Traffic Enforcement & Prosecution

The Village of South Nyack Justice Court is fairly busy due to I-87/I-287 running through the length of the village. Enforcement on the major highways is handled by the NYS Police from "Troop F," while enforcement on the local roads is handled by the South Nyack-Grand View Police Department. On the major highways, stationary radar and laser speed detection are widely used, with tickets being issued for speeds greater than 10 mph over the limit. On local roads, the village speed limit is usually 30 mph, so most speeding tickets are written for speeds less than 10 mph over the limit. In addition, the police regularly look for miscellaneous vehicle and traffic violations to initiate traffic stops.

Traffic Court

Both 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, a Special Prosecutor 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.