Lawyer’s Traffic Ticket Guide For Harmony Town Court

The Town of Harmony covers almost 46 square miles on the southern border of Chautauqua County, and has a population of 2,206 (2010 U.S. Census).The town contains the village of Panama, plus 4 hamlets: Blockville, Cherry Hill, North East Junction and Watts Flats. The hamlet of Watts Flats is located south of Blockville in eastern Harmony, along County Road 35. New York State Route 474 passes through the northern section of town.

New York State Route 474 has vast open roads in which many drivers lose track of their speedometer. In such cases, a driver can face a hefty speeding ticket.

Going to court can be very overwhelming, so our attorneys have put together this guide to help you familiarize yourself with your legal matter.

If you like legal representation, our attorneys would be happy to help. We have saved countless clients money, time, points and insurance increases. Our attorneys can be reached at 800-893-9645.

Entering Your Plea: Once a driver is issued a speeding ticket, they technically have 48 hours to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. This can be done either in person or by mail. If a driver enters a plea of guilty, they will be mailed a fine notice. Their failure to pay the fine will result in their license being suspended. On the other hand, a driver that enters a plea of not guilty, be mailed a letter advising them to appear in court.

Tidbit: If you received a ticket by a New York State Police Officer, you will have an opportunity to meet with the Town Prosecutor prior to trial. At this meeting, you may have the opportunity to reach a settlement of your charges. If you are unable to resolve your matter, your case may be adjourned for a date in which the officer can appear in court and testify. Many prosecutors will not entertain further discussions once the issuing officer has been subpoenaed to appear in court. If you demand a trial, you should be aware that many convictions of the Vehicle Traffic Law can carry a jail sentence. While it is rare, jail sentences are have imposed for common speeding ticket convictions.

Dress Code: While there is no official dress code, it is important that you dress neatly and always conduct yourself in a respectful manner with the court. Many judges frown upon litigants wearing shorts, open toe sandals, and other similar items.

Come Prepared: It is always a good policy to come to court prepared. Having the court notice in court is advisable. It will help the court ascertain the most important information about your case quickly.

A driver should also bring their driving record to court. If the record is clean, it can be persuasive and help mitigate the situation.

Plea: The majority of cases are resolved via plea bargaining. In lieu of having a trial, it may be possible to resolve a traffic matter with a lesser included charge. Most resolution will involve a fine and a surcharge. The surcharge is additional monies payable at the end of case that are paid to New York State.

Trial: Each motorist is entitled to a trial on his or her traffic matters. In general, a traffic trial will occur on the driver’s first court appearance. The first court appearance is usually designated as a pre-trial conference.

Our speeding ticket defense team is lead by a former NYC prosecutor. Having the experience of working as a prosecutor has helped our firm view traffic matters from a unique perspective. We can quickly analyze the strength and weakness of a traffic ticket from both the prosecution and defense point of view. This can often help our clients gain a tactical advantage in the analysis and defense of their legal matters.

Call us now to find out how we can help you save money, time, point and insurance increases. Our attorneys can be reached at 800-893-9645.

For more information, please visit the following links:

• Traffic Ticket FAQs
• Tips on Avoiding a Speeding Ticket
• Top Reasons to Hire an Attorney
• Email Us