Speeding Ticket NY... Conference? Discovery?

[NotGuilty28]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

I submitted my plea for not guilty and now I was sent a letter from the court for a "conference date". What is this? I was expecting a date for the trial.. is that what they call it or is this something prior to the trial? Should I be prepared with my case for this date?

Also, how do I get information through "discovery"... I read about this before and I'm not so familiar with it.

I want to present pictures showing that he had poor visibility because it was around a turn, with trees and poles in the way, at night, with traffic in both directions. It was possible that he got someone else on radar and thought it was me. I'm not convinced I was going the speed he claimed and my plan is to put as much doubt into the judge's mind that he considers a lesser fine... but my biggest problem with my defense is that I don't remember the exact location it happened. The intersection on the ticket could have been the street he pulled me over, the street he was sitting on, or the street closest to me when he says I was speeding. Any suggestions?

 

[FlyingRon]

It is not a trial. It's a hearing with the prosecutor. Often a plea bargain results.

For discovery, you'll need to check the procedures of the court you're going to appear in. Generally the request goes to the prosecutor, but you need to follow their specific rules (and it varies depending on the court and may in fact be impossible if you're up against the TVB, but I suspect that is not the case for you).

You case is weak. "I'm not convinced I was speeding" is not a defense to "I observed Mr. NG28's car travelling at excessive speed."

My guess is given the complete absence of a defense, you should negotiate for a lesser charge at the conference. Feel free to get a lawyer.

One of the NYer ticket beaters will show up here in a few hours to give you more direct experience.