James Quinn Auricchio, Esq.

06/04/2025

Learn-Do-Teach: Using Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Defense

You have an officer on the stand who says he complied with department procedure when he seized evidence. When you search your discovery, you don't find any forms or reports completed by the officer.

You’re pretty sure that can’t be right, but the Buffalo Police Manual is 924 pages long and rabbit holes are dangerous in our line of work. Wouldn’t it be nice to list all the forms he should have completed that you don't have?

Here's an efficient and effective way to gather the information you need to confirm your hunch using AI:

Step one: Get a Google Notebook LM account. (https://notebooklm.google.com/) Start with the free plan. It’s fine for this.

Step two: Find a copy of the Buffalo Police Manual of Procedures online. Here is one copy from 2022: https://www.bpdny.org/DocumentCenter/View/189/BPD-MANUAL-OF-PROCEDURES

Step three: Upload it to a new notebook in your new Notebook LM account. There is an option to simply link your notebook to the URL for the manual directly, but I got inconsistent and slower results when I did it that way.

Step four: In your Notebook, enter the prompt: “make a table of all forms an officer should use when he seizes property”

If you've done it right, the response should include about 14 or 15 forms, some of which you've never heard of and none of which were in the discovery provided by the prosecutor.

The results aren't reliable enough to rely on blindly. For example, you should verify the results using the most up to date BPD manual available here:

https://public.powerdms.com/BuffaloCity/tree/documents/1890517.

But you have the citations and the sources that would have taken hours to gather on your own.

Here are some other prompts to consider:
"What records does an officer create when he seizes property?"
"When can an officer impound and tow a vehicle and what forms are completed when that happens?"

If you found this information helpful, share it all you like, take credit for it if you want.

All this and more will be a part of an upcoming Continuing Legal Education Course from the Bar Association of Erie County this fall. Check back soon for more details.

06/03/2025

One Mistake Shouldn’t Define a Future

A criminal conviction—especially for a young person—can alter the course of a life forever.

It can mean:

• Barriers to college admission
• Loss of job opportunities
• Suspension of driving privileges
• Immigration consequences
• Long-term damage to reputation and relationships

At a time when every opportunity matters, the right defense can make all the difference. Whether it’s negotiating a dismissal, securing youthful offender treatment, or protecting a clean record, an experienced criminal defense attorney knows how to fight for your future.

The good news is that experienced and skilled counsel can make a big difference.

Located in Buffalo, NY, we represent young adults, students, and professionals facing serious charges. You only get one shot at protecting your record. Make it count.

Call today for a confidential consultation.
716-222-2522

James Quinn Auricchio, Esq.
484 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY

03/21/2024

Five years in a row! Humbled to be in super company.

12/29/2023

“Records show that more than half the people in city custody — some 3,000 men and women — have been diagnosed with a mental illness, and, on any given day, hundreds of them are awaiting evaluations or in line for beds at state forensic psychiatric hospitals, with scores more being treated at those facilities.”

A seemingly endless rotation between state forensic hospitals and city jails has meant that some mentally ill detainees stay in the system for years without ever standing trial.

12/14/2023

Body worn cameras have the potential to make or break a case. They’ve changed the practice of law for both prosecutors and defense attorneys. We are not so limited to the perspective of either the officers or the accused when investigating a case. They’re not quite instant replay for criminal justice, but they can provide a more objective account to a judge or jury.

They’re aren’t a panacea, but they allow for more transparency and honesty about the conduct of police and civilians.

They most often reveal professional men and women doing a very difficult job with compassion and integrity.

They often reveal civilians in a state of crisis or trauma at the mercy of these professionals.

They occasionally reveal less flattering events for both officers and civilians.

U.S. taxpayers spent millions to fund what was supposed to be a revolution in accountability. What went wrong?

12/07/2023

Reason number gazzillion to never talk to Federal Agents (or police) without a lawyer.

This could have and would have been avoided. An experienced lawyer would have seen to that.

Sometimes even the most experienced and even well meaning law enforcement officers think they know better.

A criminal complaint was filed in federal court.

10/23/2023

Cool opportunity to appear in Western District of Pennsylvania again. Interesting how local customs vary.

09/26/2023

Exceptional clients allow for exceptional results.

Our client was charged with a gun. He is a refugee here and he got mixed up with a bad crew. Soft spoken, humble and respectful, the kid wasn’t a gangster.

The Prosecution wanted jail, but they didn’t really know the kid, just the things they read on paper.

Our client took what is best called a “prove it” plea. He pleaded guilty to a charge that exposed him to a prison sentence unless he did everything the judge asked.

Instead of going to prison, he finished school, got his Commercial Driver’s License and is working full time while he puts applications for driving jobs out there.

The judge was ecstatic today as she let him walk out the door without a day in jail. Instead of destroying the kids potential, the system slowed its roll and let the kid prove it.

Once in a while, we get to do cool things.

09/23/2023

Returning to the scene: proud and grateful to be a coach for the finest Trial Team Program in the Country!

09/06/2023

We help people start fresh, every day.

09/01/2023

Hot off the presses!

04/05/2023

Just going to leave this here.