Are You Sure You Want to Pay the Fine on a Court Summons?
New York City police have a great deal of discretion for handling a wide variety of minor criminal offenses and so-called "quality of life" charges. These can range from beating a subway fare to open container violations or possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Although you run the risk of arrest for any number of these offenses, you're more likely to be given a court summons or desk appearance ticket, provided you haven't made a bad situation worse by resisting or offending the officer. A court summons is the less serious of these approaches, and basically requires you to pay a fine or show up in court in three months.
Call 646-495-9416 for Advice About Summons and Desk Appearance Cases
Somewhat more serious is a desk appearance summons, which requires an appearance within 30 days. To learn about the full range of your options for clearing up either of these matters, get the advice of an experienced defense lawyer at Galluzzo & Johnson in Manhattan.
If you pay the fine, you're pleading guilty to the offense charged, which can have continuing consequences for you for years to come. If you don't pay the fine or appear on either a court summons or desk appearance ticket, you risk escalation of the original charge and issuance of a bench warrant for contempt of court.
At Galluzzo & Johnson, our attorneys know how to read between the lines in both kinds of citations. Sometimes, we find mistakes on the part of the police officer to support a motion for dismissal based on a failure to state the basic facts necessary to convict on the offense charged. Even if the court summons or desk appearance ticket was issued in the proper form, we can often resolve the charge on terms that will protect your record.
Examples of the kinds of cases most frequently charged on a summons or ticket include:
- Simple possession of marijuana, cocaine or unauthorized prescription painkillers
- Disorderly conduct
- Visiting or loitering in city parks after dark
- Riding a bicycle on the sidewalk
- Public urination
- Underage drinking
- Public intoxication
The best approach to the resolution of any particular court summons or desk appearance ticket will depend on the specific facts of the case and your interest in avoiding the continuing consequences of a guilty plea. To learn more about our law firm's approach to these cases, contact Galluzzo & Johnson in Manhattan.
