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NYC Speeding Ticket Lawyer
A speeding ticket is more than just an annoyance. To prevent the financial and personal consequences of your ticket, team up with a speeding ticket lawyer in NYC.
As a New York City driver, you likely do everything you can to be safe on the road, especially when you consider how difficult it can be to drive in the city. There are some cases, however, when no matter what you do, you’re still given a ticket unfairly. This is especially true of those who are given tickets for speeding.
While it may seem like it’s simply easier to pay the speeding ticket and move on, the truth is that one small action could lead to a world of trouble, both financially and in your day-to-day life. The best course of action in these cases may be to go to court and fight the ticket.
But taking on this task can be tough, especially if you are not familiar with the law and the proceedings you’re about to face. Fortunately, the team at the Law Office of James Medows is here to help.
With the representation of an NYC speeding ticket lawyer, you’ll have a good chance of securing a favorable outcome and protecting your finances and driving privileges.
Penalties for Speeding in New York
To start, it’s important to understand what repercussions you may face if you choose not to go to court and fight your speeding ticket. Aside from the fine you will be expected to pay, pleading guilty to a speeding ticket by opting out of court could potentially lead to a suspended license.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) operates on a system of points when it comes to moving violations. Most infractions have a set amount of points you’ll receive on your record. For example, if you fail to use your turn signal, you will receive two points on your license.
Speeding violations, however, operate a little differently. Rather than imposing a set number of points, the number you’ll receive will be based on how fast you were going. This is dangerous because, if you receive eleven points or more in an eighteen-month period, your license may be suspended.
The following list details the license points you could receive for different levels of speeding in NYC:
- Going between one and ten miles over the limit is three points.
- Going between eleven and twenty miles over the limit is four points.
- Going between twenty-one and thirty miles over the limit is six points.
- Going between thirty-one and forty miles over the limit is eight points.
- Going forty-one miles or more over the speed limit is an automatic eleven points and a suspended license.
How Speeding Tickets Affect Your Insurance
It may seem like the points on their own—and the potential to lose your license—are a bad enough punishment. But choosing not to fight your speeding ticket will affect more than just the number of points on your license.
Each infraction you’re found guilty of in NYC becomes part of your driving record. As a result, your insurance premiums could go through the roof. Most insurance companies take into account any infraction within the last five years, so if you are found guilty, you could be looking at costly premiums for the next half decade.
Other Ways Your NYC Speeding Ticket Can Affect Your Life
Everyone knows that there’s always a fine attached to speeding tickets, and most even realize that the fines increase with the speed at which you’re accused of traveling. What some people may not realize, however, is how many other ways a speeding ticket can affect their life and happiness.
The following are just a few of the negative impacts your NYC speeding infraction can have on your life, if you’re convicted:
- You Could Go to Jail – Believe it or not, it’s a real possibility. If you are a repeat offender, were traveling at a rate significantly over the speed limit, or caused an accident because of your speeding, you can certainly go to jail.
- Your Finances Can Be Affected – Depending on your ticket and how many infractions you’ve committed in the last eighteen months, you will receive a hefty fine. Sometimes, you can also receive surcharges, and if your license is suspended, it could be very expensive to get it reinstated. This can create a snowball effect in your life that can be difficult to overcome.
- Free Time – After you lose your driving privileges, you’ll still have to get around somehow. That means you’ll be walking, taking public transportation, or waiting around for a ride to come and pick you up. This equals a lot of time wasted, and time is the only thing you can’t have back.
- Family Life – When one person in a family suffers these consequences, the entire family also suffers. This can create tremendous strain on family dynamics, which could lead to other problems.
Why You Need an NYC Speeding Ticket Attorney
Choosing not to fight your speeding ticket and simply paying the fine—admitting guilt, essentially—can have severe and long-lasting effects on your financial situation and your ability to get around. That’s why it can be so helpful to go to traffic court in New York City and do everything you can to mitigate the repercussions.
