Have you received a desk appearance ticket? You need a Brooklyn desk appearance ticket lawyer who can help you to defend your rights and avoid the problems of a criminal record. Without hiring a desk appearance ticket lawyer in Brooklyn, you may not be aware of the severity of this type of situation or understand how it is different from other types of criminal charges. A DAT attorney in Brooklyn can help.
There is no doubt that after you have been handed a DAT, you are nervous and anxious and rightfully so. You must be prepared to address what could happen to your future and your career outside the courtroom, as well as the potential consequences of a criminal record.
You need an experienced Brooklyn desk appearance ticket attorney to help you work through the potential repercussions and avoid them wherever possible. You need to take the allegations seriously because any crime, whether it’s a misdemeanor or a felony, has ramifications that could affect your life as well as your career.
A desk appearance ticket is given by the police as an order for you to appear in criminal court for one reason or another. It is your responsibility to appear in criminal court to respond to an accusation that you have committed an offense. In most cases, a DAT is only given for a misdemeanor offense and the majority of misdemeanor offenses across New York carry a maximum punishment of a year in jail. In some situations, however, a DAT may be given for a violation, such as disorderly conduct. New York City considers this an offense but it is not a state law.
A conviction for a violation can be punished by a maximum of 15 days in jail. You could be given a desk appearance ticket for an E felony offense in New York, which can be punished by more than a year in prison. The maximum range is from one and one third to up to four years in prison. If you are being accused of an E felony offense in New York, it is extremely rare for you to receive a DAT.
The word ticket often throws off many people who have received a DAT after being accused of an offense. A desk appearance ticket is not like a pink summons from a traffic officer or a traffic ticket. DATs are usually one way to charge criminal offenses and will send you to regular criminal court instead of the summons court room. This does mean that you have been arrested and any time that you truthfully answer the question, "have you been arrested?", your answer should be "yes".
Being arrested for a crime usually does not pose a problem for your future unless you are ultimately convicted of something. What you need to be concerned with is not the arrest aspect of what happened, but the appropriate way to protect an outcome.
There are two primary ways that you can beat the process after being arrested in New York. The first is to hold that individual who was arrested in jail until they are brought before a judge for arraignment. Arraignment is your first official appearance on a criminal case in New York in which bail is determined. This usually means approximately 24 hours in custody. The desk appearance ticket is the second alternative and it is less widely used.
The police have to prepare the paperwork as though you are being processed in the traditional manner but rather than making your way to see a judge for your arraignment, they give you a date that you must bring yourself to court for your arraignment. This is usually a major benefit when you have been handed a DAT because it avoids the process of having to spend 24 hours or more in jail. Do not expect to be starting your trial on the court date listed on your desk appearance ticket. You simply must be prepared for the arraignment.
There will be no evidence, no determinations of innocence or guilt and no witnesses, unless you have been able to work an agreement out with an ADA right there and then. This is not a trial, but it is strongly recommended that you retain a desk appearance ticket attorney in Brooklyn who understands DATs and who can help you prepare for this situation.