Plea deals in NYC?

[fade480]

What is the name of your state? SI, NY

I recieved a tailgating ticket a while ago in Staten Island and figured I won't be able to defend it so I just wanted to go to traffic court and get it reduced to a non-moving violation. Reason being is when I went to college in upstate NY, I recieved a lot of tickets but was always able to go to court in whatever county on the thruway I got pulled over and ask the cop to knock it down, so as long as I pay a equal or greater fine, as long as it didn't get me points.

So at the hearing in SI, I was unable to even speak to the officer beforehand, he wasn't there until the very minute everyone's cases started. I have heard from someone else at the hearing that you can't plea down tickets in the NYC court areas. Is this true and what is the reasoning? I thought as long as they are getting the fine or a greater fine, what's the problem? Why do they care about the points you get, isn't it all about the revenue?

[JETX]

Originally Posted by fade480

Why do they care about the points you get, isn't it all about the revenue?

Nope. Some jurisdictions still realize that citations are about 'helping' idiots learn to drive safe and within the laws..... making the streets safer for the rest of us.

[You Are Guilty]

Heh.

If your ticket is in the DMV system (which it sounds like it is - was the hearing at a DMV office building?) then no plea for you! If you were in a criminal court, then you'd have the opportunity.

[fade480]

Originally Posted by You Are Guilty

Heh.

If your ticket is in the DMV system (which it sounds like it is - was the hearing at a DMV office building?) then no plea for you! If you were in a criminal court, then you'd have the opportunity.

Yes it was, at the SI DMV. I was just curious as to why there is no plea barganing in the NYC court areas. Has it always been this way? Of course I know I deserved the ticket, as I did with the many others I recieved upstate. Just wondering why the small town courts let you do it, while the NYC traffic courts do not. Probably since I used to get so many tickets on the thruway and then have them all knocked down to non moving violations, I got a little ****y Ehh, just got a PBA shield which helped me out the other day, now I know to be more careful when driving in the 5 boroughs.

[You Are Guilty]

Originally Posted by fade480

Yes it was, at the SI DMV. I was just curious as to why there is no plea barganing in the NYC court areas. Has it always been this way? Of course I know I deserved the ticket, as I did with the many others I recieved upstate. Just wondering why the small town courts let you do it, while the NYC traffic courts do not. Probably since I used to get so many tickets on the thruway and then have them all knocked down to non moving violations, I got a little ****y Ehh, just got a PBA shield which helped me out the other day, now I know to be more careful when driving in the 5 boroughs.

Long story short, because the DMV system not a real "court". It was created specifically for NYC (and parts of LI), purportedly due to the sheer number of tickets written which would otherwise burden the "courts" (the real ones where the law is actually followed). However, in practice, it turns out the DMV is much more effective at separating people from their money than judges are, so the system remains