Claiming self-defense is often the best way to defend yourself against charges of assault or murder.

Even though there are certain legal peculiarities to claiming self-defense in New York, the following steps may help you immensely:

iPhone theft is rampant in New York. Fortunately, there are precautions you can take that are practical and effective.

Here are 10 tips you may want to consider to prevent iPhone theft:

When a child gets caught up in mischief that might actually be an illegal crime, parents often wonder: What happens when a child gets arrested?

In New York, a juvenile is age 16 or under. When juveniles are arrested, they go through the juvenile justice system.

In an almost unbelievable turn of events, a Flushing resident used her iPhone's GPS capabilities to track it down, along with the thief who allegedly snatched it.

The luckiest woman in New York accomplished the impossible -- getting her stolen smartphone back -- with the help of the "Find My iPhone" app and the very motivated NYPD Officer Haaris M. Hamid, reports The New York Times.

For everyone else in New York City, here are five tips to keep your smartphone safe on the streets:

The Cookie Monsters and Elmos in Times Square might be fuzzy, but they are definitely not warm. A Cookie Monster performer from Queens was arrested on Sunday for allegedly pushing a toddler and shouting obscenities at his mother over a tip dispute. Not too long ago, a man dressed as Elmo from "Sesame Street" was arrested for hurling anti-Semitic slurs at tourists, USA Today reports.

The fuzzy entrepreneurs try to make a few bucks by posing for photos with tourists. But sometimes, the green and blue frienemies try to score green by assaulting and endangering children.

Love can be a roller coaster. But it can also lead to some serious legal trouble.

In some cases, it can make a person become so overwhelmed with emotion that he or she could be charged with a crime. Just ask former tennis star Jennifer Capriati, who has been charged with battery and stalking. She's not in jail, but she will be appearing in a Florida court to answer for the alleged acts against her ex-boyfriend.

Here are three ways that love can potentially become criminal:

What are some potential defenses to a drug possession charge? If the cops caught you in possession of drugs, but not necessarily taking the drugs or selling them, what are your options?

Let's talk about the crime of drug possession.

New York state law divides drug possession charges into those related to cannabis, and those related to other controlled substances.

Hit-and-run accidents can lead to severe consequences. Last week, we talked about the possible repercussions of a hit-and-run crash, such as the criminal charge of fleeing the scene of the accident.

That's only one part of a case involving a death by vehicle. If you're caught fleeing the scene of an accident that left anyone dead, you're likely to face a homicide charge.

That's the fate of Julio Acevedo of Brooklyn. He was extradited from Pennsylvania to New York in the hit-and-run death of an expectant couple and their baby, who was born after the accident but later died.

It's been all over the news in New York: A pregnant woman and her husband were killed en route to a hospital to deliver their baby. The baby was then prematurely delivered by Cesarean section but died the next day, CBS News reports.

The alleged culprit: A hit-and-run driver.

Julio Acevedo, 44, was arrested after he surrendered to officers in Pennsylvania. His alleged crime? Leaving the scene of an accident.

Drinking in public has many related issues. And public urination is one of these issues. As a result, it’s no surprise that many states and cities work on addressing these issues. Just as public intoxication is a misdemeanor in many states, in some states or cities, public urination can lead to jail time. In others, it’s an infraction.

Interestingly, New York has no specific laws addressing public intoxication when dealing with alcohol. There are, however, laws governing public intoxication with substances other than alcohol.