Traffic Enforcement & Prosecution

The major thoroughfare through the Town of Kinderhook is U.S. 9, which runs across town. Enforcement in the Town of Kinderhook is handled by the New York State Police from “Troop K,” which has a barracks located in town. Most speeding tickets are written for speeds more than 10 mph over the limit, though the police are stricter in the 30 mph zones. Traffic law enforcement along all of the other roads in the Town of Kinderhook is shared by the NYS Police and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

Traffic Court

Both town justices have "traffic calendars," which are devoted to adjudicating traffic tickets.  The NYS Police are prohibited from negotiating plea bargains on traffic violations.  As a result, the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office handles tickets written by the NYS police.  95% of state police tickets are adjudicated through plea bargains with the prosecutor. The Prosecutor and both judges are reasonable about plea bargains as long as the speed is not too high.

Local police officers generally prosecute their own tickets, though the prosecutor may substitute for them.  Again, most tickets are resolved through plea bargains.

Expect a line of people waiting to talk to the prosecutor about a plea bargain. A 1 hour wait is typical.  Attorneys are permitted to appear without their clients being present for traffic court.