How Long Does Traffic Court Take for a Ticket in New York?

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One of the most commonly asked questions that ticketed drivers have is how long it will take to dispense with their ticket. The answer is that it can take anywhere from several weeks to several months. As with most legal matters, numerous factors will affect the timeline.

When you hire The New York Traffic Ticket Lawyers, we help you understand what to expect after you have received a citation. Then, we get to work seeking the best possible outcome.

Factors That Affect the Timeline of Your Ticket

Various unique facts about your case will determine how long it takes to resolve your ticket. Here are some examples of the factors you need to keep in mind:

  • How you plead: Pleading guilty is the quickest way to deal with your ticket; however, this may invite many unwanted and unexpected consequences. Pleading not guilty will require more time to dispense with your ticket because the court will have to schedule a hearing.
  • Moving vs. non-moving violations: Compared to non-moving violations, moving violations require more evidence and involve more legal issues. And because moving violations carry more serious penalties than non-moving violations, you should present a more aggressive defense. These tickets will therefore take more time to resolve.
  • Multiple tickets: If you have many tickets at once, this simply compounds the above issues. More tickets will take more time to handle because the overall consequences could be more serious. We can help you fight multiple tickets.
  • The court docket: Scheduling a hearing takes time, and in busier courts with more crowded dockets it can take 4-12 months or longer to get a hearing. No matter the issues involved with your traffic ticket, your timeline will largely depend on court scheduling.

Why Are Tickets Delayed?

However you want to dispense with your ticket, a delay is always frustrating. Knowing some of the most common reasons for a delay can help you manage your expectations as you work to resolve the ticket. Here are some of those reasons:

  • Court backlogs: There are far more traffic cases than there are judges and assistant district attorneys to deal with them. Backlogs are simply a reality of court, but they are more pronounced in larger courts (e.g. New York City) versus courts in towns and villages.
  • Officer availability: Officers must generally testify in court about the circumstances surrounding the ticket before the driver can be found guilty. But scheduling officers to come to traffic court is difficult, so you will have to contend with the inevitable delay.
  • Adjournments: Courts may adjourn for several reasons, for example if the officer fails to appear or the prosecutor or defense attorney needs more time to prepare. It can take several weeks to get back on the docket, so expect delays.
  • Evidence issues: In some cases, especially those involving more serious traffic offenses like driving while intoxicated (DWI), it will take more time for your attorney to get the evidence they need to present a strong defense for you.

How You Can Prepare During Your Wait

While you wait to have your day in court, there are a few steps you can take to improve your chances of a more favorable outcome. They include:

  • Gathering evidence: Photos, videos, vehicle maintenance records, eyewitness information, and other types of evidence could be critical to your defense. Start gathering and organizing this evidence now.
  • Your personal notes: An important component of your evidence is your personal recollection about what happened. Write down as many details as you can remember about the events surrounding your ticket, including what the police officer said or did during the stop.
  • Talk to an attorney: You may not think your ticket is that serious, but it’s worth speaking with an experienced lawyer to learn more about the possible consequences of it. We can assist with your ticket no matter what traffic offense you are accused of committing.

Regardless of the timeline of your ticket, you have the right to hire an attorney who can work for a positive outcome to it. Get in touch with The New York Traffic Ticket Lawyers today to schedule your consultation and learn more.

David Hammond, Esq. is a traffic offense lawyer and prosecutor that has over a decade of experience fighting for the rights of service members and their families. He served nine years and went on two combat tours as an active duty US Army officer. He then joined the Reserves and moved to Syracuse to be near his family. Not only does he defend the rights of Central New Yorkers, but he also has a veteran-focused practice. David represents servicemen and women before the military appellate courts and takes cases to fix service members’ military records. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact David by clicking here.