Your Desk Appearance Ticket Process in NYC
After you’ve been arrested and sometimes fingerprinted and photographed,
a desk appearance ticket is issued to tell you when and where you must
report to see judge. This is your first court date which is called an
arraignment. The arraignment is when you are officially told about the
charges and given options about how to proceed. The simple process for
a desk appearance ticket through arraignment is as follows
- You got arrested
- You were given a desk appearance ticket
- You appear in court as directed on the date listed in the middle of your ticket
- Most courtrooms start hearing cases at 9:00 am but your case won’t
be heard until your attorney notifies the court that you and your attorney are ready
- When your name is called, you and your attorney stand in front of a criminal
court judge
- You may have additional court dates depending on what happens at the first
court date
In criminal court, the District Attorney will prosecute you meaning that
they will formally accuse you of committing a crime. Your attorney will
defend you and the judge will monitor the process and might determine
an appropriate punishment, if applicable.
Decisions made during your first court date could affect you for the rest
of your life. For example, if you are agree to something your attorney
is suggesting, it could cause a serious problem. In the most extreme situation,
you could agree to something that lands you in jail. In a less extreme
situation, you may agree to something that gives you a record or has consequences
for employment, a professional license, immigration, or international travel.
If you’ve received a desk appearance ticket, contact us for a free
case evaluation.