In most traffic courts in New York State, if you have retained the services of an attorney, you do not have to personally appear in Court for your speeding ticket. This assumes you have signed an affidavit authorizing your attorney to appear on your behalf and to enter into a plea disposition. An attorney needs to have the authority of their client before entering into any type of plea arrangement with the prosecutor. Depending on the Court, the judge may ask for written authorization or may take the attorney’s oral representation that they have the authority to act on behalf of their client. However, it is always sound practice for the attorney to have authorization from their client in writing.
Please note that if you receive a speeding ticket in conjunction with a traffic misdemeanor such as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUI), Driving With a Suspended License, or Reckless Driving, then your appearance at either the District Court, County Court, or any other Court with misdemeanor or felony jurisdiction would be mandatory.
If you receive a speeding ticket or any other traffic infraction or misdemeanor, please call the Law Offices of Michael W. Alpert at (631) 225-4603 or e-mail at malpert@alpertlegal.com.
More information on fighting speeding tickets here.