However, choosing to go this route isn’t something you can always handle alone. To find success in this venture, you may need to enlist the services of an NYC speeding violation lawyer.
This could be helpful for a few reasons. To start, it’s incredibly easy to say the wrong thing and inadvertently admit guilt to a speeding ticket. If this is the case, going to court will likely have been for nothing, wasting your time and energy to obtain the same result in the end.
But a lawyer from our firm can help you avoid this outcome. We will handle all communication and statements on your behalf. Because we know exactly what to say and how to say it, your case will be framed in the way that relieves you of as much guilt as possible.
We will also be able to use our in-depth knowledge of New York traffic laws to minimize your risk of being punished. In some cases, we may be able to negotiate with the judge on your behalf to reduce your charges to an infraction with fewer points involved. In other cases, we may even be able to get your ticket thrown out completely.
Defenses Your NYC Speeding Violation Lawyer May Use
To help you get the results mentioned above, your NYC speeding attorney will do everything in his or her power to prove your innocence to the judge. Each case differs, but a few defense strategies tend to work well for NYC speeding cases.
Some of these speeding ticket defenses include the following:
- The officer who issued the ticket only gauged your speed visually, giving him or her an inaccurate reading of how fast you were truly going.
- The officer in question gauged your speed by pacing you.
- The radar device gave a false reading about your speed.
- You were dealing with a health emergency that caused you to speed.
- Your speed was justified given the road conditions.
- You weren’t speeding; it was the vehicle next to you.
What Kind of Evidence Can Help Fight Your Speeding Ticket in NYC?
When you’re in traffic court, you will have to fight your traffic offense using evidence, which is likely very similar to your idea of criminal court. Traffic violations are considered crimes, albeit minor ones.
Just as in any other case, you must demonstrate to the court that you’re innocent of the speeding infraction you’re being accused of—if not innocent, at least justified in your behavior. Of course, you’ll need evidence to do that.
The officer who ticketed you will have evidence, as well. So it’s important to make sure you have as much convincing evidence as you can gather. Here’s a list of evidence commonly used to defend against speeding infractions.
- Witness Statements – Witnesses could include passengers in your vehicle, bystanders, or others whose statements may corroborate your evidence.
- Photographic and Video Evidence – You should take photos of the scene where the speeding infraction allegedly took place. If video evidence is available (if someone took a video with a camera phone, for instance), you can use that, too.
- Diagrams – Draw diagrams for the court to show the area where you were ticketed and the speed posting signs. Perhaps speed posting signs had been knocked down during a storm along the route you were traveling, so you had no way of knowing what the speed limit was.
The above are just examples. You can use any evidence that would help your case.
NYC Speeding Ticket FAQ
Below, we have answered some common questions our NYC speeding violation attorneys receive from clients. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any additional questions.
How can I check how many points I have on my license in New York?
The New York DMV allows NYC residents to check how many points they have on their license online. You will need the document and ID numbers from your most recent drivers license. If you are concerned about the number of points you have, contact us.
Is there any way to have the points on my license from speeding reduced?
Yes. The DMV has approved a Point and Insurance Reduction Program course that allows you to remove points from your record. However, it’s usually better to not receive the points in the first place. We’re here to help with that.
I was ticketed for speeding and running a red light in NYC. Can you help with violations other than speeding?
Yes. The NYC lawyers at our office can help reduce charges or have tickets thrown out for a variety of traffic offenses. Some examples include stop sign and red light infractions, reckless driving, texting while driving, failure to yield, improper passing, tailgating, and more.
Let an NYC Speeding Ticket Attorney Fight Your Ticket
If you were recently issued a speeding ticket, you need to act quickly to avoid serious consequences. Don’t wait to get in touch with our team at the Law Office of James Medows. We’ll be happy to help you fight your ticket in court and avoid fines, points on your license, and difficulty with your insurance premiums.
To schedule a consultation with an NYC speeding ticket lawyer from our team, contact our office directly at 917-856-1247. If you would prefer to reach out to us online, you may fill out our online contact form at the bottom of the page.
