Traffic Enforcement & Prosecution

The Village of Kinderhook is located in the center of the Town of Kinderhook. Though small in size, it is reasonably busy. The major thoroughfare is U.S. 9, and the remainder of the village is more densely populated than other neighboring townships. Enforcement in the Village of Kinderhook is handled primarily by the New York State Police from “Troop K,” which has a barracks located in town. Most speeding tickets are written for speeds under 10 mph over the limit, as the police are stricter in the 30 mph zones. In addition, the police regularly look for miscellaneous vehicle and traffic violation, as it is a more densely populated area.

Traffic Court

The village justice has a specific "traffic calendar," which is 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.