Picture the Homeless

1) Pleading not guilty to a ticket by mail makes it more likely that the ticket will be dismissed early in the process and you will not have to go to court about it.

2) Fighting bogus tickets is a step towards greater justice and less police harassment. In 2005, New York City made over $5 million on summonses (the little pink tickets). The top two summons offenses were open container and disorderly conduct. By fighting back against bogus tickets, we can let the city know that homeless people are not an easy target for them to profit off of.

WITHIN 48 HOURS (2 DAYS) OF RECEIVING THE TICKET, YOU MUST:

1) Fill in the information in the box on the bottom of the back of the ticket under the words “I hereby plead not guilty” – name, address (so that they can contact you – remember apartment numbers), signature, and date.

2) Address an envelope to the Not Guilty Unit of the court where you have to make your appearance, which should be written on the front of your ticket. The full address of each of the courthouses where summons hearings occur in the 5 boroughs is to the right.

3) Write a short statement on a separate piece of paper about why you are not guilty (what you were doing, what the cop did, any mistakes on the ticket, etc. This does not have to be in legal language, just try to write in short, clear, legible sentences. Including this statement with your ticket is not required in order to plead guilty, but makes it more likely that your ticket will be dismissed. This statement can also be good evidence if you have to go to trial.

4) Make a photocopy of both the front and back of the ticket and write on your copy the date that you mailed the originals in – keep these copies in a safe place for your records.

5) Mail the original of the ticket and your written statement. Wait. If you do not hear from the court within 30 days of mailing in your ticket, show up to the court date written on your original ticket and bring copies of the ticket and written statement as evidence that you tried to plead not guilty. If the court does mail you back a letter giving you a new court date, make sure to go to your trial. This is your chance to defend yourself and be found “not guilty” by the court.