My kid was pulled over in New Paltz! What should I do?
Kids are learning new lessons every day, and as a parent it’s your job to decide how much support to give them as they grow into adulthood. If your child managed to get a traffic ticket while attending SUNY New Paltz or visiting friends there, then you may be faced with the decision about whether to hire an experienced traffic attorney or to let your pride and joy handle this situation personally. Here are some factors to consider:
Pleading guilty is a bad idea, especially for a young driver. It’s fast and convenient, but pleading guilty has consequences that can be very expensive, including higher insurance premiums or a driver responsibility assessment, as well as points on the license.
Traffic court can take a long time in a couple of different ways.
The court date can be months away, and there’s no guarantee your child will be living anywhere nearby when it’s time to appear, or what the price of gas may be when that time comes.
It can take a long time to get through all the cases, which may mean hours of waiting. Maybe that time could better be used studying.
Address changes can mean missing a court date. College students and other young adults can be very mobile, and mail forwarding orders only last for six months. If a court notice gets ignored for that or any other reason, it can result in a license suspension, or it could come back as a zombie ticket years later. If there is an attorney of record, notices get sent to that office, minimizing that kind of headache.
If you or your driving-age child has questions about a pending traffic ticket, you can upload your traffic ticket here, or just call the office for a free consultation.