Desk Appearance Ticket Information
provided by Shalley & Murray
Call 718-268-2171

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Desk Appearance Ticket Procedures

Each county manages Desk Appearance Tickets in its own way. In each of the specific county pages contained in this site which you can find by using the menu on the right side of this page, we will attempt to keep updated local information about local Desk Appearance Ticket procedures.

Please note that the details of courtroom procedures are constantly changing in response to various caseload and other pressures on the courts. Standard practice on one day may easily change the next. Therefore, please forgive any discrepancies between what appears in these pages and your actual experience. We will attempt to keep up with the changes as they occur.

Please also note the following general procedures:

1. You MUST appear on the date and time ordered by the ticket, and at the location noted. Your failure to appear when and where you are directed by the Desk Appearance Ticket may result in a warrant being issued for your arrest. Once the ticket is issued to you, nobody has the power to change the date or excuse your appearance. While it is possible that an attorney might appear in your absence and make the argument to the judge to excuse your appearance for a particular reason, there is no guarantee that the judge will “understand”. No attorney can guarantee how any judge will rule in such a case and your failure to appear, even if it seems eminently reasonable to you, may result in a warrant for your arrest being issued.

2. If you do not have a lawyer, remember to bring your copy of the Desk Appearance Ticket with you to Court. You will hand this to a Court Officer who will then give you further instructions (usually to sit and wait for your name to be called).

3. If you do not have a lawyer, and you believe you would qualify to have a public defender represent you, you would be well advised to bring documentation, such as tax returns, to prove your income status.

4. It is not necessary to bring witnesses to the court appearance. Witnesses are for a hearing or trial, neither of which will happen on your first appearance on a Desk Appearance Ticket. Your appearance on the record will probably last about a minute or so.

5. Get there as early as possible, especially if you do not have a lawyer and are applying for a public defender. If you get there late, and it is crowded, it could be a very long day for you. Also, if you get there late, it is theoretically possible that the judge will issue a warrant for your arrest – not a good way to start off your case.