Monroe County Charges 69 Under New Strangulation Laws

April 7, 2011
13wham.com

Rochester, N.Y. - Dozens of people in Monroe County this year have been charged with a new state strangulation law.

The Department of Criminal Justice Services released statistics for the first 15 weeks the law has been in effect.

It counted 2,003 arrests or arraignments in which three new strangulation offenses were cited.

The new laws include criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, a Class A misdemeanor; second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony; and first-degree strangulation, a Class C felony.

These new charges aim to punish those who inflict domestic violence.

The state listed the number of people charged by county.

Monroe County authorities charged 69 people with these strangulation offenses in the first 15 weeks of 2011.

Sixty percent or 1,200 occurred in New York City.

Anyone convicted of these charges must also submit a DNA sample to the state databank.

"These arrest numbers are staggering, and clearly illustrate the gap that existed in the Penal Law," DCJS Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne said. "I commend law enforcement officials in communities across the state for their swift and effective use of this new tool."