Desk Appearance Tickets (DATs) & Summons Cases

In our vast city, law enforcement and criminal justice are handled in various ways. A large number of misdemeanor arrests are handled with the issuance of a desk appearance ticket (DAT) requiring you to face the charge against you in a specific court – such as the Midtown Community Court, the Red Hook Community Justice Center, or other criminal courts throughout the five boroughs.

Failure to Appear May Have Serious Consequences

A desk appearance ticket or summons, when charging a criminal offense, is not the same as a traffic ticket. Failure to appear — regardless of how “minor” the offense may seem — can have very serious consequences, including a warrant for your arrest and time in jail.

If you want high-end, attentive legal representation to ensure you understand what you are facing and strive to minimize consequences of a desk appearance ticket, we encourage you to contact our Midtown criminal law firm, Goldberg & Allen, LLP.

Founded in 1996, Goldberg & Allen’s criminal defense lawyers offer a wealth of experience to clients from throughout New York’s five boroughs and beyond. For a free consultation, call 212-766-3366.

Skilled Representation of Adults and Juveniles Facing a Range of Charges

Criminal offenses that are often handled with a DAT instead of a formal arrest include:

• Drinking alcohol in a city park or on the sidewalk
• Public urination
• Carrying a weapon such as a switchblade or other illegal knife
• Use or possession of a small amount of marijuana
• Theft of services, such as turnstile-jumping
• Petit larceny or shoplifting

We have helped people in many circumstances deal effectively with DATs and summons cases. Our clients include businesspeople who work in Midtown and juveniles whose parents want help keeping their children’s criminal records clean.

New York Petit Larceny and Shoplifting

If you are arrested for shoplifting or petit larceny in New York, the police officer has full discretion: the officer may issue a DAT or summons, or he or she may affect an arrest with full booking. Factors such as a warrant history, an out-of-state residence, or out-of-state arrests may result in refusal to issue a desk appearance ticket.

Even if you are not put through the system and held overnight, you may sit in a holding cell for a few hours after your arrest. While you are being held, the officers will check your record and fingerprints, then prepare the DAT with a date to appear in court. The appearance date is usually four to six weeks later.

Working to Avoid Conviction or Negotiate Reasonable Penalties

If you show up at a desk appearance ticket hearing without your own attorney, you will likely receive a few minutes’ attention, at most, from a legal aid defense lawyer. At Goldberg & Allen, we are prepared to talk through your options, answer your questions, and make a concerted attempt to prevent conviction or negotiate consequences you can live with.

You may have many good reasons to want a skilled, personal attorney on your side in a desk appearance ticket or summons case. To talk with Jay K. Goldberg or Gerald Allen about potential consequences and legal options, call 212-766-3366 or email our firm today for a complimentary consultation.