When most people receive a traffic ticket, they assume it is a civil matter. Most of the time, this is true. However, there are some vehicular citations which are actually criminal matters in the state of New York. These charges can have higher fines and more serious penalties for both individuals as well as companies when commercial drivers are involved. Understanding what these are can be helpful to people who may face such situations.
One of the main differences between civil traffic violations and criminal traffic violations is that defendants facing criminal charges must appear in court. These offenses are not able to be cleared by simply mailing in a payment with the accompanying citation. These charges are also able to result in jail sentences as well as felony charges.
Some example offenses that can lead to criminal charges include DWI or other impaired driving charges, operating a vehicle with a suspended vehicle registration and reckless driving. Driving at very high speeds can be considered a reckless driving offense. Commercial drivers must also heed special laws like the one that requires a special tax stamp to be displayed in vehicles at all times or they can be subject to criminal traffic citations. Some equipment violations are also considered criminal offenses for commercial vehicles.
Whether charged with driving while intoxicated, speeding or some other violation, drivers in New York can benefit by knowing how the law classifies the offense. The legal professionals at Martin A. Kron and Associates works with such cases frequently and is happy to offer more information to drivers at our criminal traffic violations web page.