Almost 400,000 people live in Orange County, New York. Orange County is the proud home of West Point, the oldest winery in the United States (the Brotherhood), the Catskill Mountains, and hundreds of thousands of drivers. We understand that people might get distracted by the natural beauty of the Hudson River Valley and might not keep their eyes on their speedometer, or may not be focusing on the road.
There are many active traffic courts along Route 17, Highway 87 (New York Thruway) and Highway 84 in Orange County including Middletown City Court, Chester Village Court, Wallkill Town Court, Highlands Town Court, Goshen Village Court, Newburgh City Court, New Windsor Town Court, Tuxedo Town Court, Greenwood Lake Town Court, Florida Town Court, Cornwall Town Court, Blooming Grove Town Court, and Harriman Village Court. Our experience is that speeding violations are the most commonly issued in these municipalities with traffic tickets for “move over” law violations and disobeying a traffic control device being also commonly-issued.
When you receive a traffic ticket in Orange County, NY, we can help. With our history of New York traffic ticket defense success, paired with our experienced team of traffic ticket lawyers, located here in New York state, we are confident and ready to fight for you today. Read more to learn who we are and more importantly, how we can help you.
Fight Your Orange County Traffic Violations with Weiss and Associates, PC
Many motorists assume that once a law enforcement officer issues you a traffic ticket, you just have to accept it. That is not the case. The law provides a few different avenues for you to fight your ticket. This is a legal process. What that means for you is that you have a chance to get your day in court, just like you might see in your favorite crime shows.
The state has to prove its case against you. This means that they have to prove, with evidence, that you did something wrong. There are situations where the evidence against you is not sufficient in the eyes of the law. If this is the case, then you will not have to pay your fine, nor will you have any of the other penalties associated with a traffic ticket.
Even if the state does have evidence, and you know that you did it, you can still help yourself greatly when you hire a traffic ticket attorney experienced in Orange County traffic law. Often your NY traffic attorney can negotiate a deal saving you potentially points and an insurance hike. This means that you acknowledge that you committed a traffic violation in exchange for a reduced fine and fewer points on your record.
Did You Receive a Traffic Ticket in Orange County, New York?
Whether you are a local to Orange County, enjoying the sights, or just passing through, we can help. We have helped many people all around Orange County, and the next successful case could be yours.
Speeding Tickets
Speeding tickets are different depending on how fast you were driving over the limit. The more miles per hour over the speed limit you are, the worse your penalty will be. For example, if you are caught speeding 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, you will be assessed 4 points against your license. If you are caught going 35 miles per hour over the speed limit, then the penalty will be 8 points.
In addition to this, there will usually be a fine as well as a surcharge. Further, for speeding convictions of 6+ points, you have to pay a $300 Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee.
Truck Tickets
If you drive commercially, we can still help you. When you have a ticket on your commercial driver’s license, you might have a hard time getting work in the future. Examples of such truck tickets are no HUT Permit, overweight, broken mud flap, no fire extinguisher, and no logbook, among others. That is where we can help.
License Suspension
Too many traffic tickets over an 18-month period could mean that your license is suspended. Some other traffic violations, like 3 or more speeding tickets within 18 months, means that your license can get suspended just for that. Many people in Orange County rely on their cars to get around. We know how to fight any type of traffic ticket and keep you on the road.
Reckless Driving
We advise all drivers to obey all of the rules of the road. If you do drive recklessly, we may be able to help. Give us a call because this offense carries 5 points, is criminal (misdemeanor), and can adversely affect your insurance rates.
Disobeying A Red Light/Red Light Tickets
Orange County now has red light cameras. That means that even if you do not see anyone around you, you can still get caught by the camera, which means that you are going to get a letter in the mail. While our traffic ticket attorneys do NOT fight red light camera tickets, if you receive a red light ticket from a Newburgh, Woodbury, Middletown, or any other Orange County town police officer, we can help you fight it! Unlike camera red light tickets, such tickets carry 3 points and can negatively impact your insurance rates.
