Pursuant to Article 14-B of the General Municipal Law, the Village Court, hereinafter referred to as "the Court," is authorized to establish a Traffic Violations Bureau, hereinafter referred to as "the Bureau," to assist the Court in the disposition of traffic violations specified in § 290-5. The Court is further authorized to designate the person or persons to be in charge of such Bureau and to designate the hours during which the Bureau will be opened for the disposition of offenses.
The Traffic Violations Bureau shall keep a record of all violations of which each person has been found guilty, whether such guilt was established in Court or in the Bureau, and also a record of all fines collected and the disposition thereof. The Bureau shall also perform such other additional duties and keep such other or additional records as shall be prescribed by the Court.
Any person charged with a traffic violation, other than those exempted in § 290-5, may answer within the time specified either in person or by written power of attorney, either by pleading not guilty in which case a date for a hearing in the Court will be set by the Bureau, by paying a fine designated by the Village Court and, in writing, waiving a hearing in Court, pleading guilty to the charges and authorizing the person in charge of the Bureau to make such a plea and pay such a fine in Court. Acceptance of the power of attorney and fine by the Bureau shall be deemed complete satisfaction for the violation and a receipt so stating shall be given to the violator. If a person charged with such a traffic violation does not answer as hereinbefore prescribed within a designated time, the Bureau shall cause a complaint to be entered against him or her forthwith and a warrant to be issued for his or her arrest and his or her appearance before the Court. Any person who shall have been, within the preceding 12 months, guilty of a number of parking violations in excess of such 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 Bureau, but shall appear in Court at a time specified by the Bureau. The Bureau is not authorized to deprive a person of his or her right to counsel, or to prevent him or her from exercising his or her right to appear in Court to answer, explain or defend any charge of a violation of any traffic law, ordinance, rule or regulation.
The Village Court is authorized to designate the fines to be paid for the traffic violations set forth in § 290-5, which fines may be satisfied at the Traffic Violations Bureau in the manner hereinbefore stated, provided that such fines shall not exceed the limits established as penalties for such offenses. The Court is authorized to designate the period or periods of time within which a person charged with any offense may appear.