If you received a traffic ticket for speeding, passing a red-light, stop-sign, etc, in the City of Yonkers and pleaded not guilty, you will receive conference notice from the court instructing you to appear at the court on a particular day to meet with the prosecutor to discuss a possible plea bargain whereby the charge will be reduced in return for you pleading guilty. Our attorneys at Tilem & Associates can represent you in Yonkers and our lawyers can appear at this conference for you. In most cases, you do not have to come to court.
Generally traffic infractions in Yonkers are prosecuted by the officer who issued the summons or another officer from the same law enforcement agency. Several law enforcement agencies issue tickets within the City of Yonkers including the Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County Police Department and the New York State Police. Therefore, you can expect to meet with a police officer as opposed to a district attorney or city attorney as you might in other jurisdictions.
The City Court of Yonkers is located at 100 So. Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701. The number for traffic matters is 914-831-6910. There is a parking lot for the courthouse but it fills quickly so get there early or expect to park on the street. Street parking is metered so bring change; tickets can be as much as $40.00. When you enter the courthouse you will pass through a metal detector and you might be further searched. Bags, pocketbooks, briefcases, etc will be searched so leave your handguns and controlled substances at home.
After you pass through security you should take the elevator to the second floor. Make a right when you come out of the elevator and traffic court is held in the very first courtroom. You will see police officers outside the courtroom. They will either call your name or you can politely approach the officer who wrote your ticket or an officer from the same agency. In other words, many times the Westchester County Police send one officer to negotiate all County Police tickets for that particular day. State Troopers are not allowed to plea bargain so if your ticket was issued by a State Trooper the Yonkers’ Police Officer who runs the courtroom will often make you an offer when your case is called.
After you speak with the officer you should take a seat in the courtroom. If you haven’t spoken with the officer before the judge enters the courtroom and the clerk calls the calendar be sure to get in the courtroom and sit down. Take off any hats and be sure to shut your cell-phone. The clerk will then call the calendar. When you hear your name you should indicate you are present. The clerk will tell you what you should say when your name is called. If you haven’t already negotiate an agreeable plea bargain before your case is called, the officer who runs the traffic court will usually make you an offer when your case is called. If you agree to a deal that day, the Judge will impose a fine and any mandatory surcharges and usually agrees to requests for some time to pay. If you are given time to pay, be sure to timely pay the fine and surcharge; otherwise you face suspension of your license.
It is important that you have some idea of the charge you are facing, how many points it carries, what your driving record is, what law enforcement agency issued the ticket and how many points the reduced charge the officer offers carries. These are important factors that all affect the negotiation process. The attorneys at Tilem & Associates have handled hundreds of tickets in the City Court of Yonkers. In fact, our lawyers have about a 95% success rate at getting reductions or dismissal on Yonkers’ traffic infraction cases. This is not a guarantee and our past performance does not mean we will obtain a similar result for you. However, the truth is, we are in this court on a regular basis; we know the plea policies of many of the officers; we know what plea deals some judges won’t accept; we know how many points each type of violation carries; and if necessary, we are capable of taking your case to trial and providing you with a meaningful defense while the reality is, you most likely would have no idea what to do if your case went to trial. To be clear however, in most traffic cases, unless there are other collateral issues involved (accident, no plea offer, etc), motorists should try to resolve their traffic tickets with a plea bargain because no matter how good your attorney may be in court, most judges will simply not rule against the police in traffic court.
Your driver’s license is a cherished property right. Tickets and points can result in the loss of that right as well as increases in your automobile insurance. Some of you rely on your driver’s license for your job; your license feed your family and puts a roof over their head. Why go to court alone? You should consider retaining an attorney.
Tilem & Associates can handle your entire case in Yonkers from start to finish. Our 2011 Summer Special Fee for Yonkers traffic infractions is just $195.00 (TERMS APPLY – YOU MUST READ THE TERMS). This offer expires at midnight on August 31, 2011. For more information feel free to call us toll free at 1-877-377-8666. For $195.00 you can be represented by experienced, competent attorneys who can appear without you.