Being arrested and taken into custody or receiving a DAT (Desk Appearance Ticket) is an upsetting experience. The next hurdle you will face in your legal process will be for you to attend your Arraignment hearing. The hearing itself will be the same irrespective of you're alleged offense, a Sex Crime matter or Possession of a Controlled Substance (Drug Crime) or a Violation, Misdemeanor, or Felony for driving under the influence (DWI) matter or confrontation ending up in domestic violence. will all end up in arraignment court. Not only is attending your Arraignment intimidating, the matters decided at this hearing set the stage for your criminal case. It is therefore very important to seek the advice of a New York City Criminal Arraignment Lawyer from our office. We have offices available to assist you throughout New York City, as well as in outlying counties such as Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.

Once you have been booked, or received your DAT, the next step will be to attend your Criminal Court Arraignment. Obtaining the advice of a New York Criminal Arraignment Lawyer early on in your case is important. Note that the arraignment hours of the New York City court has changed, with these hearings being held Monday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. clear through to until 1:00 a.m. in the morning.

Your New York City Criminal Arraignment Lawyer will explain to you that until otherwise proven, you are presumed innocent. Upon pleading "not guilty", the court will then make important rulings regarding your case. These rulings will include things like whether you will be released on your own recognizance (called "ROR"), or if the judge will order bail, and in what amount. One of the many reasons it is important to have a Criminal Lawyer accompany you to this hearing is because the judge has a large degree of leeway in deciding bail. He/she will look at what kind of ties you have to the community (includes matters like property ownership and employment), the severity of your alleged offense, and whether you have an existing criminal record. While the judge weighs all of these factors, your New York Criminal Lawyer will have the responsibility of persuading the judge to release you without bail (ROR), or if bail is ordered, keep the dollar amount down to a minimum. Having your New York City Criminal Arraignment Lawyer present at this hearing is very important and can have a substantial influence on the outcome of your arraignment.

Your arraignment could be the start of a lengthy process ahead. Obtaining the help and guidance of a New York City Arraignment Lawyer is critical in ensuring you obtain the best result possible for your criminal case. If you call the law offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates you will receive a free case consultation with your first appointment regardless of of the criminal charge be it a Gun Crime, a sophisticated computer white collar crime or a straightforward and basic Nassau traffic ticket. We have offices throughout New York City, including Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx and Brooklyn as well as outlying counties including Long Island, Suffolk County and Nassau County. Contact us today at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW.