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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
NYC Traffic Ticket Lawyer
Traffic violations might seem minor, but they can cause real problems for your life and finances. Beat your ticket by working with an NYC traffic ticket attorney.
People often underestimate just how much a traffic ticket can negatively affect their life. While it might seem like you can simply pay the fine and be done with it, this often isn’t the case.
By signing the ticket and paying the fine, you’re admitting guilt. New York tracks these violations, and enough tickets can result in additional fines, annual surcharges, insurance rate hikes, and even the loss of your drivers license.
While one ticket might not cause all of this, you never know when you’ll be cited for a violation next. And the next time might not be a violation you can successfully have dismissed.
By working with an NYC traffic ticket lawyer from the Law Office of James Medows, you can be proactive and protect your finances and future driving rights.
Traffic Tickets in New York City
As any NYC resident knows, driving in the city isn’t exactly a stress-free experience. While some moving violations are certainly more serious than others, at a minimum, any traffic ticket is going to result in a monetary fine and driving points assessed to your license.
Jail time, while rare, is also a real possibility. However, incarceration is usually reserved for repeat offenders, truly egregious traffic violations, and additional problems that occurred during the traffic stop.
While many people assume that a traffic violation can’t be beaten, the truth is that there’s always a defense that can be used. A traffic attorney from our NYC firm will have experience defending against a number of different moving violations:
- Speeding
- Cell phone use while driving
- Blocking an intersection (blocking the box)
- Failing to yield to pedestrians or oncoming traffic
- Failing to stop at a sign or traffic light
- Tailgating
- Improper passing
Penalties and Points for NYC Traffic Tickets
Just as the fine varies according to traffic ticket type, so do the number of driving points you’ll be assessed for each violation. New York uses these points to track how many violations you’ve committed in the past, and accruing too many can result in serious consequences.
For example, if you reach just six points within an eighteen-month period, you’ll have to start paying an annual surcharge—called a driver responsibility assessment fee—just to maintain your driving privileges. This surcharge continues for three years and is $100 with an additional $25 for each point over six.
Reaching eleven points within eighteen months—something that a single serious speeding ticket can do—will cost you your license. After a revocation, you’ll need to pay additional fees and take classes in order to have it restored.
Every point puts you that much closer to a license suspension. By fighting your charges with help from a New York City traffic ticket lawyer, you might be able to avoid ever reaching this point. The table below shows how many points are added to your driving record for the different types of driving infractions listed:
| Traffic Violation | Points Added |
| Speeding
1 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit |
3 |
| 11 to 20 miles per hour over the speed limit | 4 |
| 21 to 30 miles per hour over the speed limit | 6 |
| 31 to 40 miles per hour over the speed limit | 8 |
| Over 40 miles per hour over the speed limit | 11 |
| Reckless driving | 5 |
| Failure to stop for a school bus | 5 |
| Failed to yield the right-of-way | 3 |
| Inadequate brakes
Private vehicle Employer’s vehicle |
42 |
| Following too closely (tailgating) | 4 |
| Disobeying traffic control signal, stop sign, or yield sign | 3 |
| Railroad crossing violation | 5 |
| Changing lane unexpectedly or passing inappropriately | 3 |
| Use of portable electronic device (texting) | 5 |
| Improper cell phone use | 5 |
| Leaving scene of property damage incident | 3 |
| Any other moving violation | 2 |
Car Insurance Companies and Traffic Tickets
The negative repercussions of a traffic ticket in NYC don’t stop there, however. Your insurance company will be paying attention to any violations that appear on your driving history.
Even a single citation might be enough to cause your premiums to skyrocket. Making matters worse, most insurers have their own internal system for tracking traffic violations and don’t adhere to the New York State system.
This means that, even if you take a class to get points removed from your license, your insurer might not care. This could leave you paying high insurance rates for a very long time.
It’s best to avoid this situation by being proactive and disputing every traffic ticket you receive. Even getting a minor violation dismissed can save you substantial money in the long run.
Other Ways a Conviction for an NYC Traffic Ticket Can Impact Your Life
In addition to points on your record (which could lead to you losing your driving privileges) and insurance premium hikes, your traffic ticket in NYC could negatively affect your life in other ways. One of the reasons your driving record is so important is because you need to be able to get from point A to point B.
Most of us don’t live in a place where we can walk everywhere; driving is an essential part of getting around and accomplishing all the daily chores and activities we need to get done in our lives. The following list shows some of the ways your life could be impacted by a traffic ticket conviction.
- Your Job – When you lose your license, you may have a tough time getting to work. Too many missed days because of transportation issues, and you could lose your job. If you drive for work, things are even worse for you because you may lose your job on the spot as soon as your employer learns of your driving infraction.
- Your Free Time – The loss of your driving privileges can force you to find alternate means of transportation, such as walking long distances to get to work or the grocery store. You may be forced to take public transportation, which can take a lot longer to travel from one place to another, depending on the situation and where you live.
- Financial Impact – Tickets are expensive. For some people, even one infraction can set them back months on other bills, putting them in a huge financial hole that can be difficult to climb out of.
- Your Family Life – When you’re convicted of a traffic infraction, you’re not the only one impacted. Your family will suffer from your transportation issues, your loss of employment, and the monetary cost associated with tickets.
Defending Against Your NYC Traffic Violation
While a speeding violation or a lane-change offense might seem like an impossible traffic ticket to dispute, this often isn’t the case. Moving violations are often assessed purely according to the officer’s discretion, which provides ample opportunity to introduce reasonable doubt.
For example, you might be ticketed for tailgating in NYC simply because traffic suddenly slowed down and you were in the middle of adjusting to the new conditions. The officer might not have been receptive to your plea at the time you were pulled over, but the traffic judge might.
From poorly calibrated radar guns to simple errors in the ticketing officer’s judgment, there are a number of ways to contest any ticket. It’s important not to lose hope and not to simply assume there’s no way to beat your citation. For an idea about some successful defenses against traffic violations, see below:
- Challenge the officer’s subjective opinion of your driving behaviors.
- Challenge the officer’s observations.
- Show that there was a mistake of fact.
- Demonstrate that your driving conduct was justified, given the driving conditions. (For example, you could use this defense when driving at the speed of surrounding traffic.)
- Show that an emergency or other circumstance out of your control forced your driving behaviors.
When you decide to fight your ticket in New York City, you will most likely need some kind of evidence to convince the judge of your innocence. After all, he or she isn’t going to simply take your word for it. Here are some examples of evidence you can use to support your arguments in traffic ticket cases:
- Witness statements, such as passengers in your vehicle at the time of the collision, who will back up your version of events
- Photographic evidence, such as images of a crooked stop sign or faded lines on the roadway
- Easy-to-understand diagrams of the position of your vehicle in relation to other objects or vehicles, which proves the officer’s point of view was obstructed, that you couldn’t have done what the officer said, or other points that demonstrate that you aren’t guilty of the traffic infraction
While the best defense will depend on your specific ticket type and the circumstances you received it in, your NYC traffic ticket lawyer will be able to determine how best to approach your case in order to see your violation dismissed.
Connect with a New York City Traffic Ticket Attorney
There’s no such thing as a traffic ticket that can’t be challenged in court. No matter what happened, it might be possible to get your charge dismissed or reduced. The key is to not give up.
The Law Office of James Medows has in-depth knowledge of traffic law in New York City and the practical courtroom experience to put it to use. We know how to challenge a traffic violation, and we’re tenacious in pursuing the best possible results for our clients.
If you’ve been ticketed for a moving violation in NYC, you don’t have to simply accept the ticket and everything that follows from it. Instead, schedule a free and confidential consultation with a capable NYC traffic ticket lawyer and start building your defense. Arrange a time for yours by calling 917-856-1247, or simply complete the form below.
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