{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "penal", "section": "55.00", "citation": "Penal Law § 55.00", "heading": "Applicability of article", "text": ["§ 55.00 Applicability of article.", "The provisions of this article govern the classification and designation of every offense, whether defined within or outside of this chapter."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/55.00", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "This article governs the **classification and designation of EVERY offense** — whether it's defined inside the Penal Law or in some other New York statute. ★ Universal reach: even a crime written into a different chapter of the law gets sorted by these rules.", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/penal/55.00", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}