What happens at a first appearance in District Criminal Court can vary from county to county. In general, the goal of a first appearance (the first court date you have after being charged with a crime) is to answer one main question: What do you want to do about a lawyer? First, an Assistant District Attorney will "call the calendar," meaning he or she will read out the names of everyone who has court that day. It is important to arrive early and be in your seat when court op