
- Speak with a lawyer about an arrest, investigation, court date, order of protection, license consequence, or federal exposure.
- Get early guidance before speaking with police, prosecutors, school investigators, insurers, agencies, or employers.
- Review defense options including dismissal, reduction, suppression issues, trial posture, negotiation strategy, and collateral consequences.
Property Entry, Trespass, and Tampering Defense Topics
Related New York property-offense defense pages: