Speeding tickets could soon cost more

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Getting pulled over for speeding could soon cost you more than just points on your license.

When traffic tickets are plea-bargained to a lesser offense, there are court costs and fines for the violation. Drivers avoid points on their license and higher insurance costs, but former judge Sam Maislin tells News 4 the courts and police also save time and resources.

"Any time there is a matter resolved from a moving violation to a non-moving violation, the state is cut out of their revenue for mandatory minimum fines," Maislin said. "But drivers that get speeding tickets go to the closest municipal court, where speeding tickets are generally plea-bargained down to a lesser charge. In those cases the municipality gets most of the money; the state gets virtually nothing."

Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to change that. In his budget message, the governor is calling for a change in the law that would restrict plea bargains for speeding. And in cases where a speeding ticket is plea-bargained, the driver would pay the state a mandatory surcharge of $80 in addition to the other costs.

Maislin said, "Not only are you getting the mandatory charge on various tickets, again, the town and village gets their money of $50 to $100, and now the government wants the additional sum of $80."

The governor also wants to crack down on drivers who text, or talk on the phone, while driving with a $50 mandatory minimum fine.

"I understand texting is more serious, if you are not even looking, than a drunken driver. What are we doing? We are just going to fine them. Yet texting can cause some serious accidents. It is, again, a revenue source," Maislin said.

Maislin, who is now an attorney in Williamsville, also points out the the plea-bargain provision would only apply to village and town courts. Buffalo and other cities have their own way of handling traffic tickets.