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Hey guys,

I just got hit with a public urination ticket in NYC and am a summer at a firm. Should i fight it? Should I tell my firm? Will I have to disclose it to the bar? I'm a little lost and some advice would be great.

Not an expert in this at all, but it's late enough for me to bloviate....

"Should I fight it?" Well were you urinating in public? Don't know the specifics of how this works, but could just end up being your word against cop's in court. If you were rightly charged, I probably wouldn't fight it if it's just a misdemeanor and a fine. If you were gonna fight it, you'll likely have to hire an attorney that will cost you some $$ anyway, seeing as I doubt you'll have the time to deal with this one your own. My inclination is to say you shouldn't fight it, if this is a first time thing and you have no other prior issues.

"Should I tell my firm?" Why in gods name would you do that? They do not need to know and you do not need to tell them. Only bad things will come from them finding out. This is definitely something to be on a need-to-know basis. Unless you have some specific reason why you think you should tell them, I would do no such thing.

"Will I have to disclose it to the bar?" You most certainly will have to disclose this on your bar application. As long as you're upfront and as candid as possible, and this is your only infraction, I cannot imagine this being a major issue. It may get brought up in an interview, but you will just need to own it as a dumb mistake and something you've learned from. If you are really concerned, you can go to AA, but that seems a bit over the top for a single act of stupidity.

EDIT: if this is your only infraction, try hard to keep it that way

If you do get an attorney it's probably possible to get it reduced to an ACD which would help because otherwise it will come up in your firms background check when you really start. Probably not an automatic ding but better to only have to explain it to the bar and not to hr at your firm too. Think of it as a $1k lesson learned.

Wasnt this downgraded to a violation I dont even think its a misdemeanor

kaysta wrote:Wasnt this downgraded to a violation I dont even think its a misdemeanor

Yup: http://abc7ny.com/news/nyc-approves-eas ... r/1355015/

It is a violation. Does it show up on a criminal background check?

If it's only a violation I would show up at the court date and wait.

If it's on a day when the cop isn't scheduled already, they're not going in to give a public urination testimony.

You may be there all day because the city will want to wait and see if he/ she shows up, but assuming you're lucky and they dont - dismissed.

It's worth doing that before anything else.

Edit:

Either way you'll have to disclose that you got the citation to c&f. The dismissal would only get you off the payment and having it on your record.

But yea won't be a big deal either way, but I would still go to court, plead not guilty of the cop doesn't show up. If thy do then just plead guilty and it makes no difference.

Do not tell firm. Disclose to bar. Not an issue.

ETA: I agree with above poster that you can probably get it thrown out, but honestly they can't bump it down any lower than a violation--so its either out completely or staying the same. I personally would just pay and be done with it.

.

Nekrowizard wrote:I was once walking down Macdougal at like fucking 5PM and I see these two super-embarassed German girls screaming something at someone behind them. I pass them and see their German friend just walking with his dick out pissing on everything left and right and laughing. His dick was HUGE though so I could kind of understand doing it.

FUCKING GERMANS GO HOME

Was it Michael Fassbender? Dude is hung.

Winter is Coming wrote:Do not tell firm. Disclose to bar. Not an issue.

ETA: I agree with above poster that you can probably get it thrown out, but honestly they can't bump it down any lower than a violation--so its either out completely or staying the same. I personally would just pay and be done with it.

Anon above didn't realize it got downgraded to violation. I got one for throwing up from food poisoning when it was still a misdemeanor so fought it.

Lifehack.

EDIT: PINK Summons in NYC arent in front of a judge, but a Judicial Hearing Officer (retired judge). Prosecutors Offices waive their appearances and just let the JHO run the show. That being said you can't get an ACD without the consent of "The People", a JHO can not unilaterally ACD a case.

When I fought my ticket I did not waive my right to appear in front of an actual sitting judge and got assigned to a catch part in a real courtroom with a prosecutor.

Anonymous User wrote:Lifehack.

Summons in NYC arent in front of a judge, but a Judicial Hearing Officer (retired judge). Prosecutors Offices waive their appearances and just let the JHO run the show. That being said you can't get an ACD without the consent of "The People", a JHO can not unilaterally ACD a case.

When I fought my ticket I did not waive my right to appear in front of an actual sitting judge and got assigned to a catch part in a real courtroom with a prosecutor.

what about this was a lifehack?

Nekrowizard wrote:I was once walking down Macdougal at like fucking 5PM and I see these two super-embarassed German girls screaming something at someone behind them. I pass them and see their German friend just walking with his dick out pissing on everything left and right and laughing. His dick was HUGE though so I could kind of understand doing it.

FUCKING GERMANS GO HOME

Idk man I mean sure NY has some pretty big dicks, but really theyre just 23% bigger in like Atlanta and LA, and theyre surrounded by mountains of garbage //in b4 thread jump

Former cop here.

Don't take it to court hoping that the cop won't show. Going to court is easy overtime for cops and they can in trouble for missing it.

? where were you a cop

How do you get a public urination ticket in a city where the bars are open until 4 on every block?

Only exception is getting so drunk you mistake the gray walls of a Broadway phone booth for a urinal, but 1L Halloween is a special circumstance.

Anonymous User wrote:Lifehack.

Summons in NYC arent in front of a judge, but a Judicial Hearing Officer (retired judge). Prosecutors Offices waive their appearances and just let the JHO run the show. That being said you can't get an ACD without the consent of "The People", a JHO can not unilaterally ACD a case.

When I fought my ticket I did not waive my right to appear in front of an actual sitting judge and got assigned to a catch part in a real courtroom with a prosecutor.

Love how this is an anon post and not helpful at all.

Winter is Coming wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Lifehack.

Summons in NYC arent in front of a judge, but a Judicial Hearing Officer (retired judge). Prosecutors Offices waive their appearances and just let the JHO run the show. That being said you can't get an ACD without the consent of "The People", a JHO can not unilaterally ACD a case.

When I fought my ticket I did not waive my right to appear in front of an actual sitting judge and got assigned to a catch part in a real courtroom with a prosecutor.

Love how this is an anon post and not helpful at all.

It's anon because I've worked within the NYC Criminal Court system.

It's vague as fuck, because I don't want to cross the line into legal advice rather than legal information regarding how pink summons are adjudicated.

Anonymous User wrote:

Winter is Coming wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Lifehack.

Summons in NYC arent in front of a judge, but a Judicial Hearing Officer (retired judge). Prosecutors Offices waive their appearances and just let the JHO run the show. That being said you can't get an ACD without the consent of "The People", a JHO can not unilaterally ACD a case.

When I fought my ticket I did not waive my right to appear in front of an actual sitting judge and got assigned to a catch part in a real courtroom with a prosecutor.

Love how this is an anon post and not helpful at all.

It's anon because I've worked within the NYC Criminal Court system.

It's vague as fuck, because I don't want to cross the line into legal advice rather than legal information regarding how pink summons are adjudicated.

good advice > bad advice > your advice

kaysta wrote:? where were you a cop

Yea this may differ based on Geo.
Of course cops are supposed to show up. I can think of dozens of times they haven't.

And there's no legal consequence to going. Besides court costs you will have to pay once you plead guilty if the cop is actually there, it's worth it for dismissal in my opinion.

You have every right to go to court. Always make the state earn that cash.

Edit: this isn't legal advice. I'm not even a lawyer. I just heard about this place from xoxohth and showed up here to proselytize against eating brunch.

FYI, disclose to your school too. If you disclose on your bar app but not to your school, NY C&F will raise an issue.