[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca as
Art. VII of Ch. 60 of the 1974 Municipal Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 346.
The City Court is hereby authorized to establish a Traffic Violations
Bureau to assist the Court in the disposition of offenses in relation to traffic
violations. Such Bureau shall be in charge of such person or persons and shall
be open at such hours as the Court may designate.
The Traffic Violations Bureau may be 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 a felony by permitting a person charged with an offense within the limitations
stated in § 371 of the General Municipal Law to answer, within a
specified time, at the Traffic Violations Bureau, either in person or by written
power of attorney, in such form as may be prescribed by the City Judge, 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.
A.
A person may appear in person or by a written power of
attorney, in such form as may be prescribed by the City Judge, by paying a
fine established by the City Judge 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.
B.
The Bureau shall accept such designated fines and issue
receipts therefor.
C.
The Bureau shall cause a complaint to be entered against
each person who does not answer within the designated time and warrant to
be issued for his/her arrest and appearance before the Court.
D.
Any person who shall have 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.
E.
Nothing contained in this chapter shall authorize the
Traffic Violations Bureau to deprive a person of his/her right to counsel
or to prevent him/her from exercising his/her 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 Bureau shall keep records and submit detailed monthly reports to
the City Judge of all notices or summonses issued and disposed of by said
Bureau and such other information as may be prescribed by the City Judge or
by law and transmit with said reports all sums collected to the City Judge
or Acting City Judge.
