Certificate of Disposition

A Certificate of Disposition is a document that is certified by a court and provides information as to what happened during a specific court case. In New York, this document can typically be issued regardless of the final disposition of the case. Therefore, a defendant may obtain one whether they were convicted, found not guilty or had their case dismissed without going to trial. It is possible to obtain one from the Criminal Court or the Supreme Court in New York City. However, some people may prefer to hire a law firm to handle the process for them.

Why Get Professional Help to Obtain a Certificate of Disposition?

While the process to obtain this document may seem simple at first, some applicants may need help filling out the forms correctly. This is often the case for people who have had numerous court cases over the years. In certain situations, a Certificate of Disposition may not be available. One of the most common examples of this situation is when a person was arrested but not prosecuted by the District Attorney's office or if the NYPD voided the arrest. A different document, called an Undocketed Arrest Letter (343 Letter) will be issued in this scenario. The procedure to obtain this document is different than to receive a regular Certificate of Disposition. A law firm that specializes in helping individuals retrieve various records from courts in New York can provide valuable assistance throughout the entire process. They can determine whether a Certificate of Disposition can be obtained and take care of the process for the applicant. In most cases, the documents will be delivered within a week. Applicants receive a copy by email or fax, as well as the original document with the raised seal of the issuing court by mail.