You’ve likely heard of traffic tickets, cell phone tickets, and commercial tickets, but did you know that you could receive a ticket for conducting criminal activity?
A Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT) is a ticket issued to an individual convicted of committing a crime, to remind them to show up for Criminal Court in order to respond to the accusation. This can be quite confusing considering that when we think of traffic tickets, we think of having to appear in the summons courtroom. However, when an individual is issued a Desk Appearance Ticket they will still generally send you to criminal court.
Though they can occasionally be issued for a violation, generally speaking, most Desk Appearance Tickets are for those charged with misdemeanor offenses. In the state of New York, most of these offenses are crimes that carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
Additionally, in New York an individual may be given a Desk Appearance Ticket when charged with an E felony offense, which is an offense punishable by more than one year in prison. For non-violent E felonies, the maximum prison sentence ranges from 1 1/3 to 4 years.
Have You Been Arrested?
Receiving a Desk Appearance Ticket essentially means that you have been arrested. Luckily, being arrested for a crime is different than having been convicted of one. Therefore being arrested for a crime in and of itself will not likely carry many (if any) future consequences.
Methods for Processing New Arrests
In New York state, there are two different ways in which you can be processed for an arrest. The way that most of us are familiar with consists of holding the individual behind bars until a judge can arraign him or her. During arraignment bail is set. Those who await arraignment are commonly in custody for at least 24 hours.
The other method for processing a new arrest is much less known. This method is giving the individual a Desk Appearance Ticket. This is often favorable to many, as it allows them to remain out and not behind bars, where they would be held for at least a day. The Desk Appearance Ticket will have your date of arraignment. Once you are brought into court, you will be given a copy of all charges issued against you and you will be obligated to enter your plea (either guilty or not guilty). It is then within the judge’s discretion to determine how much of a flight risk the defendant is and assign bail accordingly.
During your arraignment there are no witnesses and no evidence presented. Assuming that you do not work out an agreement right then and there with the assistant district attorney, no determinations of guilt are to be issued. Instead, arraignment simply serves to formally start the case, which will later be sent to standard criminal courtrooms. Once an individual is in a regular criminal court, your Desk Appearance Ticket will no longer distinguish you from any other cases.
The Criminal Attorneys at AutoTrafficTickets.com Can Help Those Issued a DAT
If you or a loved one has been issued a Desk Appearance Ticket, it is important to understand how to proceed in your best interests. Much is at stake. Our knowledgeable attorneys have years of experience working with DATs and will work hard to get you the results you deserve. To learn more about your obligations concerning DATs, or to schedule a free consultation, contact us online, or call us at 516-414-4300 today.
Posted in: Traffic Tickets