What is a Desk Appearance Ticket (D.A.T.)?
Desk Appearance Tickets
A Desk Appearance Ticket, under C.P.L §150.10, is a written notice issued by a police officer directing you to appear in criminal court at a designated date and time in connection with an alleged offense. If you receive a Desk Appearance Ticket but fail to appear as instructed, the court may issue a warrant of arrest based upon the crime charged (C.P.L §150.60).
Following arrest, a police officer can choose (with certain offenses) to give you a Desk Appearance Ticket instead of bringing you to central booking. The Desk Appearance Ticket will list a "return date" which will instruct you when and where you are to appear for your arraignment. An arraignment, generally, is a court appearance where you will be informed about the nature of the crime or crimes charged and bail can be set.
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A Sample of Recent Desk Appearance Ticket Results:
- Marijuana (P.L. 221.20, 221.05) - all charges dropped - case dismissed - all records sealed - November 2009
- Shoplifting (P.L. 155.25, 165.40) - all charges dismissed - record sealed - case completed in the first and only court date - Febuary 2010
- Assault (P.L. 120.00) - case eventually dismissed -all records sealed - December 2009
- Driving w/ Suspended License (VTL 511, 509) - case dismissed and all records sealed - December 2009
- Trespassing (P.L. 140.15) - case dismissed and all records sealed - Febuary 2010
Depending on your charges, a Desk Appearance Ticket carries the risk of incarceration (1 year maximum for misdemeanors), fines, immigration consequences, and could damage your reputation by giving you a criminal record.
Unlike summonses or traffic tickets, a Desk Appearance Ticket cannot be satisfied by simply pleading guilty by mail. Instead, a Desk Appearance Ticket signals the start of a criminal prosecution and you should seek immediate legal representation.
Lance Fletcher, a former prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, has successfully handled numerous Desk Appearance Tickets and has obtained dismissals in nearly all of the Desk Apperance Tickets handled.
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