Charge Reduction Patterns in New York Criminal Courts
February 24, 2026 · 5 min read
Plea bargaining is central to how New York criminal courts operate. We analyzed New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data to identify the most common charge reduction patterns — where defendants are convicted on a lesser charge than what they were arrested for.
Most Common Charge Reductions
The table below shows the most frequent arrest-to-conviction charge reductions across New York.
| Arrest Charge | Convicted Of | Cases | % of Convictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Larceny | Disorderly Conduct | 25,071 | 46.3% |
| Drug Possession | Disorderly Conduct | 25,055 | 49.4% |
| Assault | Disorderly Conduct | 22,170 | 42.1% |
| Drug Sale | Drug Possession | 11,064 | 35.7% |
| Grand Larceny | Disorderly Conduct | 10,091 | 36.7% |
| Criminal Contempt | Disorderly Conduct | 9,453 | 33.7% |
| Grand Larceny | Petit Larceny | 9,162 | 33.3% |
| Assault | Harassment | 8,207 | 15.6% |
| Drug Sale | Disorderly Conduct | 8,063 | 26.0% |
| Forgery | Disorderly Conduct | 7,864 | 46.3% |
| Weapons Offense | Disorderly Conduct | 7,022 | 24.0% |
| Theft of Services | Disorderly Conduct | 6,408 | 51.8% |
| Forgery | Traffic Offense | 4,818 | 28.4% |
| Burglary | Petit Larceny | 4,363 | 21.2% |
| Strangulation | Disorderly Conduct | 4,051 | 36.6% |
| Robbery | Disorderly Conduct | 3,956 | 23.2% |
| Menacing | Disorderly Conduct | 3,806 | 49.3% |
| Escape / Bail Jumping | Disorderly Conduct | 3,778 | 43.9% |
| Burglary | Disorderly Conduct | 3,742 | 18.2% |
| Criminal Contempt | Harassment | 3,652 | 13.0% |
Key Patterns
- Drug charges are among the most commonly reduced, often from sale to possession.
- Felony charges are frequently reduced to misdemeanor-level offenses through plea bargaining.
- Charge reductions vary by county, reflecting different prosecutorial practices.
For charge-specific reduction data, visit the individual charge pages where reduction targets are broken down by county.
Source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data. Charge reduction is defined as conviction on a different (lesser) charge than the arrest charge. Only reductions with 10+ cases are shown.
Data source: New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data. Last updated March 2026. — NewYorkCourtFile.com
Next Step
Facing criminal charges in New York? An attorney can walk you through your options.