Justice Court

Judge Bacon holds court on Tuesday evenings:
Traffic 5pm, Civil Court 5pm, Criminal 5:30pm, Weddings 4:30pm

Judge Weires holds court on Wednesday evenings:
Traffic 5pm, Criminal 5:30pm, Civil Court 5:30pm, Weddings 4:30pm

Additional FAQ’s for Town/Village Courts can be found here.

Traffic tickets:  If you are charged with a traffic infraction you must fill out either section A or section B on the traffic ticket and return it to the court address listed at the bottom of the ticket.  If you plead “not guilty” (section B), you will receive directions by mail on when to appear in court.  If you plead “guilty” (section A), you will receive a fine notice in the mail once the Judge assesses a fine.  Do not show up in court on the date listed at the bottom of the ticket unless you are charged with a misdemeanor (i.e. DWI, AUO, Suspended Registration).  If you have misplaced your ticket, you may write a letter to the court with your name, date of birth, current mailing address, your plea of guilty or not guilty, with your signature.  You may fax or mail this letter to us.  You will receive a response by mail, but please note, it may take up to a month for us to send this letter to you.  We do not offer plea bargains by mail, nor do we have the capability to hold virtually.

New York State Police traffic infraction tickets are handled by a Special Prosecutor (these are not handled by the District Attorney’s office).  All other Officers prosecute their own tickets.  You must appear in court in order to receive a plea bargain.  You will not be able to contact the prosecutor prior to your court appearance.

Payments:  You cannot pay for a traffic ticket until you either come in for a court date or enter a guilty plea by mail.  Once you receive the fine notice you may pay at the court office with a money order, certified check or a credit/debit card. Credit/debit cards will be charged a 2.99% service fee.  You may pay online at: www.paycourtonline.com.  This website is run by an outside company, and they will charge a fee.  You will need your case number or ticket number to access your account.  If you need this information, please call the court.  You may also mail us a money order or certified check, please provide your name and date of birth with your payment.  We do not accept cash payments.

Adjournments: If you have received a date to appear for a traffic infraction and need to change the date, please send a written letter to the court either by fax or mail.  This letter must have your name, date of birth, current mailing address, and your request for a new court date.  This letter must be received by the court a week prior to your court date, unless it is an extreme emergency.  We will only reschedule your case once in most cases.  You may also choose to change your plea to guilty if you decide not to come to court.  This letter must have your name, date of birth, current mailing address, your plea of guilty, with a handwritten signature.  If you need to change a court date for a violation or misdemeanor offense, you must call your attorney, if you have one, or call and speak to the court clerk.

Criminal Matters:  The Ulster County District Attorney handles criminal violations, misdemeanor and felony offenses. You must appear on the date listed on the appearance ticket that was given to you at the time you were arrested.  You should contact an attorney prior to your court appearance to see if you need representation.  If you cannot afford an attorney, we have a Public Defender that appears in our court.  If you appear for court without an attorney and the Judge feels like you should be represented, you will be given a financial affidavit to fill out prior to your case being called.  The Judge will review your affidavit and determine if you are eligible to be appointed an attorney at no cost.  If you are assigned to the Public Defender’s Office, you will meet with your attorney during the court session. 

Evictions: We cannot give you legal advice on how to start the eviction process.  We strongly urge you to hire an attorney to guide you through this process.  If you choose to represent yourself, you can follow the directions given on www.nycourthelp.gov. You can also find the forms for filing on the website.  We are unable to provide these forms to you. There is a $20.00 filing fee that must be paid to the court office when filing your claim.  If you are a defendant in an eviction case and need legal advice, you may contact Legal Services of the Hudson Valley:  Homepage - Hudson Law - Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.

Small Claims: You must come to the court office to start a small claim.  The person you are taking to court must live, work, or have a place for doing business in New Paltz, or owns property you are/were renting (and your claim is related to your tenancy or lease) in Ulster County.  The filing fee is $10.00 for up to $1000.00 and $15.00 for $1001.00 to $3000.00.  If your claim is for over $3000.00 but not more than $5000.00, you need to file a claim with the City of Kingston Court.  Corporations, LLCs and Associations and Assignees must use the Commercial Small Claims Court located at the City of Kingston Court.  The NYS Guide to Small Claims can be found here: www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/pdfs/SmallClaimsHandbook.pdf.  Ulster County also offers mediation services.  You may contact them directly: www.drcservices.org.        

Court: Court is held Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  You must be scheduled by this office or directed to appear on a criminal matter by a Police Officer in order to be seen by the Judge. Traffic is held at 5:00pm and criminal is held at 5:30pm.  Proper attire is required.  Cell phones must be powered off. No cameras, recording devices, or any other electronic devices will be permitted.  No Firearms or any other weapons permitted, unless you are a uniformed officer with proper ID.  No food, beverages, or gum allowed. 

Suspensions: If you receive a notification from Department of Motor Vehicles stating that your license will be suspended, or if you find out your license is currently suspended, this is either due to a failure to enter a written plea or from missing a scheduled court date.  You will need to send a letter to the court with your name, date of birth, current mailing address, your plea of guilty or not guilty, or a request for a new court date, along with a handwritten signature.  Once we have received your letter, we will respond immediately back to you by mail with proof that your license is no longer suspended.  If you plead not guilty, this letter will be accompanied by a second letter with a court date.  If you are pleading guilty, you will receive a second mailing once the Judge has set the fine amount.  If you have not received a mailing back from us within a week of us receiving your letter, please call the court clerk to ensure there are no issues.  You may also stop into the court office to answer your suspension.

Parking Tickets: This office only handles GREEN parking tickets.  If you have received an ORANGE or an electronic parking ticket, please call the Village of New Paltz at 845-255-0130.  Green parking tickets can be paid with a money order or certified check by mail or in person, by coming to the office and using a debit/credit card (plus a 2.99% service fee), or the website www.paycourtonline.com (plus a service fee). You may also dispute the ticket by coming to the office and filling out a not guilty plea. Please be advised that there is a $5.00 late fee if you do not pay within 5 business days, another $5.00 late fee if not paid within 30 days, and an additional $15.00 late fee if not paid within 60 days.