Monday, April 21, 2014

Official Guide for Chenango Justice Court

Traffic Tickets 

Receiving a traffic ticket can be very overwhelming, and not to mention costly. If you have been issued a traffic ticket in the town of Chenango and are having a difficult time making heads or tails of your situation; then this guide was created to help you. 


Tips and Tidbits About the Court

Let us help you save your money!
Call us now at 800-893-9645.
The Justice Court is located at 1529 Front Street; which runs confluent with State Route 12 through town.  The Court Clerk is available every Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except for holidays. The clerk’s window closes daily at 3:30 p.m. Justice Court is in session on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. 

Tip: One of the worst things you can do is to ignore your ticket.  Failure to answer a ticket in a timely fashion can result in a suspension of a driver's privilege to drive.  If a driver is caught driving with a suspended license a police officer may arrest the driver and charge them in a criminal act.

Arriving on Time: It is important that you arrive a a tad bit earlier than the time provided. It is always better to be early than late. If you arrive late to your court date, there is a possibility that your case could have been called prior to your arrival. 

Driving Record: A driver should bring their driving record to court.  If the record is clean, it can be persuasive and help mitigate the situation.

Court Clerk: The court clerk's role is to help the Judge with their everyday duties. The court clerk often collects fine monies, sends letters to litigants and helps answer day-to-day questions you may have. The court clerk usually sits in the front of the courtroom. 


How Do I Answer My Ticket? 

In order to answer your ticket, you will have to enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty. Instructions on how you can enter your plea are provided on your ticket. Please note that it is important that you answer your ticket in a timely fashion. 

Pleading Guilty: If you chose to plead guilty to your traffic ticket, the court will send you a fine notice upon their receiving of your plea. It is important that you answer pay the appropriate fines before the due date. A failure to do so can result in your license being suspended. 

Pleading Not Guilty: If you chose to fight your ticket and plead not guilty, the court will provide you with a court date after they have received your plea. At this court date, you will be given the opportunity to present your case's strengths and weaknesses. 

If you wish to be represented by an experienced attorney, then give our team of skilled lawyers a call today at 800-893-9645. 


About Our Firm

Our team of skilled attorneys is lead by former NYC prosecutor Mr. Joseph Villanueva. A former prosecutor gives you the advantage by helping you analyze your case's strengths and weakness from the defense attorneys perspective as well as the prosecutor's perspective. 

We have helped over hundreds of clients save money, time and insurance increases. Call us now to see how we can help do the same for you. Our attorneys can be reached at 800-893-9645.


How do I Know How Many Points I Will Face?

In New York State, there is no such thing as a 1 point violation. While a cell phone violation can be a 5 points, speeding tickets range from a  2 to 11 points. Please take a look at the following chart for more details: 


Speeding
Points
01 to 10 mph over the limit
3
11 to 20
4
21 to 30
6
31 to 40
8
More than 40
11


Points will affect a driver’s privilege to drive for 18 months from the date in which the ticket was issued.  In other words, the points do not run from the date of the conviction.  They run from the moment the officer issued the summons.


How Much Will My Fines Be? 

A conviction to an 86/65 mph zone can result in a fine of almost $400.00, an additional $300.00 fine payable to the department of motor vehicles, 6 points on a driving record, and significant insurance increase.

A conviction to a violation with points does not convert into an automatic insurance increase.  The algorithm that most insurance companies use to assess an insurance increase is proprietary in nature and not widely shared the public.  There are many factors that can be taken into consideration including but not limited the driver’s age, type of vehicle driving, and accident history.


Ticket Information

The New York State Police issues tickets on a "Uniform Traffic Ticket", also known as a UTT. The UTT provides a lot of important information. Some of this information includes the officer's name, date and place of violation, speed (if applicable), description of violation, and how to enter your plea. 

There are many different police agencies that can issue you a ticket. Some include, but are not limited to, the State Police, the local Town/Village Police, Park Police, and Sheriff's Office. 

If you have received a traffic ticket in Chenango, call our attorneys today. We can help you save money, points, and insurance increases. Our attorneys can be reached at 800-893-9645.