If receiving a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT) or being arrested was not stressful enough, you will soon be required appear at your Arraignment hearing. Anyone that commits a crime is obligated to attend their arraignment, Sex Crime to Drug Crime (like Possession of a Controlled Substance-for instance); a Gun Crime to DWI are all arraigned in Criminal Court. What will be determined at your Arraignment could affect your case as a whole, and because of this it is important to consult a Westchester County Criminal Arraignment Lawyer as soon as possible. We have locations available not only in Westchester County, but Suffolk and Nassau County as well.
Once you have been issued a DAT or after the booking process is complete, you will be given information regarding your Arraignment. Your Westchester County Criminal Lawyer can assist you with the details, however be aware that the main Westchester County Criminal Court is located at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, White Plains, NY 10601, with hours of operation between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
It is important to note that in Criminal Court, the defendant has a presumption of innocence. Therefore, your Westchester County Criminal Arraignment Lawyer may enter your plea as "not guilty." The main purpose of this hearing is not to determine guilt or innocence; that will be handled later in the process. The focus of the Arraignment proceeding is to decide whether the defendant should be released from custody or if bail should be set. While the judge will take various factors into consideration, he/she has a lot of flexibility in deciding this issue. The assistance of your New York Criminal Lawyer is all the more important here, as they can persuade the judge to release you without bail (ROR) or argue to keep the bail amount low. The judge will look at various factors, such as whether you have a criminal record, and the nature of the current offense. The more serious the crime, the less likely you will be released without bail, and the higher the bail amount could be. The judge will also look to see if you are employed, full time or part time, and for how long. He will look to see what kind of ties you have to the area, such as if you own property or a home, or have close family nearby.
The result of the arraignment can set the stage for how your case will proceed in the future. It is important to have legal guidance and advice as your navigate the legal system. If you call the offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC, we can offer you support and legal advice, as well as a free consultation. Regardless of the type of case be it a traffic ticket or a domestic violence matter or where you live in the New York area, we have an office nearby to assist you, from Manhattan to Nassau County to the Bronx and Westchester.