New York Criminal Attorney Blog
New York Traffic Court Attorneys, Tilem & Associates has been able to verify rumors that have made the rounds of social media that for the first time New York State Troopers have been patrolling New York City Highways including the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, The FDR Drive in Manhattan and the New England Thruway in the Bronx. The Troopers have been seen pulling over cars and handing out summonses for unknown traffic violations most likely speeding and failing to signal lane changes.
CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US ABOUT A DISCOUNT ON FIGHTING TICKETS ISSUED BY TROOPERSIn reality the New York State Police do have a small Troop in New York City that is headquartered at Wards Island by the TriBoro (Robert F Kennedy) Bridge. Although the State Police have chosen not to engage in many law enforcement functions inside of New York City, New York State troopers are Police Officers as defined in the Criminal Procedure Law (CPL 1.20 (34a)) and have the power to issue simplified traffic informations also known as summonses or traffic tickets. In addition, subdivision 34-a of Criminal Procedure Law 1.20 defines the “geographical area of employment” of a police officer employed by a state agency as “New York State”. Meaning that State Police Officers maintain their jurisdiction throughout all of New York State including the five boroughs of New York City.
As New York Traffic Ticket attorneys we are concerned about how to best fight the tickets issued by New York State troopers inside of New York City. Firstly, a motorist must understand that most traffic tickets issued within New York City are returnable in the Traffic Violations Bureaus (TVB’s) in each borough. These tickets take a different path than tickets issued outside of New York City. Tickets adjudicated inside of New York City are handled through an administrative process which precludes the request for supporting depositions, motions for speedy trial and has a lower burden of proof than exists for tickets issued outside New York City. As a result there is no plea bargaining within New York City. The calendars are very congested inside of New York City TVB’s and police officers generally go to the TVB to handle multiple tickets at a time.
It seems unlikely that New York State Troopers will make all of the court appearances necessary to obtain a conviction in the TVB’s. It also seems likely that this program may not be around in a year or two from now. Motorists who receive tickets from New York State Troopers would be well advised to consult with an experienced traffic ticket attorney who can best advise you about how to fight such a ticket. Tickets handled in the TVB can take a long time to resolve. An experienced TVB lawyer may be able to help further delay the adjudication of a ticket. Given that Troopers may be transferred to a completely different part of the State and that it is unlikely that a Trooper stationed in Dutchess County or beyond will want to appear on a speeding ticket in Brooklyn, it seems that delaying the adjudication of these tickets may be advantageous to motorists.
As with any legal issue please feel free to contact one of our attorneys for a fast, free and friendly over-the-phone consultation.