Brooklyn Kings County is a densely populated, urban area with busy city streets and expressways. The Belt Parkway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway BQE run through the borough, along with numerous local highways and city roads. Police aggressively monitor these roads, frequently citing drivers with speeding and other traffic violations. If you have been cited for one of these violations, the first step is to consult an experienced Brooklyn traffic lawyer to discuss your case.
Any traffic violation in the State of New York can lead to fines and points on your license. The accumulation of points can also result in higher than normal car insurance rates for years to come. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these penalties, including taking driving classes and paying for a point reduction program. However, many people simply want to get the case over with and just plead guilty to the traffic ticket. This is often a mistake. Even a simple speeding ticket can result in thousands of dollars in fines and increased auto insurance premiums.
For this reason, it is very important to speak with a Brooklyn traffic attorney as soon as possible after receiving a ticket. These lawyers can review your case, determine whether there are any mitigating circumstances that may warrant a reduced or dismissed charge and provide an honest assessment of what your best course of action will be moving forward.
When you retain a traffic lawyer in Brooklyn, he or she will typically begin the process by discussing your ticket and your driving history with you. Then, he or she will examine your driver’s record and any evidence that might be available, such as a dash cam video, to develop a plan of attack.
A traffic lawyers Brooklyn will usually be able to help you to get your ticket dismissed by convincing the court that there are extenuating circumstances or that the police did not properly follow the law in the course of conducting the stop and/or arrest. In some cases, the lawyer will be able to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving violation, such as improper left turn or illegal parking.
If your ticket is contested, the case will be adjudicated at the Brooklyn South Traffic Violations Bureau. This court is known for having the longest backlog of any TVB location. This is due to the fact that unlike most traffic courts, the Brooklyn South TVB does not allow plea bargaining and all contested tickets are required to go to a hearing where the police officer testifies. For this reason, it is important to hire a traffic defense lawyer who regularly appears at the TVB and is familiar with each of the Administrative Law Judges. This experience will greatly increase your chances of having your case successfully resolved.