Description: Needed a ticket dismissed and was going to be out of town for the hearing. Contacted James and got an immediate response. Price and service was way better than the other place I called and he managed to get an 8 point ticket completely dismissed. Highly recommend!
robinson brown
Rating: 5 out of 5
Blocking the Box Lawyer NYC
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Blocking the box, or gridlocking, can be a major problem on congested city streets in New York. Intersections blocked by car and pedestrian traffic can create long delays and contribute to gridlocked conditions in neighboring intersections, snarling traffic for blocks in each direction.
Entering an intersection without sufficient space beyond the far crosswalk to accommodate your vehicle is often referred to as “blocking the box.” When the light changes and vehicles cannot leave the intersection, the traffic with the right-of-way cannot enter. Vehicles in the area formed by the four crosswalks are blocking the movement of traffic, causing a backup.
This only refers to traffic moving forward through an intersection. Vehicles attempting to make a turn are not subject to this type of ticket in New York City. If police issue you a ticket, you’ll end up paying a hefty fine.
That is, if you don’t contest the ticket.
Dual Status of Blocking a Crosswalk
Police don’t need to pull you over to issue you a ticket for blocking a crosswalk, although that can (and does) still happen. Because an officer pulling over violators can further disrupt the flow of already-congested traffic, the state legislature made changes to the New York gridlocking law in 2008. Since this change, both police officers and parking enforcement agents are able to issue tickets for blocking a crosswalk.
Because an officer pulling over violators can further disrupt the flow of already-congested traffic, the state legislature made changes to the New York gridlocking law in 2008. Since this change, both police officers and parking enforcement agents are able to issue tickets for blocking a crosswalk.
What does this mean for NYC drivers?
The number of enforcement agents watching for violators has increased. Traffic enforcement agents use handheld devices to enter your license plate in the system, and you may find an unexpected ticket in your mailbox days or weeks after the alleged violation.
This means there’s an increased likelihood of being caught if you stop up traffic in NYC.
Blocking a Crosswalk in New York City: Should You Pay?
No matter what type of ticket you get, it may seem like the best thing to do is to go online to pay your fine or drop a check in the mail with your ticket.
But that may not be a good idea.
By paying the fine without contesting the ticket, you are admitting guilt. You’re handing over money that you may legally be able to keep. It might be in your best interest to fight the ticket, whether an officer pulled you over or you received a notice in the mail.
Costs of a Blocking the Box Ticket
The current fine for this type of ticket through traffic enforcement is $115. If a police officer issues you a moving violation, the fine can be up to $150 and add two points to your license. In some cases, there may be surcharges, fees or late fines in addition to the cost of the ticket.
As you probably know, any points on your driver’s license may cause your insurance company to raise your premiums for as long as three years. Additionally, accumulating six points in any 18-month period means you’ll also have to pay the Driver Responsibility Assessment Fee. This will cost you another $300 or more over the next three years.
Defending Traffic Citations
As you can see, the moving violation carries additional costs beyond fines and surcharges by adding points to your driver’s license. The parking violation, while less costly, is still a punch in the pocketbook you may not deserve. If you decide to contest your ticket, working with an experienced NYC traffic ticket lawyer can increase your chances of beating the ticket.
A dedicated traffic ticket attorney like James Medows will know which defenses hold the most weight and how they apply to your case. Your attorney may be able to impress upon a judge that you are not guilty of stopping within an intersection under New York law because:
- There was sufficient unobstructed space on the other side of the intersection at the time your vehicle entered the box
- You were attempting to turn, not travel straight through the intersection
- Only a small portion of the rear or your vehicle remained in the box when you had to stop to avoid hitting the car or pedestrian in front of you
These are just some examples.
I’m attorney James Medows, and I’m here to help. My cell phone is my business line. You can phone or text me any time, at 917-856-1247.
Tell me your story and I’ll tell you how I can help you.