The Village Justice of the village is hereby authorized, empowered
and directed to establish a Traffic Violations Bureau in the village
pursuant to the provisions of Article 14-B of the General Municipal
Law to assist the court in the disposition of offenses in relation
to certain traffic violations as hereinafter provided.
The Traffic Violations Bureau shall be in charge of such person
or persons and shall be open at such hours as the Village Justice
of the village or his successor may designate.
The Traffic Violations Bureau is authorized to dispose of violations
of traffic laws, ordinances, rules and regulations when such offenses
shall not constitute the traffic infraction known as speeding or a
misdemeanor or felony, by permitting a person charged with an offense,
within the limitations herein stated, to answer, within a specified
time, at the Traffic Violations Bureau, either in person or by written
power of attorney, in the form prescribed, 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 Bureau to
make such a plea and pay such a fine in court.
Acceptance of the prescribed fine and power of attorney by the
Bureau shall be deemed complete satisfaction for the violation, and
the violator shall be given a receipt which so states.
If a person charged with a traffic violation does not answer as hereinbefore prescribed in §
27-3 within the specified time, the Bureau shall cause an accusatory instrument to be entered against him forthwith and a warrant to be issued for his arrest and appearance before the court.
Any person who has been, within the preceding 12 months, guilty
of a number of parking violations in excess of such maximum number
as may be designated by the court, or of three or more 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, ordinance, rule or regulation.
The said Village Justice of the village shall designate the
fines to be paid for offenses which may be satisfied at the Bureau
as hereinbefore stated, provided that such fines are within the limits
established for penalties for such offenses.
The Traffic Violations Bureau shall keep a record of all violations
of which each person has been guilty, whether such guilt was established
in court or in the Bureau, and also a record of all fines collected
and the disposition thereof. It shall also perform such other or additional
duties and keep such other or additional records as shall be prescribed
by the court and/or the Board of Trustees of the Village of Ravena.