Boerum Hill is a brownstone neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn immediately south of the borough court complex, and matters arising there are prosecuted by the Kings County District Attorney.

What This Charge Means Here

A large share of the housing is rented or sublet, and short tenancies mean the question of who was living in a unit on a given date is frequently unclear. The area covers ZIP 11201 and 11217.

Occupancy, Keys and Short Tenancies

Where a brownstone floor is sublet, shared or let for a short term, an address does not identify a person. Establishing occupancy requires the lease or sublease itself, the payment records that show who actually paid, utility accounts, mail forwarding, and any building or landlord record of key issue and replacement. Who held a key is a distinct question from who lived there, and both are distinct from who was present. Investigations frequently collapse the three, and separating them is documentary work that has to be done from the tenancy records rather than from recollection.

Which Court Hears It and What to Expect

A matter from Boerum Hill is arraigned at Kings County Criminal Court, 320 Jay Street, with felony matters proceeding before the criminal term of Kings County Supreme Court in the same building. Kings County carries one of the heaviest criminal calendars in the state, which means the assigned bureau governs the pace of a matter more than any single court date does. The court complex is within walking distance of the neighborhood, which removes a practical obstacle from the frequent short appearances a Kings County matter generates.

The First 72 Hours

The first three days decide what evidence still exists. Landlord and management records of key issue and access are held privately and are frequently discarded at the end of a tenancy. Building camera coverage in small residential buildings overwrites within weeks. Carrier and platform data follows its own schedules. A written preservation demand sent early to the landlord and managing agent costs nothing and is often the only way the occupancy question is answered with documents.

Those days also settle whether a statement exists. Investigators approach people before an arrest, and a conversation presented as routine is not routine. Declining to discuss an allegation is not evidence of anything, and it is the one decision in this period that cannot be reversed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does occupancy matter so much?

Because an address does not identify a person where a unit is shared or sublet. Who lived there, who held a key and who was present are three separate questions.

What documents answer it?

The lease or sublease, payment records, utility accounts, mail forwarding and landlord records of key issue and replacement.

Where is a Boerum Hill matter heard?

Kings County Criminal Court at 320 Jay Street, with felony matters before the criminal term of Kings County Supreme Court in the same building.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris is the founding attorney of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., a firm practicing since 1997. He is a former prosecutor and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm and handle matters alongside him.

Speak With Mr. Sris

An address is not an identification, and the documents that separate the two are held by a landlord. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.

Last reviewed: August 25, 2026.

Attorney Advertising. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.

The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading it or by contacting the firm. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Attorney responsible for this advertising: Mr. Sris.