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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Mailing Address:Duanesburg Justice Court5853 Western Turnpike,     Duanesburg, NY 12056Phone: 518-895-8922             Fax -518-860-2165 
  • How to Answer a Vehicle and Traffic Ticket:

There are a few options available when answering a traffic ticket. You may enter your initial plea by mail to all offenses except misdemeanors (example: DWI's, aggravated unlicensed operation, etc.). If you have a question about whether you were charged with a misdemeanor or not, please contact the court for clarification.  Court clerks can answer questions concerning court procedures, but they are not permitted to give legal advice.

If you received a computer-generated ticket, you may use it to submit your plea to the court. Fill in the guilty or not guilty section on the right-hand side, sign where indicated and submit the ENTIRE TICKET to the Court at the address shown on the bottom left hand side of the ticket.

If you received a hand-written ticket, you may sign the appropriate section on the back and send the ticket in to the court.

If you wish to plead guilty, you may sign and date part A, (plea of guilty), and mail it to the court at the address shown on the front of your ticket. The court will mail you back a fine notice.

If you wish to plead not guilty, you may sign and date part B, (plea of not guilty), and mail it to the court at the address shown on the front of your ticket. The Court will schedule you for a pre-trial conference when the Assistant District Attorney (Prosecutor) is present in Court and you will be notified by mail of the new date to appear. A not guilty plea requires a Court Appearance or you may elect to hire an attorney to advise.

For a listing of NY State Attorneys: http://ww2.nycourts.gov/attorneys/nybarassociations.shtml

  • Payment of Fines

Fines should be mailed to:

Duanesburg Town Court, 5853 Western Turnpike, Duanesburg NY 12056

You may pay any fines due in the following manner:Cash payments are accepted at our court office (exact change is appreciated) Call ahead.Certified Bank Check made out to Duanesburg Town CourtMoney Order made out to Duanebsurg Town CourtPersonal checks are not accepted.

Partial payments are not accepted; full payment is required.

Credit/Debit Cards may be made online or over the phone directly with the Government Payment Agency that accepts payments on the Courts behalf:

www.govpaynow.com or 1-888-604-7888

You will need to provide the defendant’s name and date of birth, ticket or case # and a pay location code (identifies this court) which is a0003q

* A service fee of 3.00% of the payment amount will be assessed on all credit-debit card payments-please note that neither the municipality nor the court receives any portion of the service fee.

Please note that this is a part time court. The best way to handle court matters is to submit your request in writing. Requests to adjourn or reschedule a Court date must be submitted in writing and are not granted by leaving a voicemail message. 

Please be sure to notify the Court with any change of address.

  • What happens if you do not answer a traffic ticket?

If you do not answer a traffic ticket on time, your driver’s license will be suspended. It is a crime to drive with a suspended license. A suspension for failure to answer a ticket does not indicate that you are guilty of the charge, only that you failed to answer. To remove the suspension, you must:

Answer the ticket – send your plea in writing via certified mail; include a $70.00 payment for suspension termination fee (certified check or money order) for each ticket, made payable to Duanesburg Town Court.

If you were suspended for failure to pay a fine, payment must be remitted in full to the court along with a suspension lift fee required by DMV, to lift the suspension.  

  • Useful Links.

DMV Points: This segment includes information regarding NYS DMV Driver’s Assessment Responsibility.

https://dmv.ny.gov/tickets/about-nys-driver-point-system

Alcohol and Drug Related Offenses-

https://dmv.ny.gov/tickets/penalties-alcohol-or-drug-related-violations

Information Regarding Evictions –

The parties to a summary proceeding are the petitioner (a landlord or other person entitled to possession of real property) and the respondent (the occupant of the real property). If the petitioner prevails, the court may issue a warrant of eviction that must be enforced by a sheriff.

http://nycourts.gov/CourtHelp/Homes/evictions.shtml

There are specific days of the month that the Court can schedule a Summary Proceeding. Please contact the Court to obtain a date before you serve the time sensitive papers.

Information regarding Small Claims-

You may download “A Guide to Small Claims Court” . 

http://nycourts.gov/courthelp//SmallClaims/index.shtml  -This is a detailed booklet which can answer many of your questions and familiarize you with the small claim process.

The person/persons against whom you are filing a claim must live in, work or operate a business in the Town of Duanebsurg.  You will need a correct mailing address; a small claim action cannot be filed using a post office box number.

The fee for filing a claim of $1 to $1000 is $10. The fee for filing a claim in the amount of $1001 to $3000 is $15.  Personal checks cannot be accepted.

What do I need to obtain a Certificate of Disposition

Submit a request to the court indicating the specific conviction referenced, include as much information as possible to ensure the correct court case is provided, along with the $5.00 fee.

  • Weddings

Wedding requests are available and can be done by appointment only. In New York State, Town Judges may perform civil wedding ceremonies.

To schedule a wedding:

Please call the Court at 518-895-8922, leave your name, contact number, date, time and place of ceremony.

 Honorable Patrick W. Wren will officiate and will correspond with you directly to coordinate details. The Fee is a gratuity up to $100.00 payable in cash only.

  • Court Office Hours

Monday- 1 to 4.

Court is in session at 6 pm with Judge Wren. (Doors open after 5:30 when Security arrives. Phones cannot be answered while Court is in session. Requests to reschedule your court date must be submitted in writing and are not granted by leaving a message.Tuesday- 11-4Wednesday -11-4Thursday – Hours vary and alternate depending on the week, please call 518-895-8922**Closed on Fridays and all Government Holidays.**