Glossary of Terms
Index Crime Definitions
Charge Types and Penal Codes
Data Sources
Glossary of Terms
Accusatory Instrument: A written accusation filed with the court by the Bronx DA that charges the defendant with one or more offenses. (Also known as a Criminal Complaint)
Acquittal: The defendant is found not guilty at trial.
Arraignment: The first time the defendant appears before a judge and hears the charges against them. The defendant will then enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest.
Arrestee: An individual arrested for an offense(s) by NYPD.
Arrest Event: An individual is taken into custody by NYPD.
Bail: A cash or bond set by the court to ensure the defendant will return for future court appearances. Bail will be forfeited if the defendant does not return.
Charge Category: Felony, misdemeanor, or violation/infraction categorization. See the Office of Court Administration (OCA) for more information on charge severity definitions.
In some instances, felonies are further classified as violent felony offenses (VFOs) or non-violent felony offenses per the definition used by the Division for Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The exact charges can be found in the Listing of NYS Laws. Note that this definition classifies a charge as a VFO if it is defined as such in NYS Penal Law section 70.02 or if it is considered “like” a violent felony. Second-degree murder, for example, is not listed in section 70.02 but is categorized as a VFO because it is like a violent felony.
Charged: When NYPD submits an arrest to the Bronx DA, a prosecutor reviews the circumstances of the arrest, interviews witnesses and/or victims, and decides whether to prosecute the defendant on the arrest and, if so, for what charges. A case is considered “charged” or “prosecuted” if the prosecutor files an affidavit, or accusatory instrument, associated with the arrest.
The prosecution charging rates shown in this document are based on legal documentation filed with the court, such as an accusatory instrument or declined to prosecute forms.
Conviction: The defendant is found guilty, either through a guilty plea or at trial.
Conditional Discharge: A type of sentence that allows the defendant to be released from prison under certain conditions that do not include supervision. The judge may order a defendant to attend a treatment or substance abuse program, maintain legal employment, or meet other obligations.
Declined to Prosecute: If the prosecutor files a decline to prosecute form with the court for all charges on an arrest, the arrest is considered “declined.”
Defendant: A person charged with committing a crime.
Defendant Race: Race is based on information from the complaint that NYPD files with the Bronx DA at the time of arrest. In this analysis, “race” combines race and ethnicity such that any defendant of Hispanic origin is categorized as Hispanic, and defendants identified as non-Hispanic are categorized as White, African American/Black, Asian, or Another Race.
Defendant Age: Age is based on NYPD reports of the defendant’s date of birth at the time of the arrest.
Defendant Gender: Gender is based on NYPD reports of the defendant’s gender at the time of the arrest.
Dismissal: The prosecutor dismisses the charges on the case after the defendant has been charged. Disposition: Resolution of the criminal case. A case can be disposed with an outcome of conviction, dismissal, or acquittal.
Felony: A crime punishable by a term of imprisonment greater than one year.
Fine: A type of sentence that requires a defendant to pay a specific amount of money. I
Index Crimes: The FBI tracks the incidence of seven main or “index” crime types for the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. These include murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, grand larceny, and motor vehicle theft. See Appendix A for a complete list of the NYS penal law codes included in each index crime category.
Law Article: The Law article typically refers to a grouping of charges in the New York State Penal Law that includes different versions of an offense. For example, all charges related to Larceny are grouped into Penal Law Article 155. In these Data Stories, criminal cases are categorized based on the Charge Category and Penal Law Article.
Misdemeanor: A crime punishable by probation, a fine, or up to one year in jail.
Probation: A type of sentence that releases a defendant into the community under supervision.
Top Charge: The most serious charge at a given point in the case flow (for example, there will be a top charge at arrest, a top charge at arraignment, top charge at disposition, top charge at sentencing, etc.). The top charge can change from one point to another for a variety of reasons. For example, the Bronx DA may decide to prosecute for a different charge than the one submitted by NYPD after reviewing the evidence and speaking with witnesses. The charge could change again after arraignment if the defendant agrees to a plea deal.
Charges are ranked based on category (felony, misdemeanor, violation, infraction, unknown), then by class (‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘U’). If there is a tie, preference is given to (1) murder charges, per Article 125.25, 125.26, and 125.27, and then (2) ‘Violent Felony’ offenses. In situations where charges are still tied, the tie is broken by the lowest Law Article number.
Violation: An offense punishable by a fine or up to 15 days in jail.
Index Crime Definitions
The Uniform Crime/Incident-Based Reporting system (UCR) uses general offense categories that were developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to standardize reporting across states.
All data reports follow the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services definitions of felony index crimes including:
Murder: The willful killing of one human being by another. Excluded from this category are deaths caused by negligence, suicide, or accident, justifiable homicides, and attempts to murder, which are classified as assault.
Rape/UCR Felony Sex Offense: Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.
Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
Aggravated Assault: The unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm, and also includes attempts to commit murder.
Burglary: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as burglary.
Larceny: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. It includes crimes such as shoplifting, purse snatching, bicycle thefts, etc., in which no use of force, violence, or fraud occurs. This offense category does not include offenses such as embezzlement, forgery, or bad checks.
