If you dispute your guilt altogether, then you may ask for a non-jury trial. The trial will be scheduled by the court and you will be notified of the date on which to appear.
The trial will consist of sworn testimony before the judge by the officer who issued you the ticket. At the trial, you may present any evidence that you feel is important. You may question the officer, testify on your own behalf, call witnesses and/or present other evidence. The judge will then make a decision regarding whether or not you are guilty of the charge.
You may decide that you want to be represented by an attorney on this charge, which is always your right. It is your responsibility to hire an attorney, although it is not necessary to hire legal counsel to proceed to trial.
If you would like some basic legal advice before making this decision and you are not familiar with attorneys in the area, we suggest you call the Broome County Bar Association Lawyer's Referral Service at 607-723-6331.
