Assault Appearance Ticket Defense Lawyer

Desk appearance tickets for assault. When the police become aware of an assault, they can arrest the person or people they believe are responsible. After the arrest, the police can bring the perpetrators to court immediately or release them with a desk appearance ticket for assault. The desk appearance ticket is a document that officially notifies the person who was arrested that they must appear in criminal court to face assault and related charges. Whether or not the desk appearance ticket charges assault, the District Attorney can add, modify, or remove assault charges add other charges instead. This is because the ultimate charging decision is left to the District Attorney. However, this is somewhat rare and if the desk appearance ticket charges assault, it is very likely that in court the District Attorney will file assault related charges.

At your first court appearance for an assault desk appearance ticket, you may find out that the District Attorney added other assault related charges. This is common in New York City. It is because the NYPD, being aware that the District Attorney is primarily responsible for charges after the arrest, may not pay as aggressive in charging as the District Attorney’s Office. In addition to any charge for an intentional assault, the District Attorney may also charge reckless assault, attempted assault, and harassment by physical contact. Because each misdemeanor charge carries up to a year in jail, adding additional charges gives the District Attorney more ways to win and more ways to punish.

Being arrested for an assault can end up being more serious than it would seem. Because it’s a violent offense, you can be required to obey an order of protection (restraining order) in favor of the victim immediately after your arrest. From there, if you are convicted, you face the possibility of a jail sentence even if it’s your first arrest. Any conviction for assault will also result in a criminal record which, if discovered by prospective employers, licensing authorities, landlords, or others, could be very difficult to explain. Some employers and landlords can even be sued if they knowingly associate with someone with an old assault conviction who later assaults someone else. If you’re not a US citizen, an assault desk appearance ticket that turns into a conviction can lead to severe and permanent immigration problems.