Traffic Ticket Lawyer in Dutchess County, NY

It’s not unusual to be ticketed while driving through Dutchess County, NY, on your way to someplace else. Little can ruin a day trip or a weekend more than a traffic ticket except for the realization that you may have to return to fight your ticket in court. When you hire a local, experienced traffic ticket lawyer like Mr. Katz, you may not have to return to fight your ticket. Similarly, if you live or work locally, you won’t have to take time off to come to court. In most cases, Mr. Katz can represent you in court and stand in your place so you do not have to be present.

Many people think getting pulled over and ticketed for a traffic violation is no big deal. They write a check, pay the fine and move on. Or, they think they can ignore it so they toss the ticket in their glove compartment – or worse, they throw it away. Rest assured, neither of those ideas will play well in Dutchess County traffic courts.

Don’t ignore the ticket! There’s no getting around a traffic ticket in New York. If you don’t answer to the charges, the local judge will likely issue a failure to appear warrant for your arrest. Now you will be facing not only the original violation charges but far more serious arrest charges. Instead, talk to Mr. Katz today about your rights and possible defense strategies.

Paying the ticket is the equivalent of pleading guilty. That’s right! If you were thinking that agreeing to pay the fine would get you out of more serious consequences, that’s simply not true. In fact, once you pay the fines associated with any New York traffic violation, it means you are accepting responsibility for the charge and pleading guilty.

• You will still pay all the financial penalties – including any surcharges associated with your ticket
• You will still get the motor vehicle points associated with that violation on your driving record
• If the number of points you receive brings your total to six points or more, you will have to pay the New York Driver Assessment Surcharge
• If the number of points you receive brings your total to 11 points or more, a Dutchess County judge is likely to suspend your driving privileges
• Your insurance company will still be notified of your guilty plea and you will then likely have to pay increased insurance premiums
• Depending on the charges, if you were ordered to appear in court and don’t, a failure to appear warrant for your arrest may be ordered
• Additionally, depending on the charges, you could be facing jail time

For more than 36 years, Dutchess County traffic ticket attorney Jonathan D. Katz, Esq. has focused his law practice on putting his experience and knowledge to work for clients facing traffic violations in Dutchess County and throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York. He understands how important driving privileges are and how stressful it can be to face a traffic violation that can put your driver’s license at risk.

Mr. Katz knows the local judges and prosecutors. He understands the way the various courts handle procedures and he has been extremely successful in negotiating with courts to get clients’ tickets downgraded to non-moving violations which have no points. Often, Mr. Katz is able to present a defense that results in charges being dropped.

Don’t pay the ticket or do anything else before scheduling a consultation. He will explain your rights and discuss your options to determine your best course of action.