WHAT IS AN ARRAIGNMENT???

An arraignment is when the Court officially takes jurisdiction over a case. Everyone comes together in front of a judge and they formally charge the person with the crime alleged. A plea is entered at that time (GUILTY/NOT GUILTY). If a NOT GUILTY PLEA is entered, the Court must then decide whether the person charged should stay in jail or be released. The Court sets a BAIL. The Court usually tries to assess flight risk when considering bail. This means, the Court, which does not know your loved one, will have to figure out whether he or she will return to Court. They use lots of factors, including the nature of the charges, the person’s job history and educational background, and whether or not the person has significant ties to the community. They also take note of who has bothered to come to court on behalf of the person during the arraignment. IT IS THE LAWYER WHO WILL ARGUE THE BAIL APPLICATION. There may be no BAIL. In that case, the person is released on his or her own recognizance (ROR). That means the person can leave and will come back at a later date. If a bail is set, the person will be held until bail is posted.THE REST OF THE CASE WILL BE DEALT WITH AT LATER DATES. THERE WILL NOT BE A TRIAL ON THE DAY OF ARRAIGNMENT.

In New York City Criminal Courts, Arraignments usually happen from 9am to 1am – 7 days a week (except Staten Island/Richmond County).

What is a DP?

DP stands for “Decline Prosecution” or when the District Attorney (DA) declines to prosecute a case. This means that someone who has been arrested will not have any further action taken against him or her. While the DA can file charges at a later date, often, this does not occur. Sometimes, someone will say they were DP’ed. When someone is released after arrest but before the arraignment (released before seeing a Judge) because the DA decides to decline prosecute a case, it is said that they were DPed.

In some situations, a person who was DP’d may want to consider contacting a lawyer regarding a possible civil rights suit and/or false imprisonment, false arrest action. This is especially the case where a person who was arrested suffers damages. Damages can be due to police brutality but may arise from someone losing days of work, having expenses as a result of an arrest, or from property damage that occurs as a result to or incident to an arrest.

If you are looking to talk to a lawyer regarding a civil rights case against the City of New York, you should do so RIGHT AWAY. There are may rules that can bar your case if you don’t take action within a certain amount of time. This applies to suits against the City in general, including false arrest, malicious prosecution, excessive force, civil rights, police brutality, false imprisonment, and similar cases. While our firm handles these cases, this information, as with the rest of the information on our site, is provided for informational purposes and is not intended to create an attorney/client – lawyer/client relationship. You should discuss these issues with your lawyer.

How Can I Find A Lawyer?

*THIS SITE MAY BE CONSIDERED ATTORNEY ADVERTISING IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS* Private Criminal Lawyer Jamel Oeser-Sweat, Esq. quickly discussing whether someone should hire a private attorney during arraignment in New York City. The decision to hire a private criminal lawyer is an important one. You should choose an experienced lawyer and/or law firm that you trust. However, it is important not to discount the work done by Legal Aid Lawyers. Legal Aid handles the majority of the cases in the City of New York. Other attorneys that are assigned by the Court are on a panel and often also have their own private practices. Some people do not realize that despite the fact that they have been “assigned” a lawyer, the lawyer may be a “private” lawyer. These lawyers are part of the “Assigned Counsel Plan” and are screened and must meet certain requirements in order to take cases. These lawyers are also referred to as “18-B” lawyers. Click Here for a New York Times Article on 18-B Lawyers.

CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

THE LAWYERS AT OESER-SWEAT, P.C.

How Can I Find A Lawyer?

Looking to find a lawyer? Want to find an attorney in a specific area of law? There are many ways to do so. Your local bar association may be one place to find a good lawyer. Bar Associations are often run by lawyers and require attorneys who are taking cases to meet certain qualifications and requirements. These lawyer run associations screen attorneys to ensure that they are competent enough to handle legal matters. If you are asking yourself: “How can I find a lawyer?” or “How can I find a good lawyer?” then you should be looking to use your network and resources. Calling a lawyer that you have previously worked with for a referral is another good way to find an attorney. There is no right or wrong way to conduct an attorney search. If you need to search for attorney references, often the local court system will have a directory in which you can search for attorney licensing information. These directories of online lawyers information can be helpful to ensure that someone you are considering working with is actually a lawyer. Law Firms Attorneys and Lawyers often have websites that you can check out. Google is a good resource for conducting a lawyer search or attorney search.

Search For A Lawyer

You can conduct a new york lawyer search on the Unified Court System Website. The site will allow you to find a lawyer by inserting the attorneys name into search fields and will tell you whether an attorney in New York is currently licensed. This New York Lawyer Search Engine has lawyers from all practice areas, from mesothelioma lawyers to child custody lawyers to personal injury lawyers. CLICK HERE FOR A NEW YORK ATTORNEY SEARCH DIRECTORY

How Do Find An Attorney?

Many of you may be asking: How do I find an attorney in my city online? As stated above, there are many ways, but Google is a very good starting point. We have created a way for you to search for lawyers using Google. Simply place your location into the search box below and press search and a new page will open (this search will redirect you to a targeted search on google.com and will not contain any spam, etc).

Insert your City for a Free Consultation Lawyers Search:

Insert your City for a foreclosure lawyerSearch:

Insert your City for a disability lawyer Search:

Insert your City for a Social Security Lawyer Search: