|
Court Clerk Public Safety Building
|
|
Honorable Peter Crummey |
The Colonie Town Justice is located in the Public
Safety Center at 312 Wolf Road. We are located in the same building
as the Colonie Police Department.
From NY State Thruway - to exit 24, follow signs for I87 North
(Albany Intrn'l Airport)
From I87 North- to exit 4 (Wolf Rd), proceed to the end of the
exit ramp, at the traffic light take a left, proceed to the next
traffic light (intersection of Wolf Rd and Albany Shaker Rd)
and take another left (heading toward Albany Airport), at the
next traffic light take a right (the Callaway Grill & Wingate
Inn are on the corner), once you make that right we are ¼ mile on the left hand side in the Public Safety Center.
From I87 South- to exit 4, at the end of the ramp take a right
at the
traffic light, we are just ahead on the left in the Public
Safety Center.
From I90 West- to exit 1N, then follow I87 North. (see above)
Court
Hours
 |
Honorable Andrew Sommers |
Monday evenings Traffic Court begins at 6:00 P.M. Vehicle and traffic matters are heard in the large courtroom and are taken on a first come first serve basis. When appearing for traffic court you should bring your yellow ticket along with your drivers license and check in at the table of clerks. All alcohol related offenses and misdemeanor cases are heard in the small court room also beginning at 6:00 P.M.
Tuesday Morning Traffic Trials are held at 8:30 A.M. in the small courtroom.
Wednesday Evening Criminal Court begins at 6:00 P.M. All first time appearances, hearings, and trials are heard in the small courtroom. The remainder of the cases are heard in the large courtroom. If there is a question as to which courtroom a defendant should report, there are clerks there that can assist.
Thursday Morning Civil and Small Claims Court is held at 8:30 A.M. in the small courtroom. Parking tickets and local law violations are also heard at this time.
 |
Honorable Susan Tatro |
1. Are Court sessions open to the public?
Yes, Court Sessions are open to the public.
2. What do I do if I get a traffic ticket?
There are a few options when getting a traffic ticket. On the back of
the yellow ticket given by the officer is what is called a plea by mail.
If you wish to plead guilty you may sign and date part A pleading guilty
and the Court will mail you back a notice of fine. If you wish to plead
not guilty you may sign and date part B pleading not guilty and you
will be scheduled for a vehicle and traffic trial.
If you do not wish to plea by mail but rather you would like to speak to a judge then you must appear on the date that is listed on the front of your ticket at the bottom of your ticket. Please note that most tickets you can mail in your plea, however there are some exceptions. All misdemeanor tickets must appear in Court. If there is a question on whether you were charged with a misdemeanor you may contact the court for clarification.
3. What do I do if I get a parking ticket?
You may mail your fine into the court, or you can appear on a Thursday
morning at 8:30 A.M., and speak to a Judge.
4. How do I file a small claim?
In order to file a small claim in our Court , the person whom you are
suing must either live or work in the Town of Colonie. In other words
the address you provide the court must be located in the Town. You do
need an exact address, you can not use a PO Box. The amount of your
claim can not exceed $3,000.
Once you have this information you may file the paperwork at the Court Office Monday thru Friday between 8:30 A.M. and 4 P.M.. The court does not have jurisdictions over corporations or partnerships, those claims must be filed in Albany Court. The Court may hear cases brought by DBA's provided they show proof that they are in fact a DBA. For more information you may pick up a booklet on small claims at the Court Office, or you may view the booklet online by clicking on the link below.
Note: A Guide To Small Claims Court is in Adobe
Acrobat format. You can
click the logo to the right to download the program -- there
is no charge for it.
5. How do I file a Civil by myself for back rent?
You should contact the Court for the proper procedures, and information
regarding the proper paperwork you need to obtain from a legal
supply store.
6. How do I get a public defender?
In order to obtain a public defender you must financially qualify and be appointed such counsel by the Court. An attorney from the Albany County Public Defenders Office is present during Court time. The Office of the Public Defender is located at 60 South Pearl St. in Albany. You may contact the Public Defenders Office by phone at (518) 447-7150, or visit their website at www.albanycounty.com/departments/publicdefender
7. What do I do if I get a suspension notice?
You should immediately contact the court to determine the reason for the suspension. If the suspension is for failing to pay a fine the payment should be remitted to the Court. If the suspension is for failing to answer the summons then you may be able to mail in a plea and payment, or you may need to appear in court, depending on the ticket.
8. How can I pay my fine?
The Justice Court accepts cash, money order, certified check, VISA or MasterCard as payment. The Court does not accept personal checks. Please make your money order or certified check payable to “Colonie Town Justice”. Upon payment a Court receipt will be issued. If you are not paying in person and wish to have the receipt mailed to you, please enclose a self addressed stamped envelope for return. If you wish to pay by credit card, all fine notices distributed by the Court are sent with a credit card authorization form or, you may use the link below to obtain one.
Credit Card Authorization Form
How To Contact The Justice Department
In Person:
The Court Office has a window
which is open from 8:30 A.M. until 4 P.M.
By Telephone:
between the hours of 8:30 A.M.
and 4:30 P.M. at:
(518) 783-2714
(518) 783-2737
(518) 783-2738
Mailing Address:
Colonie Town Justice
Public Safety Center 312 Wolf Road
Latham, New York 12110-4814
http://www.colonie.org/justice/
Last updated 01/31/08