desk appearance ticket

Published on: September 15, 2023

Woodbury Commons: Desk Appearance Tickets for foreign citizens accused of shoplifting

Woodbury Commons, located in Woodbury, New York, is a well-known outlet mall with high-end stores including: Adidas, Armani, Balenciaga, Balmain, Burberry, Brioni, Canali, Chloe, Coach, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Kate Spade, Kenzo, Lacoste, Lanvin, Longchamp, Lululemon, Maison Margiela, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Moncler, Montblanc, Movado, Nike, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Polo Ralph Lauren, Theory, Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Tumi, Tag Heuer, North Face, Versace, and Zegna, among many others.

Every year, tourists flock to Woodbury Commons from around the world to shop the discount prices offered at these designer outlet stores. Unfortunately, some are also accused of attempting to steal merchandise from these stores. Those individuals are typically referred to local Woodbury police for arrest processing after being apprehended by store security. People arrested and accused of shoplifting at Woodbury Commons are typically handcuffed by the police, taken to the police station, fingerprinted, and issued a Desk Appearance Ticket directing them to appear in Woodbury Town Court a few weeks later to answer to charges of Petit Larceny (a class A misdemeanor in violation of PL 155.25) or Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree (a class E felony in violation of PL 155.30). The more serious charge – Grand Larceny – can apply where the merchandise allegedly stolen exceeds $1000 in value.

Many of the people arrested and issued Desk Appearance Tickets are tourists visiting from out of state or even out of the country. As such, returning to Woodbury for a court appearance a few weeks or months later is impractical or impossible. Thankfully, in some cases, an attorney can be retained to appear in the place of the arrested person, such that the arrested person does not have to personally return to court. Matthew Galluzzo has represented many foreign and out of state residents in this manner. Using a notarized affidavit drafted by Mr. Galluzzo, in some cases Mr. Galluzzo can go to court on behalf of a person accused of these crimes and negotiate a disposition of the case that does not result in a permanent or public criminal record. This permits the person with the Desk Appearance Ticket to continue with their trip on schedule without having to delay their flight home or booking a return trip for the sole purpose of appearing in court. Of course, that potentially saves the arrested person a significant amount of time, stress and expense.

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Published on: July 26, 2023

Desk Appearance Ticket at NYC Airports

By Matthew J. Galluzzo

New York City is one of the best cities in the world to visit and it attracts tourists from all over the world. Unfortunately, a few of them are arrested every day at the New York City airports: LaGuardia and JFK (John F. Kennedy). Most of them receive Desk Appearance Tickets for misdemeanor offenses. These arrests typically involve generally law-abiding citizens accidentally carrying something in their luggage that is illegal in New York, such as a weapon (Penal Law Section 265.01) or a controlled substance (Penal Law Section 220.03). Sometimes, Port Authority Police also make arrests and give Desk Appearance Tickets for offenses at the airport like trespassing (Penal Law 140.10), shoplifting (Penal Law 155.25 or 165.40), public lewdness (Penal Law Section 245.00) or assault (Penal Law Section 120.00). These tickets typically direct the arrest person to appear in court about a month later at the Queens Criminal Courthouse located at 125-01 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens, New York.

Although the offenses may seem minor at first, these cases in fact present very real risks to the arrested persons: possible permanent and public criminal records, immigration consequences, prison time, loss of employment, and financial penalties, among others. For out-of-town tourists, they present an additional problem, though: appearing in court personally can be logistically very difficult, especially if the case involves multiple appearances. Traveling across the country (or across an ocean) means potentially missing time from work, school and/or family obligations, not to mention the expense of traveling.

Matthew Galluzzo has perfected a system of client affidavits that often permits him to appear – in certain cases – on behalf of out-of-town or foreign clients. Using these affidavits, he has frequently been able to appear without his clients and resolve cases favorably for those clients. He has helped dozens of New York visitors resolve misdemeanor cases without appearing personally in New York City for their court appearances. Not every case can be resolved this way, but many can.

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Published on: June 1, 2020

Defending against common state court charges for protesters

By Matthew J. Galluzzo

Recently, in response to the horrific killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, there have been protests in major cities across the United States. An upstate woman and two New York attorneys were arrested and charged in federal court with crimes relating to their alleged throwing of Molotov cocktails at police vehicles during the protests in Brooklyn. However, most protestors arrested in New York City are charged with Desk Appearance Tickets in state court, and are typically charged with some combination of the following crimes: Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree (Penal Law 195.05, a Class A misdemeanor), Assault in the Second Degree (Penal Law 120.05, felony assault on a police officer, a class D felony), Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree (Penal Law 120.20, a Class A misdemeanor), Resisting Arrest (Penal Law 205.30, a class A misdemeanor), or Disorderly Conduct (Penal Law 240.20, a violation). (Note: the charge(s) listed on the Desk Appearance Ticket are not necessarily the same as the charges that will appear in court on the actual criminal complaint – in fact, the number of charges usually increases from the Desk Appearance Ticket to the actual court complaint).

Oftentimes, in these cases in which no one was injured, a protester-defendant could – with the help of an experienced attorney – successfully negotiate a plea bargain whereby the protester will have no criminal record and spend no time in jail (such as an “adjournment in contemplation of dismissal or a violation like Disorderly Conduct). In cases involving Desk Appearance Tickets, such negotiations may even be possible prior to the return date (i.e. the first court appearance). However, for reasons relating to principle, many protester-defendants refuse to accept any such deal, preferring to demand dismissal or a trial where their voices can be heard by a jury. Such an attitude is certainly understandable but it does tend to increase the risk of a negative result (such as a permanent criminal record).

