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How does a typical traffic ticket case proceed?

by Seth Azria on 2/27/2010

Absent a trial, the process described below applies to the vast majority of traffic violations including tickets issued for speeding, cell phone use, failure to use seat belts, running a stop sign or red light, etc. 

1. Sending the Letter of Representation to the Traffic Court

First, we send a letter to inform the the court that we represent you and to enter a plea of not guilty on your behalf. We will also adjourn your case to later date to give us the opportunity to negotiate a reduction of your ticket. 

As a result, the court date printed on the ticket is no longer applicable. Thereafter, court dates are "control dates," meaning that those are dates by which we are to report to the court regarding the progress in the case. We keep track of the dates internally and ask the court for more time as needed. 

For most traffic violations, you will not have to appear in court or send in a not guilty plea yourself.  If you are charged with a misdemeanorAggravated Unlicensed Operation for example, you will have to appear in court and we will advise you of the date, time, and what to expect at that appearance.

2. Negotiating a Reduction with the District Attorney's Office

The next step is to negotiate a reduction or dismissal with the prosecutor.  We may do so in person or by letter depending on the circumstances. These negotiations result in a proposed disposition for your ticket. Once contacted, a prosecutor may take 4-8 weeks, or more, to respond to the request. 

To help us formulate an argument on your behalf, we will ask you questions, via email, about the circumstances of your ticket and about you personally. Your answers are important. 

We will also need a copy of your driving record.  For clients licensed to drive in New York State, we will pull the driving record for you. For clients licensed to drive in another state or in a province of Canada will ask you to contact that department of motor vehicles for a copy. Most states, Québec, and Ontario offer this service online and we will include a link with our email requesting your record. 

3. Informing You and Gaining Your Consent to the Proposed Disposition

After we have a proposed reduction for your case, we will explain to you the reduction and the consequences of pleading guilty to the reduced charge. Often we use email for this purpose and allow you to consent via email. 

We also have clients stop into the office or use regular mail depending on the circumstances. 

4. Sending the Proposed Disposition to the Court

Once you have consented to the proposed disposition, we will send it to the court. These dispositions are "proposed" because the court must accept it in order for you to gain the benefit of the reduction.  

Most often, courts will go along with the deal we have worked out with prosecutor and then send a fine or dismissal notice to our office. 

Occasionally, a court will reject the proposed disposition. If this happens, we will negotiate a new disposition or otherwise reach an acceptable outcome without any further charge to you. 

5. Sending You the Fine or Dismissal Notice

Typically, we will both email and mail the fine notice to ensure that you receive it. It will be your responsibility to pay the fine according to the court's instructions. Courts typically allow 2-4 weeks for payment of the fines. In the normal course fo business, we do not make fine payments for clients. 

The entire process usually takes about 2-5 months and we send regular email updates.  And, of course, we are always here to answer any questions or concerns you may have in the meantime.We are dedicated to prompt client communication and chances are great that you will speak to an attorney immediately. Please be advised that legal fees for traffic matters are due up front and we will not enter an appearance with a court until the legal fee is paid.  Court fines are not included in the legal fee.

If you have one speeding ticket or cell phone ticket you may hire us online. Otherwise, we look forward to hearing from you. 

Need help with your ticket?

One speeding conviction may cause premiums to increase over $2,000 in three years. The Zebra. 

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Seth Azria immediately started work on my case. Made it easy for me to provide documents and info. Resolved my case with no points and a small fine. I am Extremely Grateful.

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Azria & Bruffett is great a Law Firm. Their professionalism and speedy manner of communication is outstanding. Thanks to Seth Azria, he certainly knows what he is doing.

Take it from a Fellow Attorney, Seth Azria is wonderful and gets the job done.

I am an attorney working in the lower Hudson Valley. I had an unfortunate brush with the law on my birthday of all days! which resulted in my receipt of a speeding ticket en-route to a wedding in Buffalo. I'd never had any other infractions on my record and this offense is certainly not an area in which I specialize. I was very upset and worried but immediately upon calling Mr. Azria all of my fears and concerns melted away. Mr. Azria was able to plead my ticket down to a minor violation with no points and a small fee to the Court. Mr. Azria was quick, efficient and responsive. I never had a moment of worry that my case was being neglected. Mr. Azria and his team answered any questions that I had and kept me informed throughout the process. I could not have asked for a better team in my corner and you can't beat the price. You would have thought that I spent a small fortune for the quality of service that I received. Take it from me, Mr. Azria is the attorney you want representing you.

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Seth was referred by an excellent lawyer from Cleveland, OH and I found his services remarkable. He delivered more then he promised. I guess that what makes any client happy. Thank you Seth, I wish we had more professionals like you in this country.

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Traffic Ticket Lawyers: Statewide

Azria & Bruffett has helped thousands of clients minimize the effect of their traffic tickets. We have experience in courts all over New York State which helps us handle your case effectively and efficiently.

We offer free traffic ticket consultations. In your consultation, you will learn the best way to handle your ticket,  even if that means you don't need to hire us. We will cover the possible outcomes, costs, and timing of your case. 

Many counties have recently adopted self service web-based systems to handle traffic tickets. In those counties, you do not need a lawyer because handling a ticket is merely data entry on a website. 

Before calling, please review this information on where we take cases. Thank you.  

Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.