As you likely know, Long Island consists of two counties to the east of New York City and Queens which are Nassau County and Suffolk County. Suffolk County is made up of the eastern part of Long Island, with its county seat in Riverhead, New York. A Suffolk County Criminal Lawyer knows that the county, which makes up the 10th judicial district of New York State's Supreme Court, has a unsatisfactory crime rate but the District Attorney in Suffolk County is aggressive in pursuing those criminal activities that do occur within its boundaries-- ranging from DWI to complex White Collar Crime or to a Sex Crime.
Some Suffolk County towns and villages maintain their own police forces, particularly in towns of the East End of Long Island. And the Suffolk County court system also has village courts as well as five town courts. If you have been arrested by the Suffolk County Police, you will be arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip. The District Court is found in the Cohalan Court Complex, which is located in Central Islip at 400 Carleton Avenue (County Rd 17), just north of the service road for the Southern State Parkway and north of the large Federal Courthouse. If you are arrested by the local police in one of the five east end towns--Riverhead, East Hampton, Southampton, Southold, or Shelter Island--you will be arraigned in the local village or town court. If you are being arraigned on an indictment, your arraignment will take place in Riverhead, in the Suffolk County Criminal Court at 210 Center Drive.
Your arraignment is your first appearance before a judge or in court after you have been charged with a criminal act. At your arraignment the criminal charges you face will be read to you by the Suffolk County Criminal Court Judge, and you will be asked to state how you wish to plead. It is important at this point to have a capable Suffolk County Criminal Lawyer already at your side, and to let your lawyer speak for you. After your arraignment your case will be assigned to a Part (which is another word for court room). Each Part handles specific types of criminal cases--for example, Felony Cases, DWI, Domestic Violence, Sex Crime, or Drug Crime. That is why it is so important to have an experienced Suffolk County Criminal Lawyer who is familiar with the different parts on your defense team.
The Criminal Defense Team at Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC is experienced at navigating a defense against criminal charges in Suffolk County. Contact us today at 800.696.9529 for free advice on how we can help you with any legal problems you face in Suffolk County. We're available to meet with you in any of our convenient locations in Suffolk County or in Nassau County, throughout the five boroughs of New York City, as well as in Westchester County.