The judge’s decision regarding suspension is discretionary and made immediately after the traffic ticket hearing if the motorist is found guilty. It is therefore critical, if you have a points problem, to know the reputation of your traffic court judge (i.e., his propensity to suspend) and the reputation of the TVB itself prior to trying your case.
In reviewing 2009 statistics, in New York City, 3,160 discretionary suspensions were imposed. When each TVB’s total is divided by the total number of guilty determinations in that TVB, the likelihood of such a result is revealed.
The three TVBs with the highest percentage of likelihood to exercise their discretion to suspend are Staten Island (1st), Suffolk (2nd) and Bronx (3rd) with the Bronx TVB imposing the most numerically (886). In contrast, the three down-state TVBs which are the more reluctant by percentage to suspend are Manhattan South, Manhattan North and Brooklyn South. The Rochester TVB had the lowest total imposing only 3 discretionary suspensions last year.
The propensity for Staten Island TVB judges coupled with its highest conviction in the State provide a virtually insurmountable barrier for motorists fighting traffic tickets at this venue.
Below are the total number of discretionary suspensions imposed in 2009 by TVB.
Bronx Traffic Violations Bureau – 886
Suffolk County Traffic Violations Bureau – 716
Staten Island Traffic Violations Bureau – 673
Queens North Traffic Violations Bureau – 417
Manhattan South Traffic Violations Bureau – 272
Brooklyn North Traffic Violations Bureau – 262
Queens South Traffic Violations Bureau – 261
Brooklyn South Traffic Violations Bureau – 223