If you are arrested, you may be given a notice to appear in criminal court on a specific day and time. This is known as a Desk Appearance Ticket. You also might have to post bail at the precinct. This often occurs when a person is charged with non violent violations or misdemeanors. If you are arrested and have to spend the night in jail, you will be brought in front of the judge for an arraignment. The judge either will set bail or release you on your own recognizance.

Contact our office immediately! The police are often not truthful with a person charged with a crime and may try to get you to sign a statement incriminating yourself. Do not give the police any statements; the statements will be used against you and will affect our ability to clear you or obtain a favorable plea bargain on your case

Contact our office immediately! Once you request or retain an attorney, the police are not allowed to take any statements from you that might be detrimental to your case. If you are charged with a crime in either of the above situations, the jury or judge must find you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Most people do not realize that pleading guilty to a crime has consequences that could effect employment, licensing or travel. Also, if a person accepts a plea bargain that involves a misdemeanor, that person might not be eligible for certain government jobs or might even be fired from his or her current job when the employer learns about the crime.

If you are arrested or charged with a crime, you will face many consequences such as fines, jail or prison time, probation. Misdemeanor, felony or ordinance convictions, can lead to a lifelong stain on your record.

Additional consequences from a conviction may include:

• Employment suspension or termination
• Academic suspension or expulsion
• Loss of scholarships
• Denial of professional and/or occupational licenses
• Public humiliation
• Loss of professional and/or occupational licenses
• Deportation or denial of citizenship for immigrants
• Loss of civil rights, including the right to vote Loss of right to possess firearms
• license suspension