AUO Lawyer Syracuse NY

Suspended License in New York?

Driving on a suspeneded license is not just a traffic ticket: It is a crime. 

If you were ticketed for driving with a suspended or revoked license in New York, you are facing an Aggravated Unlicensed Operation charge. In New York, a person is guilty of aggravated unlicensed operation when: "such person operates a motor vehicle upon a public highway while knowing or having reason to know that such person's license is suspended, revoked or otherwise withdrawn." NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §511

AUO is a misdemeanor

While a police officer or trooper may tell you that the ticket is no big deal, AUO is a serious offense because it is a criminal charge.  Most tickets are "traffic infractions" and NY law specifically states that all "traffic infractions" are non-criminal offenses. If you are convicted of speeding, for example, if someone should ever ask you if you have ever been convicted of a crime, you can and should say "no."

An AUO, on the other hand, is a misdemeanor and would be a criminal conviction.

You must appear in court

If you look toward the bottom of the ticket underneath the court and address, you will see "Must appear in person on:" checked.  Because you are facing a criminal charge with an AUO, you must appear in the town, village, or city criminal court for an arraignment.

At your arraignment, the judge will inform you of the charges against you and ask you to enter a plea.  You will plead not guilty and the judge will adjourn the case to give you time to find a lawyer or will assign you counsel if you cannot afford one. 

How to resolve an AUO in NY

Get your driving record. 

Your driving record or "DMV abstract", lists the courts that have reported a suspension of your license. Courts notify the DMV to suspended your license when you fail to appear to answer a ticket or if you have failed to pay a fine assessed by the court. Order Your NY DMV Abstract Online.

The DMV will also suspend your license for a failure to pay a DMV "Driver Responsibility Assessment." A driver responsibility assessment is a fine due once a year for three years for drivers who have been convicted of a DWI or DWAI or who have accumulated 6 or more points in any 18 month period.

  • Or call Azria & Bruffett and they will pull your abstract and identify the problems for you. 

Clear the suspensions.

Each court on the abstract must be contacted to find out why the court reported a suspension. If it was for a failure to pay a fine, you must pay the fine and a suspension lift fee of $70. If the court suspended for failure to appear, you must pay the $70 suspension lift fee for each ticket pending in the court and then you will have to address the underlying tickets. 

  • Or hire Azria & Bruffett and have them coorinate the suspensioin lifts with the courts. 

Resolve the AUO and other tickets.

Once the underlying suspensions are cleared up, the prosecutor will begin negotiations regarding a plea in your case. The AUO always comes with at least one other ticket, and you will also need to resolve those tickets. If negotiations fail, you will plea as charged or proceed to trial.

  • Or hire an experinced lawyer from A&B to take care of this for you. 
Google Review

My daughter who is a graduate student, was involved in a vehicle accident which left her very shaken. To top it off, she was also issued a ticket. Mr. Azria handled my daughter’s case in a very professional manner and kept both of us informed every step of the way. My daughter’s ticket was reduced to no points, without her ever having to physically go to court. Mr. Azria’s compassion and expertise made all the difference during a very stressful time for my daughter. Thank you, Mr. Azria!

Google Review

I am very pleased with the service provided by this law firm. Mr. Azria was very knowledgeable and professional dealing with the speeding ticket I had been charged with. The entire process was handle with full communication. Very professional, I would highly recommend.

Google+ Review

Being from out of state, I was happy to find a law firm that was so easy to work with. They were able to get my ticket reduced and they did all the leg work for me. Everything was very straight forward and easy to understand. Hopefully I won't need them in the future but if I do, I know where to turn!

Google+ Review

Can't say enough good things about Seth Azaria and his firm. I called around to several different law offices for a consult on my ticket and Seth was the best price hands down. Not only was it a good value but the legal service was top notch. Seth was able to get my 4pt ticket down to 0 points and the fine down to 25% of what it originally was. Great communication from the office all the way through the process. Would go back to Seth 10/10 times

Colleen O'Brien
Google Review

Mr. Azria explained process very clearly, very professional law firm. Very pleased with result. I am highly recommend.

Manny

 

 

 

For a complimentary case evaluation

 
Discuss with an experienced lawyer:
  • The consequences you are currently facing. 
  • A full evaualtion of your abstract. 
  • How we will handle your case.
  • The most likely outcome based on historical data. 
  • All case costs including legal fees, court fines, DMV, and state surcharges.

 please call (315) 364-1155. 

Tell us about your case.

Your Traffic Defense Lawyers

With over 50 years of combined experience, our traffic lawyers and staff work together to help ensure that your case has the best possible outcome. The firm's hard work has earned excellent reviews for our lawyers and firm on Avvo.com, Google, and other services. We are ready to bring that same level of service to your case.  

Seth M. Azria, Esq.

Seth is the managing partner at Azria & Bruffett. He started and heads the traffic defense practice and handles criminal appeals. 

David C. Bruffett, Jr., Esq.

David is a partner and our primary courtroom litigator. He worked as prosecutor with two counties in NY for almost a decade and successfully brought numerous felonies to trial. He has defended hundreds of traffic, DWI, and felony cases.  Since 2012, has been a town court judge in Cicero NY.

Ralph Habib, Esq.

Ralph is a partner and has prosecuted or defended criminal and traffic cases his entire legal career. As a prosecutor in Onondaga county for nearly a decade, he prosecuted and tried numerous types of cases including the most serious drug felonies. For almost 20 years, he has used that experience to defend thousands of people charged with crimes in courts all over upstate New York. 

The Azria & Bruffett defends drivers charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and all other traffic violations in Onondaga, Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onieda, Oswego, and other counties in New York State.

The information on this site is not legal advice, it is Attorney Advertising intended to educate potential clients about their need for legal advice and assist them in obtaining a lawyer appropriate for those needs. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different and every person should consult a lawyer to asses their particular case.  If you think this office can assist you please contact us for a free consultation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.