What are you being charged with when you receive a Summons?
In most cases a New York City Summons, normally a pink ticket, can be issued for offenses ranging from disorderly conduct and drinking alcohol from an open container in public, public urination to more serious offenses such as unlawful possession of marijuana. This ticket requires you to appear in criminal court on a specified date to answer for a criminal offense.
Am I being charged with a misdemeanor or a violation? What is the difference?
In my experience, you will initially be charged with a misdemeanor. However, in most cases your attorney should be able to negotiate this initial charge down to a violation and a fine or in the best case scenario have it dropped completely. Misdemeanors can carry jail time and will go on your criminal record. In contrast, violations are not crimes so they will not add to nor create a criminal record. In the end, with the help of a Attorney from www.leverecker.com you are likely to end up with a violation or for the offense to be dropped.
How can this charge affect my future?
If you receive a New York City summons you might think that it is nothing more than a minor ticket and mistakenly ignore it, but as stated above you may initially be charged with a misdemeanor, a crime that could add to or result in a criminal record. As you may know a criminal record can impede your chances of obtaining student loans, affect your immigration status, it may negatively impact your ability to get or keep a job. Notably, if you intend to or do possess a professional license of any kind such as a Doctor, Dentist, CPA, or even if you work in a school, pleading guilty to a summons could put your employment or prospective employment in jeopardy.
If you receive a New York City summons it is important to contact a New York City Summons Attorney who can help you resolve this problem quickly and in the best manner possible so as to protect your livelihood and future.
What if I can’t be in court that day?
The ONLY way to avoid going to court yourself it to hire a New York City Summons Attorney to appear for you. We understand there are many reasons why you may not be able to appear in court, you might have to be at work, you might live outside of New York City or you might simply wish to avoid the anxiety and long wait times that often accompany a trip to court. If you hire a New York City Summons Attorney, he or she can appear on your behalf to resolve the matter.
Do I have to hire a New York City Summons Attorney?
If you are a business and you receive a summons you MUST hire an attorney whether you are going to appear in court that day or not.
However, if you are personally given a pink ticket it is in your best interest to hire a New York City Summons attorney. An experienced New York City Summons Attorney can help you avoid potential pitfalls. Although it may appear to be a trivial problem, you want to get your New York City summons taken care of to avoid potential serious and unwanted legal consequences for you and your future.
What happens if I ignore a New York City summons?
It is imperative that you do not ignore a summons. If you receive a New York City summons and ignore it an arrest warrant will be issued for you. You can be arrested at any time or anywhere which can be a hassle, embarrassing and potentially costly. This warrant will show up if a potential employer runs a background check on you and can be a major inconvenience if you try to travel by airplane. Therefore, it is extremely important to appear in court or alternatively for you to hire a New York City Summons Attorney to appear on your behalf.