$10,000 To Beat A Traffic Ticket?

A New York attorney spent $10,000 to beat a $65 New York City Parking Ticket. It took NY traffic lawyer Sanford Young two years and appeals all the way to Supreme Court, New York County, to prevail.

On November 29, 2005, Young received the ticket after he parked on First Avenue near East 70th Street to have dinner with a friend. He returned at 6:59 pm and found the summons charging him with disobeying the weekday no-parking rule between 4 pm and 7 pm.

He pled not guilty and asked that the summons be dismissed. In March 2006, a city administrative law judge found that Young’s defense was “not persuasive,” and found him guilty.

Young appealed the ruling but lost. He then filed a suit against New York City in state Supreme Court where he ultimately prevailed. Young estimates that he spent $10,000 fighting this case including 30 to 40 hours of legal hours plus various court fees.