Nassau County Criminal Arraignment

Attending your Arraignment may be a bewildering and emotionally stressful experience. If you have been arrested or have been issued a Desk Appearance Ticket (this not a traffic ticket violation), you will be required to attend your Arraignment hearing. An arraignment is required for any criminal offense committed, regardless of the actual crime you have been cited for; a Drug Crime (such as Possession of a Controlled Substance), sex crime or if you have been cited for driving under the influence of alcohol (DWI), you will required by the court to attend your Arraignment. This experience can been daunting. It is vital to obtain the advice of a Nassau County Criminal Lawyer to assist you in successfully navigating through the legal system. We have offices located near you to help, in Nassau County, and Suffolk County, as well as New York City.

After you have been booked, or received a DAT, you will be informed as to the date of your arraignment hearing. This is an important step in your case, and it is imperative that you attend. Failure to attend your hearing can result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. The main location on the Nassau Criminal Court is located at 99 Main Street, in Hempstead, NY; arraignment hours are 9:00-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A Nassau County Criminal Lawyer will educate you on the legal process, and the fact that you are presumed innocent in court, until proven guilty. As such, your Criminal Lawyer will more than likely enter you plea of "not guilty", irrespective of whether the criminal charge is a one for domestic violence or one for a sophisticated white collar crime. Other than receiving your plea, the main objective of this hearing will be for the judge to decide if you should be released on your own recognizance ("ROR"), or he will decide to set bail. The judge has a wide degree of latitude in making these determinations. Is he deciding a Gun Possession case or a shoplifting case? It will be the task of your Nassau County Criminal Lawyer to convince the judge to either release you, or set the smallest bail amount possible. When the judge makes this determination, he will be looking at certain issues. One will be whether you have a previous criminal record, and the length and severity of the offenses, if any. Your ties to the community will be reviewed, such as if you own a home or any property in the area, and/or if you have family nearby. The more established you are in your community, the less likely you are to leave town and not attend future court hearings. It is important to the outcome of your arraignment to have a Nassau County Criminal Lawyer accompany you to your hearing. The issues decided at this hearing can have an effect on your case as a whole, so it is important to approach this matter will the legal guidance of New York Criminal Lawyer.

This hearing could be one legal step in many that lie ahead. To obtain the best possible result it is important to obtain the guidance of counsel. Call the offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC today. You will receive not only guidance and support, but a free consultation. We have offices located nearby, whether you live in Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens or Staten Island, Bronx Brooklyn, Manhattan or Westchester County. Phone us as soon as possible at 800.696.9529.