You are rightfully anxious and now seek the guidance of an Appearance Ticket lawyer. The NYPD, Port Authority Police or other law enforcement officers slapped handcuffs on your wrists and hauled you down to one of the many precincts scattered throughout New York City or police stations in Westchester County, Rockland County or elsewhere in the Hudson Valley. While you may not have been held to see a judge or deposited in Central Booking, make no mistake. You have been arrested and are charged with one of many misdemeanor crimes in New York including Assault, PL 120.00, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, PL 265.01, Petit Larceny, PL 155.25, and Seventh Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, PL 220.03. Fortunately, however, in lieu of sitting in a jail waiting for your arraignment, you received a Desk Appearance Ticket, aka, DAT. Irrespective of what you call the white slip of paper in your hand, your failure to return to or appear in court – Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx – will result in a warrant and compound your already precarious legal situation. Simply, no matter the charge or crime, even if you receive a pink summons for one of many administrative code violations such as Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, AC 10-131(i), at JFK or LaGuardia airport, you need an advocate to navigate the legal process and protect you inside and outside the courtroom.
The Appearance Ticket and Pink Summons – Understanding Your Legal PredicamentAt your own peril you can ignore the fact that you were arrested and have a looming court date in the not so distant future. You can wait to secure critical evidence – witnesses, videos, or other tangible and non-physical evidence – that may later be unavailable. You can also choose not to consult with an attorney to assess your options and discuss strategies. For that matter, you can plead guilty and accept an indelible and permanent record. That said, hopefully, for your own sake and that of your family and your future, you are not so foolish. Remember, your “white ticket,” unlike a “pink ticket,” is merely a notice to appear and only sets for a single offense. Upon your arrival in court, the District Attorney can file one, two or countless more offenses of equal, lesser or greater significance. If you are unprepared and uneducated on the law, your situation can become dire. Similarly, when appearing to confront your summons, the judge will present you with a supporting deposition that will more fully corroborate and address the allegations you now face. Whether you have the means to challenge either prosecution depends largely on whether you take the steps in advance to assess the case and your defenses before ever stepping foot in the courtroom.
Your Arrest – Direct and Collateral IssuesNo matter how you are processed, an arrest for any misdemeanor codified in the New York Penal Law poses immediate and very real concerns that you must address with your criminal defense lawyer. Sure, if matters go from bad to worse you could face a permanent criminal record and up to one year in jail depending the crime, but the right counsel can likely avoid such a nightmare. Even if he or she secures a non-criminal disposition or dismissal, will the accusation or a violation impact your career and future? Do you need to report your arrest on your U4? What if you are a teacher or paraprofessional? What is your reporting requirement and what will the NYC Department of Education do in response to your prosecution? Whether you work for the MTA, are regulated by FINRA or the FDIC, or you are a nurse, college student or foreign nation with an H-1B visa, L-1 visa, F-1 visa or Green Card, if handled improperly your regret will follow you long after the gavel’s slam.
Saland Law – Your Best Defense Inside and Outside the CourtroomSaland Law not only represent clients who are issued Appearance Tickets and pink summonses for any and all misdemeanor and non-criminal offenses, but our former prosecutors are experienced advocates who can both resolve your criminal case and address the many collateral ramifications you may face. Whether the District Attorney is unable to wade through the evidence, accept that an alleged victim is mistaken or willfully misrepresenting, or that police improperly searched your person, our advocates are prepared to identify your best defense and put the same into motion. No matter if you need your case advanced and your arraignment scheduled earlier because of job issues or you are no longer in New York, it is imperative to take the allegations – infraction, misdemeanor or the occasional felony – seriously. With potentially life-altering and career-crippling ramifications there is only one choice. Arm yourself with the strongest defense and legal advisor who will put you in a position for success.
Our founding criminal attorneys are both former prosecutors with histories of handling cases involving complex legal issues as well as those that are fairly mundane even if potentially crippling. Representing professionals and those with little, if any, prior involvement in the criminal justice system, Saland Law is sensitive to our clients’ needs and the multitude of issues that can arise. Having served in Robert Morgenthau’s Manhattan District Attorney's Office not only gives our lawyers familiarity in the processes and procedures used by the criminal courts in New York City but firsthand knowledge and experience that cannot be taught in a textbook or classroom.
Although we handle violent felony criminal offenses and white collar crimes, our law firm's main focus is to mount a strong defense for each client while doing our best to limit the collateral consequences of an arrest or issuance of a summons irrespective of the accusation. In matters involving misdemeanors and D.A.T. charges, we are particularly aggressive in defending against what some ill-informed people wrongfully believe are harmless. Remember, any conviction, even a very minor one, can be career ending. It can stop teachers from teaching, lawyers from practicing, physicians from doctoring and foreign nationals from visiting, working or continuing their education in the United State. Because the stakes are simply too high to do otherwise, retain the right counsel to best resolve your case through challenging the evidence, confronting your accuser or mitigating your conduct. Don’t let the opportunity to protect yourself pass you by.
Call us at 212.312.7129 or contact us online today to speak with Saland Law. Our law firm serves clients in New York City including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Westchester County and beyond. We stand ready to fight for you.