Legal Question in Criminal Law in New York

Fighting in Public Arrest & Summons

Last night I was put in cuffs, and

transported to the precinct where I

spent approx. 15 min. in a cell. I was

issued a summons to appear in court

in around a month. Do I need a

lawyer? On the back of the

summons it states that in order to

plead ''not guilty'' (although I was

caught in the act), I must mail it in

within 48 hours, should I? I have a

clean record and have never been

arrested before, what can I expect? I

(truthfully, although I just read that

I should have kept my mouth shut)

told the arresting officers that the

other guy threw the first punch and I

was just defending myself. Note: I

do NOT want a record and am 19

years of age.


Asked on 1/23/08, 11:43 am

3 Answers from Attorneys
Steven Czik CZIK LAW PLLC

Re: Fighting in Public Arrest & Summons

You should MOST DEFINITELY retain an attorney to defend you in court that would give you a much greater chance to have the charges substantially reduced and possibly dismissed if it was your first offense. This area of law is our specialty, however, we would need some more information before making a complete and proper determination. You are welcome to contact us for a free consultation.

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212.413.4462

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The information provided by The Law Offices of Steven J. Czik (LOSJC) is for general educational purposes only. There is no attorney-client relationship established by this communication and no privilege attaches to such communication. LOSJC is not taking and will not take any action on your behalf and will not be considered your attorney until both you and LOSJC have signed a written retainer agreement. There are strict deadlines, called statutes of limitation, within which claims or lawsuits must be filed. Therefore, if you desire the services of an attorney and decide not to retain LOSJC on terms acceptable to LOSJC, you are advised to immediately seek the services of another attorney.

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Answered on 1/23/08, 12:21 pm

Re: Fighting in Public Arrest & Summons

You need to appear in court on the day indicated. You should hire a criminal defense attorney to protect your rights and make sure you get a fair resolution and to also consider how the criminal case might affect any possible civil suit against you if the other person was injured and elects to sue you. I handle criminal and civil cases and am a former Assistant DA. Feel free to contact me.

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Answered on 1/23/08, 12:39 pm
Robert Evans Robert S. Evans esq.

Re: Fighting in Public Arrest & Summons

The summons should have an appearance date. It would be in your best interest to be represented by a competent criminal defense attorney at that time. I handle matters such as yours on a regular basis with favorable results. Please contact my office @7188340087 for a free phone consultation.

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Answered on 1/24/08, 5:55 pm


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