Motor Vehicle Theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle, including automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and snowmobiles.
Note: Only felony charges are included in all of the index crime categories
Charge Types and Penal Law Codes
| Charge Category | PL Codes |
|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | PL 120.01, PL 120.02, PL 120.05 (excluding subsections 03, 10, and 12), PL 120.06, PL 120.07, PL 120.08, PL 120.09, PL 120.10, PL 120.11, PL 120.12, PL 120.55.01, PL 120.55.01H, PL 121.12, PL 121.13, PL 121.13-a, PL 130.85, PL 195.08, PL 215.13, PL 215.17, PL 215.51, PL 240.73, PL 260.32, PL 260.34 |
| Arson PL | 150 |
| Assault Related | PL 120.00, PL 120.03, PL 120.04, PL 120.04A, PL 120.13, PL 120.14, PL 120.15, PL 120.16, PL 120.17, PL 120.18, PL 120.20, PL 120.25, PL 120.40, PL 120.42, PL 120.45, PL 120.50, PL 120.53, PL 120.70 |
| Attempted Murder | PL 125.25, 125.26, 125.27 (Attempted) |
| Bribery | PL 200 |
| Burglary | PL 140.20, PL 140.25, PL 140.30 |
| Burglary Related | PL 140.35 |
| Contempt | PL 215 (Except PL 215.17 and PL 215.51) |
| Contraband | PL 205 |
| Criminal Mischief | PL 145 |
| Drug-Marijuana | PL 221, PL 222 |
| Endangerment | PL 260 (Except PL 260.32 and PL 260.34) |
| Forgery | PL 170 |
| Fraud | PL 158, PL 175, PL 176, PL 177, PL 470 |
| Gambling, Prostitution | PL 225, PL 230, PL 235 |
| Grand Larceny | PL 155.30 (excludes subsection 08, 08H), PL 155.35, PL 155.40 (excludes subsection 02), PL 155.42, PL 155.43, PL 165.10, PL 165.11 |
| Kidnapping and related | PL 135 |
| Manslaughter or Related | PL 125.10, PL 125.11, PL 125.12, PL 125.13, PL 125.14, PL 125.15, PL 125.20, PL 125.21, PL 125.22, PL 125.40, PL 125.45, PL 125.50, PL 125.55, PL 125.60 |
| Motor Vehicle (Not Theft) | PL 270.00, PL 270.05, PL 270.10, PL 270.15, PL 270.20, PL 270.21, PL 270.25, PL 270.30, PL 270.35 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | PL 155.30(08), PL 155.30(08H), PL 165.05(01), PL 165.06, PL 165.08 |
| Murder | PL 125.25, 125.26, 125.27 |
| NY Admin Law | NYS Administrative Charge |
| Obstruction | PL 195 (except PL 195.08) |
| Obstruction of Breathing | PL 121.11 |
| Other Sex Offenses | PL 130.20, PL 130.52, PL 130.53, PL 130.55, PL 130.60, PL 130.65, PL 255.25 |
| Petit Larceny | PL 155.25 |
| Possession of a Weapon | PL 265 |
| Public Order | PL 190, PL 240, PL 241, PL 242, PL 245 |
| Rape/UCR Felony Sex Offenses | PL 130.25, PL 130.30, PL 130.35, PL 130.40, PL 130.45, PL 130.50, PL 130.65-A, PL 130.66, PL 130.67, PL 130.70, PL 130.75, PL 130.80, PL 130.90, PL 130.95, PL 130.96, PL 120.60(2), PL 255.26, PL 255.27 |
| Robbery | PL 160.05, PL 160.10, PL 160.15 |
| Robbery | PL 160.05, PL 160.10, PL 160.15 Theft PL 165 (Except PL 165.10 and PL 165.11) |
| Theft | PL 165 (Except PL 165.10 and PL 165.11) |
| Trespass | PL 140 |
| Unauthorized Recording | PL 275 |
| Vehicle Traffic Law | VTL 306, VTL 319, VTL 340, VTL 375, VTL 370, VTL 390, VTL 392, VTL 397, VTL 401, VTL 403, VTL 426, VTL 509, VTL 511, VTL 512, VTL 600, VTL 605, VTL 1102, VTL 1128, VTL 1163, VTL 1180, VTL 1182, VTL 1192, VTL 1194, VTL 1198, VTL 1212, VTL 1225, VTL 2130 |
| Other Charge | PL 100, PL 105, PL 115, PL 140, PL 156, PL 210, PL 250, PL 255, PL 263, PL 155.30(06), PL 155.40(02), and PL 155.40(02A), PL 400, PL 460 |
Data Sources
- Arrest information is based on NYPD arrest documents filed with the Bronx DA.
- Prosecution charging decisions are based on documentation filed with the court after the Bronx DA reviews the circumstances of the arrest.
- Criminal case and court measures are based on data from the Office of Court Administration transmitted to the Bronx DA.
- Defendant race/ethnicity, gender, and age data is based on NYPD reports at the time of arrest. Demographics for Bronx County are based on the Census Bureau 5-year estimates (2018-2022).