Traffic Court

• Instructions for Ticket If it Is a Traffic Infraction
• Pleading Guilty or Not Guilty
• Requesting a Supporting Deposition
• Appealing the Decision in Traffic Court
• Contacing the Onondaga County District Attorney
• Payments of Fine or Surcharge
• Calendaring Procedures

Instructions for Ticket If it Is a Traffic Infraction

Review your ticket(s) to determine if you have been issued a ticket for a "misdemeanor" or "traffic infraction." You can locate this information by looking approximately 2/3 down on the right side of the ticket.

If the "misdemeanor" box is checked, you must appear in the City Court to be arraigned before a City Court Judge on the return date written on the ticket. You can not use these instructions.

If the "traffic infraction" box is checked, you have the following options:

1. You can plead GUILTY
2. You can plead NOT GUILTY
3. You can contact the ONONDAGA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
4. If you are assessed a Fine and Mandatory Surcharge.

Pleading Guilty or Not Guilty

You can plead GUILTY by following the instructions on the back of the ticket. You must fill out the left side of the back of the ticket completely (including your current mailing address) and sign it. You can return your plea of guilty by mail or in person at the City Court Clerk's Office or at Traffic Court pursuant to the Court's schedule.

If you send your plea by mail, the Court will notify you, by mail, of the fines and mandatory surcharge assessed, if any. If you return your plea of guilty in person to the City Court Clerk's office, the court may be able to assess your fine immediately.

If you have any questions regarding this procedure, you may contact the City Court Clerk's office - Traffic Division (315)671-2770.

You can plead NOT GUILTY by following the instructions on the back of the ticket. You must fill out the right side of the back of of the ticket, signi it, and mail it to the Court within forty-eight (48) hours of receiving the ticket. Be sure to include your current mailing address. You can also plead not guilty by appearing in person in Court on the court date specified on your ticket.

Requesting a Supporting Deposition

You can request a Supporting Deposition by checking the appropriate box on the back of ticket. (A Supporting Deposition will provide you with additional information regarding the basis for the ticket). A Supporting Deposition request must be timely, (within 30 days following your scheduled arraignment appearance before the Court or within 30 days following your plea by mail when the not guilty plea by mail has been received by the Court within 48 hours of the issuance of the ticket). The Court will then order the Supporting Deposition from the police officer who issued the ticket. The police officer will have 30 days from the date of your request to mail you the Supporting Deposition. Your case will then be scheduled for a non-jury trial. You will receive written confirmation of the trial date from the Court.

If an agreement cannot be reached by you and the Assistant District Attorney the trial will proceed. You will have an opportunity to meet with the Assistant District Attorney before trial on that day. If you come to an agreement at that time, the Assistant District Attorney will present the agreement to you in writing and you will see the Judge to let him/her know that you understand and accept the agreement. At the trial, the prosecutor must present evidence to the Court. You will have the right to cross-examine the prosecutor's witness(es) and, if you choose, to present evidence to the Court, which can include testimony from yourself or from other individuals. If you require a subpoena for witnesses, you can apply for a subpoena at the time you are notified of the trial date. At the conclusion of the trial, the Judge will either render a verdict (finding you guilty or not guilty) or reserve decision. If the Court reserves decision, a written decision will be issued by the Judge, a copy of which will be sent to you at the address on file with the Court. If the Court finds you not guilty on all of the tickets, this will end the case.

If the Court finds you guilty of one or more of the tickets, a fine and mandatory surcharge, if applicable, will be assessed.

Appealing the Decision in Traffic Court

You have the right to appeal a traffic infraction conviction.

If you have any questions regarding this procedure, you may contact the City Court Clerk's office.

Contacing the Onondaga County District Attorney

If your ticket is for an Infraction, you may contact the Onondaga County District Attorney to discuss the circumstances of your ticket. The District Attorney may choose to offer you a plea to a lesser infraction. If an offer is made, you can choose to accept it and plead guilty or reject it, plead not guilty, and be scheduled for a pre-trial or non-jury trial. Any offer made by the District Attorney is only a recommended offer. The Court does not have to accept the recommendation of the District Attorney. Information on how to write the District Attorney's Office may be obtained at our office in Room 130.

Please remember that communication with the District Attorney may take up to ninety (90) days. It would be in your best interest to appear in traffic Court at Syracuse City Court to get the information to write to the District Attorney and at that time you will receive another Court date to appear.

After you have received a written offer from the Onondaga County District Attorney, you MUST contact the Court. If you are accepting the offer of the District Attorney, you must file your written acceptance of the offer with the Court. Once the offer is accepted by the Court, you will be assessed a fine and mandatory surcharge, if applicable (payment information). If you do NOT accept the offer of the District Attorney and continue your plea of Not Guilty or if the Court does not accept the recommendation of the District Attorney, a non-jury trial will be scheduled.

If you are assessed a fine and mandatory surcharge you must make payment to the Court as directed by the Court. If you submit a written plea of guilty, you will be mailed a fine letter indicating the amount of the fine and the date that the fine must be paid. Be sure that your current mailing address is on file with the Court.

If you appear in Court, the Court will verbally advise you of the amount of the fine and the date that payment is due. If you forget the date that payment is due, you may contact the City Court.

The Court does not accept partial payments. Payment must be made in full on the date directed by the Court.

Payments of Fine or Surcharge

The Court does not accept personal or business checks. Payment MUST be made in cash (do NOT send cash through the mail), money order or bank certified check made payable to the SYRACUSE CITY COURT or by VISA or MASTER CARD. You may pay by credit card at the Clerk's office or by obtaining a credit card payment form from the Clerk of the Court. If you are not the card holder you must send in ID for the card holder (i.e. driver's license).

If you are paying in person, you should appear at the Clerk's office.

If you are paying by mail, you should include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of your receipt.

Calendaring Procedures

Effective October 1, 2007, Syracuse City Court will no longer accept add-ons for the Traffic Court calendar. It will be required that attorneys contact the Syracuse City Court Clerk’s Office at least three business days in advance to calendar cases on which they would like to appear (formerly walk-in cases). This will insure that cases appear on the calendar for the scheduled date and the files will be located in the courtroom.

When scheduling cases, please fill out the Calendar Request form and e-mail to us at SyrTraff@courts.state.ny.us, or fax to 671-2743. Please also provide copies of the applicable dispositions for these cases so that the files may be prepared for the judges.

Please note that if the calendar for the date you request has reached the maximum number of cases, we will contact your office with an alternate date.

Warrant cases will continue to be handled on a walk-in basis.