Dreading Your NYC Traffic Court Date? A Good NYC Traffic Lawyer Can Help

Ignoring a traffic ticket doesn’t make it go away!

Most people who have been issued an NYC traffic ticket get into more serious legal issues when they either don’t pay the ticket or don’t contact the court to dispute the ticket. The ticket stays in effect and can cause you to pay additional fines, lose your license, or even be arrested! If you’ve received an NYC traffic ticket, you have several options:

• Plead ‘Guilty’ and pay tickets answerable to Traffic Violations Bureau
  • By pleading  ‘Guilty,’ you must pay all fees, fines, and surcharges
  • If the conviction results in the revocation or suspension of your driving privileges, you must appear at a Traffic Violations Bureau.
• Plead ‘Not Guilty’ and schedule a Traffic Violations Bureau hearing online, over the phone or in a Traffic Violations Bureau
• Pay tickets with a guilty plea
• Change a ‘Not Guilty’ plea to a ‘Guilty’ for tickets that do not require your appearance 
• Re-schedule a ‘Not Guilty’ court date  (one time) 
• Request email notification when your traffic ticket has been entered into the system – and a traffic court date scheduled
• Request Traffic Violations Bureau to schedule or reschedule your traffic court date on a specific date if available

Hiring a good NYC traffic lawyer can make all the difference . . .

…especially if you are dreading your NYC traffic court date.

NYC Traffic Lawyers practice regularly at the TVB (Traffic Violations Bureau) and understand the procedures. They have also been in front of all the judges and have familiarity with the individual judges. This combination of knowledge and experience provides someone represented by a good NYC traffic lawyer a better chance of success.

Although not always a guarantee, if you intend to fight your traffic ticket, hiring a good NYC traffic lawyer that you can trust can help get your charges dismissed or reduced, depending on the circumstances.

A good NYC traffic ticket attorney can also:

• Help you avoid traffic school
• Get fines reduced
• Keep points off your driving record
• Keep your insurance rates down
• Save you from multiple court appearances
• Save you time and money
• Spare you from standing in long lines
• … and provide you some stress relief

Once your NYC traffic court date is scheduled, a specific Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) office will be assigned. Typically, it will be the TVB office closest to where the citation was issued. Your hearing must be held in the jurisdiction where the ticket was issued.

Traffic Violations Bureau Offices in NYC

1. Brooklyn South (Coney Island), 2875 West 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11224
2. Brooklyn North, Atlantic Center Mall, 2nd Floor, 625 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
3. The Bronx, 696 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458
4. Manhattan North, 159 East 125 Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10035
5. Manhattan South, 17 Battery Place, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10004
6. Richmond (Staten Island), West Shore Plaza, 1775 South Avenue, Suite 2, Staten Island, NY 10314
7. Queens North, 30-56 Whitestone Expy, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11354
8. Queens South, 168-35 Rockaway Blvd, 2nd Floor Jamaica, NY 11434

Your NYC Court Date Appearance

In some instances, your NYC Traffic Lawyer can go to court on your behalf.  Depending on the type of NYC traffic ticket, you may not have to go to court at all. This means less stress; you won’t have to leave work or struggle to find daycare. Plus, you can depend on your attorney to handle everything for you.

What to Expect at the NYC Traffic Court Hearing

Expect the officer to show up. Contrary to popular belief, as part of their job, officers are required to attend court.

• The ALJ starts by asking the officer who issued the citation(s) to explain the circumstances causing him to issue a ticket.
• Next, you or your attorney will have the opportunity to question the officer.
• You will then have a chance to present any evidence, offer your own testimony, or allow a witness to testify
• The ALJ may ask follow-up questions of the officer, your witness, or you, for clarification of any testimony

The Administrative Law Judge hearing your case will then issue their decision. If multiple charges are involved, the ALJ will hear them on the same day at the same time, and issue individual decisions.

• If found guilty, fines, points, penalties, and suspension (if applicable) will be assessed
• If found not guilty, your case will be dismissed

Appealing a TVB Decision

If you and your attorney are not satisfied with the ALJ’s decision, you have the right to appeal to the TVB Appeals Board. However, such appeals are exceedingly difficult to win; the appeal judges rarely overturn an ALJ’s decision. Sometimes, appeals may help delay specific penalties, like a suspension.

Postponing your NYC Traffic Court Date

You are entitled to two postponements of an NYC traffic court date. As your traffic ticket lawyers,  Matthew Weiss, and the law firm of Weiss & Associates, PC    can be instrumental in expediting the process and possibly achieving a more favorable outcome. However, the decision to grant such requests lies with the ALJ.

Since 1991, fighting traffic tickets have been most of what we do as a law firm — and we happen to be rather good at it.  

We can help you fight your NYC Traffic Ticket!

Don’t just accept your ticket. Whether or not you have to appear in court, it’s best to have a qualified traffic lawyer on your side — don’t risk making a mistake in court or lose.

Weiss & Associates, PC, will review the details of your case, and together you will decide the best path moving forward. Our initial consultation is free, and are always open and honest evaluations of your circumstances. If you’ve been issued an NYC traffic ticket and want to discuss your case, contact us online or call us today for a free consultation.

Your best chances for beating your traffic ticket is with a skilled NYC traffic lawyer by your side.

Just remember:

A man who chooses to represent himself has a fool for a client.

                                                                                                            ~Abraham Lincoln