NYC knife laws

NYC is not knife friendly. This includes Manhattan and the Burroughs.

The problems people run into are that NYC bans gravity knives, which is currently interpreted by the courts to mean ANY knife that is capable of being flicked open.

Note. I did not say designed to be flicked open. I did not say easily flicked open. I did not say able to be flicked open by the person carrying it. I did not say able to be flicked open reliably.

If 250lbs of muscle in a NYPD uniform is able to flick your knife open ONCE while standing there trying to do so for half an hour until it finally clicks, guess what? It's a gravity knife, illegal, and you are in trouble.

Also, NYC inverts the usual law on concealment. If you are carrying a knife that happens to somehow be considered legal, it MUST be concealed or it will considered as illegally displayed and thus threatening. So whereas in other jurisdictions you might consider the clip on your knife and the bit sticking out of your pocket to be enough showing to count as "not concealed" and thus legal, in NYC the display of the clip and butt of the knife is considered illegal. If a cop sees a clip on your pocket that is enough for him to search you, charge you, and check if he can add a gravity knife charge on to boot.

If you carry a flashlight clipped to your pocket, or anything else that looks like it might be a knife, then they have cause to search you and find that legally concealed knife in your pocket or bag that turns out to be a gravity knife.


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DrFish said:
NYC is not knife friendly. This includes Manhattan and the Burroughs.

The problems people run into are that NYC bans gravity knives, which is currently interpreted by the courts to mean ANY knife that is capable of being flicked open.

Note. I did not say designed to be flicked open. I did not say easily flicked open. I did not say able to be flicked open by the person carrying it. I did not say able to be flicked open reliably.

If 250lbs of muscle in a NYPD uniform is able to flick your knife open ONCE while standing there trying to do so for half an hour until it finally clicks, guess what? It's a gravity knife, illegal, and you are in trouble.

Also, NYC inverts the usual law on concealment. If you are carrying a knife that happens to somehow be considered legal, it MUST be concealed or it will considered as illegally displayed and thus threatening. So whereas in other jurisdictions you might consider the clip on your knife and the bit sticking out of your pocket to be enough showing to count as "not concealed" and thus legal, in NYC the display of the clip and butt of the knife is considered illegal. If a cop sees a clip on your pocket that is enough for him to search you, charge you, and check if he can add a gravity knife charge on to boot.

If you carry a flashlight clipped to your pocket, or anything else that looks like it might be a knife, then they have cause to search you and find that legally concealed knife in your pocket or bag that turns out to be a gravity knife.


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Excellent summation of the issues in NYC, HOWEVER, one clarification. In order to be considered a gravity knife, the knife blade must lock open. Silpjoint knives cannot be a gravity knife under NY statute or the NYC twisted wrist flick test. A number of "false arrest" adjudications have resulted in large payments to slipjoint owners that were arrested.

If you live, work or travel in New York and New York City, please CALL or EMAIL Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, TODAY and simply deliver the message that you are "calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. Please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.

CALL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at:
518-455-2071

EMAIL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at: flanagan@nysenate.gov
If Emailing, use the Subject: Please Schedule S6483A for Senate Vote​

Again, please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL, just deliver the message "I am calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. That's it, keep it short and simple and above all BE POLITE and RESPECTFUL
 
DrFish said:
NYC is not knife friendly. This includes Manhattan and the Burroughs.

The problems people run into are that NYC bans gravity knives, which is currently interpreted by the courts to mean ANY knife that is capable of being flicked open.

Note. I did not say designed to be flicked open. I did not say easily flicked open. I did not say able to be flicked open by the person carrying it. I did not say able to be flicked open reliably.

If 250lbs of muscle in a NYPD uniform is able to flick your knife open ONCE while standing there trying to do so for half an hour until it finally clicks, guess what? It's a gravity knife, illegal, and you are in trouble.

Also, NYC inverts the usual law on concealment. If you are carrying a knife that happens to somehow be considered legal, it MUST be concealed or it will considered as illegally displayed and thus threatening. So whereas in other jurisdictions you might consider the clip on your knife and the bit sticking out of your pocket to be enough showing to count as "not concealed" and thus legal, in NYC the display of the clip and butt of the knife is considered illegal. If a cop sees a clip on your pocket that is enough for him to search you, charge you, and check if he can add a gravity knife charge on to boot.

If you carry a flashlight clipped to your pocket, or anything else that looks like it might be a knife, then they have cause to search you and find that legally concealed knife in your pocket or bag that turns out to be a gravity knife.


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It is my understanding that it is NYPD officers who are interpreting the law this way, and that the charges don't hold up in court, should people take the time to fight them.
 
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Nature Boy said:
It is my understanding that it is the NYPD who are interpreting the law this way, and that the charges don't hold up in court, should people take the time to fight them.
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You have been misinformed. That is not at all correct. WE are suing the District Attorney for a reason. You get arrested and odds are you are going to be prosecuted. Now, after paying a small fortune for a competent attorney, or getting lucky with a good public defender, many of the charges are either plead down to a lesser charge with time served and a fine or adjudicated into an ACD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal) plus, typically, some amount of community service. An ACD means if you don't get into trouble with the law for 6-12 months and complete your community service the charges are dismissed. On rare occasions with really good counsel and just the right facts you might just get the charges dismissed entirely, but that is really, really rare in our experience. However, if you do go to court to fight the charge and the NYPD officer appears and successfully wrist flicks the knife, you are going to be judged guilty with a potential year in jail penalty. Few lawyers are going to recommend fighting this charge, given the downside and difficulty beating the wrist flicking, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Also, if you have had any past run-ins with the law that resulted in even a minor misdemeanor conviction, let alone a felony, even if it was decades ago, odds are you are going to trial on a felony and headed up the river. This is a very serious charge. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
 
Edit: withdrawn
Thank you.
Ask for a vote on S6483A
 
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Critter said:
Excellent summation of the issues in NYC, HOWEVER, one clarification. In order to be considered a gravity knife, the knife blade must lock open. Silpjoint knives cannot be a gravity knife under NY statute or the NYC twisted wrist flick test. A number of "false arrest" adjudications have resulted in large payments to slipjoint owners that were arrested.

If you live, work or travel in New York and New York City, please CALL or EMAIL Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, TODAY and simply deliver the message that you are "calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. Please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL.

CALL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at:
518-455-2071

EMAIL Majority Leader Flanagan TODAY at: flanagan@nysenate.gov
If Emailing, use the Subject: Please Schedule S6483A for Senate Vote​

Again, please be POLITE and RESPECTFUL, just deliver the message "I am calling/writing to respectfully request that Leader Flanagan please schedule S6483A for a vote," and then thank him. That's it, keep it short and simple and above all BE POLITE and RESPECTFUL
Click to expand...

Just emailed the Majority Leader Flanagan ,thank you!
 
You can bet NYC will add a law to the admin code when the Gov signs this into law....
 
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