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Home » US Law » 2022 New York Laws » Consolidated Laws » VAT - Vehicle and Traffic » Title 8 - Respective Powers of State and Local Authorities » Repeal Date: 06/30/2025 » Article 44-A - Authority of the Nassau and Suffolk County District Court and Buffalo City Court and Rochester City Court Judicial Hearing Officers » 1690 – Authority of the Nassau County and Suffolk County District Court Judicial Hearing Officers and the City of Buffalo Judicial Hearing Officers and the City of Rochester Judicial Hearing Officers.
§ 1690.  Authority  of  the  Nassau county and Suffolk county district
court judicial hearing officers and the city of Buffalo judicial hearing
officers and the city  of  Rochester  judicial  hearing  officers.    1.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, where the trial of a traffic
or  parking  infraction is authorized or required to be tried before the
Nassau county district court or Suffolk county district court, and  such
traffic  and  parking  infraction  does  not  constitute  a misdemeanor,
felony,  violation  of  subdivision  one  of  section   eleven   hundred
ninety-two,  subdivision  five  of  section  eleven  hundred ninety-two,
section three hundred ninety-seven-a,  or  subdivision  (g)  of  section
eleven  hundred  eighty of this chapter, or a violation of paragraph (b)
of subdivision four of section fourteen-f or clause (b) of  subparagraph
(iii)  of paragraph c of subdivision two of section one hundred forty of
the transportation law, or any offense that is part of the same criminal
transaction, as that term is defined in subdivision two of section 40.10
of the criminal procedure law, as such a misdemeanor, felony,  violation
of subdivision one of section eleven hundred ninety-two, subdivision two
of   section   eleven   hundred   ninety-two,   section   three  hundred
ninety-seven-a or subdivision (g) of section eleven  hundred  eighty  of
this  chapter,  or  a  violation of paragraph (b) of subdivision four of
section fourteen-f or clause (b) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph d of
subdivision two of section one hundred forty of the transportation  law,
the  administrative  judge  of  the  county  in which the trial court is
located, may assign judicial hearing officers to conduct such  a  trial.
Such  judicial  hearing  officers  shall  be  village  court justices or
retired judges either  of  which  shall  have  at  least  two  years  of
experience conducting trials of traffic and parking violations cases and
shall  be  admitted to practice law in this state. Where such assignment
is made, the judicial hearing officer shall entertain the  case  in  the
same manner as a court and shall:

(a) determine all questions of law;

(b) act as the exclusive trier of all issues of fact;

(c) render a verdict;

(d) impose sentence; or

(e) dispose of the case in any manner provided by law. 1-a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, where the trial of a traffic infraction is authorized or required to be tried before the Buffalo city court, and such traffic infraction does not constitute a misdemeanor, felony, violation of subdivision one of section eleven hundred ninety-two, subdivision five of section eleven hundred ninety-two, section three hundred ninety-seven-a, or subdivision (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter, or a violation of paragraph (b) of subdivision four of section fourteen-f or clause (b) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph c of subdivision two of section one hundred forty of the transportation law, or any parking, stopping, standing or pedestrian offense, or any offense that is part of the same criminal transaction, as that term is defined in subdivision two of section 40.10 of the criminal procedure law, as such a misdemeanor, felony, violation of subdivision one of section eleven hundred ninety-two, subdivision two of section eleven hundred ninety-two, section three hundred ninety-seven-a or subdivision (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter, or a violation of paragraph (b) of subdivision four of section fourteen-f or clause (b) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph d of subdivision two of section one hundred forty of the transportation law, or any parking, stopping, standing or pedestrian offense, the administrative judge of the eighth judicial district may assign judicial hearing officers to conduct such a trial. Such judicial hearing officers shall: (i) be residents of the city of Buffalo; and (ii) be village or town court justices, city court judges or retired judges or justices all of which shall have at least two years of experience conducting trials of traffic violations cases; and (iii) be admitted to practice law in this state; and (iv) be selected from a list of recommendations of the mayor of the city of Buffalo provided that the mayor shall give at least three recommendations for each judicial hearing officer assignment. Where such assignment is made, the judicial hearing officer shall entertain the case in the same manner as a court and shall:

(a) determine all questions of law;

(b) act as the exclusive trier of all issues of fact;

(c) render a verdict;

(d) impose sentence; or

(e) dispose of the case in any manner provided by law. 1-b. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, where the trial of a traffic infraction is authorized or required to be tried before the Rochester city court, and such traffic infraction does not constitute a misdemeanor, felony, violation of subdivision one of section eleven hundred ninety-two, subdivision five of section eleven hundred ninety-two, section three hundred ninety-seven-a, or subdivision (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter, or a violation of paragraph (b) of subdivision four of section fourteen-f or clause (b) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph c of subdivision two of section one hundred forty of the transportation law, or any parking, stopping, standing or pedestrian offense, or any offense that is part of the same criminal transaction, as that term is defined in subdivision two of section 40.10 of the criminal procedure law, as such a misdemeanor, felony, violation of subdivision one of section eleven hundred ninety-two, subdivision two of section eleven hundred ninety-two, section three hundred ninety-seven-a or subdivision (g) of section eleven hundred eighty of this chapter, or a violation of paragraph (b) of subdivision four of section fourteen-f or clause (b) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph d of subdivision two of section one hundred forty of the transportation law, or any parking, stopping, standing or pedestrian offense, the administrative judge of the seventh judicial district may assign judicial hearing officers to conduct such a trial. Such judicial hearing officers shall: (i) be residents of the county of Monroe; and (ii) be village or town court justices, city court judges or retired judges or justices or a current or former administrative law judge, referee or administrative hearing officer with at least one year experience conducting trials or hearings for any governmental agency of the state of New York or a political subdivision of the state, or a licensed attorney who has at least five years of relevant experience appearing in trials or hearings before courts or governmental agencies within the state; and (iii) be admitted to practice law in this state; and (iv) be selected from a list of recommendations of the mayor of the city of Rochester provided that the mayor shall give at least three recommendations for each judicial hearing officer assignment. Where such assignment is made, the judicial hearing officer shall entertain the case in the same manner as a court and shall:

(a) determine all questions of law;

(b) act as the exclusive trier of all issues of fact;

(c) render a verdict;

(d) impose sentence; or

(e) dispose of the case in any manner provided by law. 2. In the discharge of this responsibility, the judicial hearing officer shall have the same powers as a judge of the court in which the proceeding is pending. The rules of evidence and reasonable doubt burden of proof shall be applicable at a trial conducted by a judicial hearing officer. 3. Any action taken by a judicial hearing officer in the conduct of a trial or other disposition thereof shall be deemed the action of the court in which the proceeding is pending. 4. Judicial hearing officers are prohibited from appearing in any capacity other than as a judicial hearing officer in any part of the Nassau county or Suffolk county district court on any matter relating to traffic or parking violations and are further prohibited from appearing in any capacity other than as a judicial hearing officer in any other court or administrative tribunal on any matter relating to traffic or parking violations. 4-a. Judicial hearing officers are prohibited from appearing in any capacity other than as a judicial hearing officer in any part of Buffalo city court on any matter relating to traffic violations and are further prohibited from appearing in any capacity other than as a judicial hearing officer in any other court or administrative tribunal on any matter relating to traffic violations. 4-b. Judicial hearing officers are prohibited from appearing in any capacity other than as a judicial hearing officer in any part of Rochester city court on any matter relating to traffic violations and are further prohibited from appearing in any capacity other than as a judicial hearing officer in any other court or administrative tribunal on any matter relating to traffic violations.