Unfortunately, some protests escalate into confrontations with police officers. In those cases, charges like Assault in the Second Degree can sometimes be levied against arrested protesters alleged to have injured police officers. That charge is a serious felony that can carry real jail time, and should not be treated lightly at all. The best defense in these cases is often to argue that the defendant did not act unreasonably, and that any injuries to the police officer were sustained on account of his/her own aggressive or improper actions. In today’s current climate, that argument can have real traction with some jurors.

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Published on: March 8, 2019

Desk Appearance Ticket for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree

By Matthew J. Galluzzo

The experienced criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo have successfully represented dozens of individuals accused of violating Penal Law Section 265.01 (Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree). In New York City, these cases are often brought as Desk Appearance Tickets, and the arrests are oftentimes made during routine examinations during traffic stops, in the subway system, or at the airport.

A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree when:

(1) He or she possesses any firearm, electronic dart gun, electronic stun gun, gravity knife, switchblade knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, cane sword, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, chuka stick, sand bag, sandclub, wrist-brace type slingshot or slungshot, shirken or “Kung Fu star”; or

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Published on: January 23, 2019

Breaking down Alec Baldwin’s plea deal

By Matthew J. Galluzzo

Our attorneys have represented dozens of people arrested and/or given Desk Appearance Tickets for cases involving assault allegations. The recent disposition of actor Alec Baldwin’s (most recent) case provides an excellent example of what can happen in a straightforward assault case.

Mr. Baldwin was arrested in November after allegedly punching someone over a parking spot in Manhattan. Mr. Baldwin generally denied punching the other person though he admitted to pushing him. Baldwin was actually given a Desk Appearance Ticket and eventually charged with Attempted Assault in the Third Degree (Penal Law 110/120.00), a Class B misdemeanor, and Harassment in the Second Degree (Penal Law 240.26), a violation. Prosecutors reviewed video surveillance footage, spoke to witnesses, and considered the complainant’s medical records before ultimately making a plea bargain offer to Mr. Baldwin. Under the terms of that deal, which Mr. Baldwin accepted in January 2019, Mr. Baldwin pleaded guilty to Harassment in the Second Degree and will undergo a short anger management program.

By pleading guilty, Mr. Baldwin was convicted of Harassment in the Second Degree. However, this conviction is not a “crime” under New York state law, it is a violation and/or criminal offense. As such, in response to the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime,” Mr. Baldwin could answer “no”. Also, upon completing this short anger management course (typically completed within one day), Mr. Baldwin’s records will be sealed to the public after one year. The most important benefit to this deal, of course, is that Mr. Baldwin avoids the possibility of being convicted of the misdemeanor charge and receiving a possible (though unlikely in this case) sentence of jail.

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Published on: October 15, 2018

“Do I Need To Hire A Lawyer For My Desk Appearance Ticket?”

By Matthew J. Galluzzo

Here’s one question we are consistently asked: “Do I need to hire a lawyer for my desk appearance?” The short answer is “yes” and “absolutely.” In this blog, we discuss why this is.

First, let’s explain to you what your Desk Appearance Ticket (“DAT”) is.

The Criminal Procedure Law defines the DAT as “a written notice issued and subscribed by a police officer or other public servant authorized by state law…directing a designated person to appear in a designated local criminal court at a designated future time in connection with his alleged commission of a designated offense.” In other words, if you’ve received a DAT, you’re being directed to appear in Criminal Court where you should expect to be formally prosecuted as a defendant. People are often mislead by DATs because they think they were stopped by the police and then “let go.” The reality is that very serious misdemeanors such as Assault and Criminal Possession of a Weapon are often charged following the issuance of a DAT. While it might be tempting to think that the charge “can’t be that serious” since you were “only given a ticket,” nothing could be farther from the truth. To be sure, your failure to appear on a scheduled Court date will result in the issuance of a warrant for your arrest. So it is absolutely imperative that you appear on your Court date.

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Published on: June 20, 2011

New York Defense Attorney Explains the Crime of “Obstructing Governmental Administration.”

By Matthew J. Galluzzo

Recently, many protesters in New York City have been arrested and given Desk Appearance Tickets charging them with a violation of Penal Law 195.05, also called Obstructing Governmental Administration. “Obstructing Governmental Administration,” (colloquially referred to as “O.G.A.”) is a very commonly charged crime in New York. While the penal law title is self-explanatory, the application of the charge might be broader than you think. Essentially, any act of intimidation or a physical or independently unlawful act which is committed with intent to obstruct governmental administration falls within the ambit of the statute, which lies in New York Penal Law § 195.05, and states as follows:

§ 195.05 Obstructing governmental administration in the second degree.

A person is guilty of obstructing governmental administration when he intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration of law or other governmental function or prevents or attempts to prevent a public servant from performing an official function, by means of intimidation, physical force or interference, or by means of any independently unlawful act, or by means of interfering, whether or not physical force is involved, with radio, telephone, television or other telecommunications systems owned or operated by the state, or a county, city, town, village, fire district or emergency medical service or by means of releasing a dangerous animal under circumstances evincing the actor’s intent that the animal obstruct governmental administration.

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