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Seat Belts Tickets: Officer Observation and Testimony is Enough

by Seth Azria on 1/02/2024

To be pulled over, it is enough for a police officer to observe the driver or passenger not wearing a seat belt. People v. Smith, 158 A.D.3d 1081 (4th Dep't 2018).

To be convicted of the seat belt charge, it is enough for the officer to testify that he saw the driver or passenger fail to wear a seat belt. Of, course the driver will testify that he was wearing a seat belt. This creates and issue of credibility for the judge to decide. In Whitten the judge decided in officer’s favor and convicted the driver. Whitten v. Martinez, 24 A.D.3d 285 (1st Dep't 2005).

However, a person wearing belt, under the arm rather than over the shoulder is "restrained" and therefore permissible within the meaning of the law. People v. Locke, 1 Misc. 3d 482, 765 N.Y.S.2d 468 (City Ct. 2003).

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I received a speeding violation back in December 2020 and is now dismissed. Seth Azria and firm has done an excellent job in getting the ticket dismissed successfully. The entire staff has been very professional, quick and responsive. I really appreciate their service and give them a 5 star. I would be happy to refer them to my friends.

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Excellent experience with this law firm from Syracuse. Mr. Seth Azria Esq. handled my speeding ticket in Watertown, NY with no problem for a reasonable $ 250 fee and saved me a plethora of points and high insurance rates. It was difficult to be a tourist with an out of state license plate on a rental car and not being familiar with local speed traps of 30 mph.... I would use the Azria & Bruffett Law Firm again in a minute if I ever get another ticket in NY. It is especially handy that they will take credit cards over the phone or online. Some firms I checked with required cash and I had already left the state.

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Seth Azria saved me such heartache when I received a speeding ticket on Thanksgiving day...of all days of the year. 
Seth was able to negotiate a much lesser charge and fine and I am truly thankful!

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I had gotten an extremely high speeding ticket when I drove upstate for the first time. I'm 18 and have had my license for about a year, so my mother and I thought it would be a good idea to hire an attorney. It was a holiday weekend, so I was surprised when David Bruffett answered our call on Presidents' Day. I'm so thankful he did. He's did an amazing job getting my speeding ticket reduced. He instructed my on what to do to increase my chances to reduce as many points as possible. He was honest when telling us what our outcome would most likely be, however, the outcome exceeded our expectations. He and his staff were very professional and supportive. David had always made himself available to answer our calls.