[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village
of Bellerose 1-9-1984 by L.L. No. 1-1984.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
For the purpose of assisting the Village Justice of the Village of Bellerose
in the disposition of offenses in relation to traffic violations, the Village
Justice of the Village of Bellerose is hereby authorized to establish a Traffic
Violations Bureau, pursuant to the relevant provisions of the General Municipal
Law.
The Traffic Violations Bureau shall be in charge of such person or persons
as shall be designated by the Village Justice of such Village and shall be
thereafter approved by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Bellerose and
shall be open at such hours as shall be designated by the Board
of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Bellerose.
The Traffic Violations Bureau so established shall dispose of violations
of traffic and parking laws and violations of rules and regulations regarding
all traffic and parking offenses and infractions other than speeding or those
designated as misdemeanors, by permitting persons charged with such offenses,
within the limitations herein stated, to answer, on or before the return date
specified in any summons and at the times within which the Traffic Violations
Bureau shall be opened, by paying a prescribed fine and, in writing, waiving
a hearing in court, pleading guilty to the charge and authorizing the person
in charge of the Traffic Violations Bureau to make such plea and pay such
fine in court. Such an appearance, answer, waiver and payment of a prescribed
fee may be made in person or by mail, addressed to the Traffic Violations
Bureau.
Acceptance of the prescribed fine by the Bureau shall be deemed complete
satisfaction for the violation, and the violator shall be given a receipt
which so states, if the violator shall specifically request such receipt.
The failure to request or to receive such receipt shall not constitute the
transaction of an incomplete satisfaction for the violation.
If a person charged with a traffic violation does not answer, as hereinbefore
prescribed, on or before the return date specified in the summons as aforesaid,
the Bureau shall cause a complaint to be entered against him forthwith and
a warrant to be issued for his arrest and appearance before the court.
Any person who shall have been, within the preceding 12 months, guilty
of more than three parking violations or guilty of one or more traffic violations
other than parking violations shall not be permitted to appear and answer
to a subsequent violation at the Traffic Violations Bureau, but must appear
in court at a time specified by the Bureau.
The Traffic Violations Bureau shall not be authorized to deprive a person
of his right to counsel or to prevent him from exercising his right to appear
in court to answer to, explain or defend any charge of a violation of any
traffic law, parking law or traffic or parking rule or regulation.
The Village Justice shall designate the fines to be paid for the first
and subsequent offenses which may be satisfied at the Traffic Violations Bureau,
as hereinbefore stated, provided that such fines are within the limits established
as penalties for such offenses.
The Traffic Violations Bureau shall keep a record of all violations
for which each person has been either proven or pled guilty, whether such
guilt was established in court or by appearance in the Bureau, and shall also
keep a record of all fines collected and the disposition thereof. Such records
shall be kept, to the extent that the information is available, in alphabetical
order by the name of the offender. The Traffic Violations Bureau shall report
weekly to the Village Justice with reference to all fines collected and the
disposition thereof, and shall further report, weekly, to the Village Justice
any and all relevant statistics with reference to the operation of the Traffic
Violations Bureau. The Village Justice shall forward a copy of each such report
to the Village Clerk, for distribution to the Board of Trustees. The Traffic
Violations Bureau shall also perform such other or additional duties and keep
such other or additional records as shall, from time to time, be directed
by resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees.
