There have been several questions about I-684 in Westchester County, New York and what appears to be an increase in DWI arrests and an increase in Traffic Tickets issued most notably for speeding even at fairly low speeds. At Proto, Sachs & Brown, LLP as criminal defense attorneys in Westchester County we are very familiar with I-684 and the local courts.
I-684
I-684 is a limited access major north/south highway in Westchester County, New York and Greenwich, Connecticut (1.5 miles). The total length of I-684 is 28 miles and at the southern end connects with the Hutchinson River Parkway and the northern end connects with New York Route 22. I-684 for the most part runs alongside New York Route 22. At Exit 6 there is a major junction with the Saw Mill River Parkway that also runs North/South in Westchester County. Located at Exit 9 is the major junction for I-84 west (Newburgh) and east (Danbury, CT). Lastly, I-287 connects at the southern end of I-684, west towards the Tappen Zee Bridge and east to Rye. The design of the road is commuter based it consists of three lanes in each direction and is relatively flat and straight.
Police Activity on I-684
The entire length of I-684 is patrolled by the New York State Police including the 1.5 miles in Connecticut. They are responsible for everything from assisting with broken down vehicles, traffic accidents, issuing traffic tickets, such as speeding, and DWI enforcement.
The New York State Police will usually position themselves at the center of the highway in the U-turn cut outs for DWI and traffic ticket enforcement. They will also regularly patrol the two rest stops on I-684, southbound the Town of Bedford rest stop and the northbound rest stop (Brewster).
Rarely will I-684 be patrolled by the Westchester County police as they patrol the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Hutchinson River Parkway. The local police departments patrol the secondary Town and Village Roads.
All New York State Police traffic tickets are issued on two pages of paper the first page is the Uniform Traffic Ticket (UTT) and the second is the supporting deposition. The last letters of the UTT number should be "SP" the State Police designation.
The I-684 Courts
Depending where you are on I-684 this will dictate what local court you may need to appear in to answer a DWI or Traffic Ticket. From the South at the Hutchinson River Parkway moving north the local courts include North Castle (Armonk, NY), Mount Kisco, Bedford, Somers, North Salem/South Salem, Brewster and Southeast. The busiest Courts include North Castle, Bedford, Somers and Southeast. The Town of Bedford and Southeast alone have hundreds of traffic tickets per month and are among the highest revenue generating courts in New York State.
In Westchester County any State Trooper Traffic Ticket is prosecuted by the local Town or Village prosecutor while the Westchester County District Attorneys Office will prosecute DWI and other misdemeanor cases (The District Attorney's local office is in Mount Kisco, New York next to Northern Westchester Hospital). The Town of Southeast has the same procedure but is located in Putnam County, New York.
DWI and Traffic Ticket Defense in Westchester County, New York
The best defense to any traffic ticket or DWI charge is to start early. It is also important for the criminal defense attorney to gather as much information as possible to aid in the defense.
The firm of Proto, Sachs & Brown, LLP regularly appears in all the Courts along I-684. We are also former prosecutors in those Courts. DWI and Traffic Tickets need to be aggressively defended. Call our office for a free consultation.