Disobeying a Traffic Control Device
This is a fairly broad category but usually applies to disobeying pavement markings or signs. These tickets carry 2 points and a fine. Please note that, if you are stopped for speeding, and the police officer gives you a break by reducing it to a disobeying a traffic control device ticket, this is known as a “roadside plea”. When this occurs, it is unlikely that you will receive a second reduction at court and risk that the prosecutor amends your chargeback to the original speeding offense. In such cases, we often recommend accepting the “roadside plea” rather than hiring us (or any other lawyer) to fight the case.
Obstructing an Intersection/Gridlocking/Blocking the Box
When you cannot make it all the way across an intersection and the light turns green for cross traffic, you will get charged with obstructing an intersection. This section does not apply for motorists waiting to make a turn (only those trying to go straight across the intersection). Sometimes you will hear this referred to as gridlocking or blocking the box. The charge for this is up to $115 plus 2 points.
Stop Sign Tickets
Rolling through a stop sign is a 3-point offense. For the first offense, most drivers will be paying up around $250.
If you are in an unfamiliar area, it is possible that you do not even see the sign. It is also possible that the white line on the road, where you are meant to stop, is faded or invisible. If this is the case, then it might be possible to beat your ticket. However, often we can negotiate a 0-point plea bargain in one of the Orange County courts to stop sign tickets (and other types of tickets).
Cell Phones/Texting While Driving
Distracted driving is the cause of many accidents. It is a good idea to keep your phone in your pocket while you are driving. If a police officer sees you while you are texting and driving, then you may have a fine between $50 and $150. You will also see 5 points added to your license.
Note that holding an electronic device creates a presumption that you were illegally using it, which means that you would have to disprove “use” (rather than being part of the police officer’s burden).
Leaving the Scene of an Accident in New York State
Sometimes this is referred to as hit and run. If there is just property damage, then you might be facing a fine between $0 and $250 and up to 15 days in jail. If someone was hurt, then you may be facing a fine between $250 and $5,000 and a criminal record (misdemeanor). On top of that, you will get 3 points on your license. In some cases, the judge might decide that you need to spend time in jail. For these reasons, you definitely want to fight a leaving the scene ticket.
New York State Move Over Law Tickets
This law was implemented to ensure that our emergency, such as firefighters or people who work on ambulances, can help people safely without cars whizzing by them. When you see any vehicle with flashing lights on the side of the road, safely move over one lane to give them some space. If you cannot safely move over, you need to reduce your speed. You do not just have to stop for police officers, ambulances, and firefighters; you also have to move over for sanitation workers, tow trucks, and roadway crews.
If you are convicted, the first offense will usually cost you $150 and 2 points.
Can Your Orange County Traffic Ticket Attorney Services Save Me Points?
We mentioned points a few times above. NY has a point system. If you get 11 points over an 18-month period, then you may have your license suspended. This is a problem for many people, as that is how many residents of Orange County get around.
Yes, a New York traffic ticket attorney can save you points. As mentioned above, we are ready to defend you. It is possible to have the charges against you completely dismissed but, at the least, usually, a reduction to fewer points is possible.
Do I Have a Defense for My Traffic Ticket?
If you hire an experienced New York traffic ticket attorney, you usually increase your chances for the best possible outcome. The legal system has many rules and regulations that are hard to learn. Having an experienced attorney on your side, therefore, is usually very helpful.
Our team knows the system and has a great track record in all of the Orange County, New York traffic courts. Your specific defense is going to depend on your infraction, as well as the situation as a whole. We have a commitment to explaining what is going on with your case. We will be honest with you every step of the way (even with bad news).
Ticket in Orange County, New York? Hire a Traffic Ticket Lawyer
If you received a traffic ticket or violation in Newburgh, Middletown, Woodbury, Port Jervis, Cornwall, Florida, Blooming Grove, Goshen, Monroe, Tuxedo Park, Highland Falls, Greenwood Lake, or any other town or city within Orange County, New York, we can help!
Through the years, we have successfully resolved 98% of our court cases in Upstate NY. Call us today for a free consultation.