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Practice Area

Traffic & Municipal Court

Direct consultations in 한국어, 中文, and English — no interpreters.

DWI defense, traffic violations, suspended license, CDL protection, and municipal court matters across NJ and NY — minimizing license points, insurance impact, and immigration consequences.

4Attorneys
NJ · NYMunicipal Courts
EN · KODirect Communication

01 · Our Team

Four-Attorney Traffic & Municipal Court Team

Traffic and municipal court matters carry consequences beyond the fine — license points, insurance surcharges, CDL ramifications, and immigration issues. Song Law Firm’s traffic team includes a former NJ Deputy Attorney General and a 30+ year trial attorney covering the full range of NJ and NY municipal court matters.

Joseph D. Song

Joseph D. Song

Founding Member

Admitted in NJ, NY, TX, GA. Counsels Korean-American landlords, tenants, and small businesses across landlord-tenant matters. Fluent in English and Korean.

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Howard Z. Myerowitz

Howard Z. Myerowitz, Esq.

Senior Associate Attorney

Former NJ Deputy Attorney General. J.D., Fordham. Litigates landlord-tenant matters and tries cases in Special Civil Part and Law Division.

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Roy H. Mossi

Roy H. Mossi, Esq.

Senior Associate Attorney

30+ years trial experience. NJ, NY, FL bar. J.D., University of Miami. Defends complex traffic and municipal court matters including CDL cases.

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Stacey Jung

Stacey Jung, Esq.

Senior Associate Attorney

J.D., Cardozo School of Law. NJ and NY bar. Handles residential and small commercial lease, eviction defense, security deposit disputes. Fluent in English and Korean.

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02 · Practice Scope

What We Handle

NJ and NY municipal court representation across all traffic and ticket matters.

DWI/DUI Defense

NJ N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 and NY VTL 1192 DWI defense — Alcotest challenges, field sobriety test exclusion, probable cause challenges, refusal cases.

Speeding & Moving Violations

Speeding, careless driving, reckless driving, failure to yield, improper lane change. Point reduction strategies, insurance surcharge mitigation.

Suspended License Defense

Driving while suspended (NJ N.J.S.A. 39:3-40), unlicensed operation, restoration applications. Avoiding the mandatory minimums where possible.

CDL & Commercial Drivers

Commercial Driver’s License protection — even minor moving violations can disqualify CDL holders. Strategic plea negotiation to preserve CDL.

Municipal Ordinance & Disorderly Persons

Petty disorderly, simple assault, harassment, shoplifting, possession of small amounts. Municipal court diversion programs (PTI, conditional discharge).

Insurance & Points

NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) point system, NY DMV point system, insurance surcharge implications, MVC hearings.

Immigration Implications

Municipal convictions can trigger immigration consequences for green card holders and visa holders — strategic plea structuring to avoid removable offenses.

Hardship & Restricted Licenses

Conditional license and hardship driving privileges in NJ and NY, MVC hearings, motion for work-only privileges.

03 · Critical Window

Timing Matters in Municipal Court

Three timing windows that determine the outcome.

Court Appearance

Failure to appear in NJ municipal court results in license suspension + arrest warrant. Always appear or have counsel appear — even minor tickets.

Discovery Window

Most defenses (Alcotest calibration, officer training records, dashcam) require timely discovery requests before the first court date. Late requests are routinely denied.

License Restoration

NJ MVC license restoration requires payment of all fines + restoration fee + completion of any program. Driving before restoration is a separate criminal charge.

04 · Results

Representative Outcomes

Selected traffic and municipal court outcomes.

DWI Dismissal

NJ DWI dismissal based on Alcotest calibration challenge — no license suspension, no IDRC requirement.

CDL Preservation

Reduced major moving violation to non-CDL-disqualifying offense — preserved client’s commercial driving career.

Immigration-Safe Plea

Restructured plea for green card holder to avoid removable conviction while resolving municipal charge.

Point Reduction

Reduced 4-point moving violation to 0-point non-moving violation — preserved insurance rate and license status.

05 · Questions Answered

Common Questions

Do I need a lawyer for a traffic ticket?
For routine minor tickets (parking, equipment), often not. For moving violations (especially 2+ points), DWI, suspended license, or any ticket affecting a CDL or immigration status — counsel is strongly recommended.
What happens if I just pay the ticket?
Paying = guilty plea. Points go on your license, insurance surcharges apply, MVC notification triggers (in some cases). For CDL holders and visa holders, this can have major downstream effects.
Can I get a DWI reduced?
NJ generally does not allow plea bargaining in DWI cases. Defense focuses on procedural and evidentiary challenges (probable cause, Alcotest reliability, calibration). NY allows plea bargaining in some DWI cases.
How long do points stay on my NJ license?
NJ points reduce automatically — 3 points removed after 1 year of no violations, additional points removed at 2 years. Insurance surcharges remain on record for 3 years.
What is a CDL disqualifying offense?
FMCSA rules disqualify CDL holders for 2 serious moving violations in 3 years (60 days), 3 serious in 3 years (120 days). Major violations (DWI, refusal, fatal accident) result in 1-year+ disqualification. Even off-duty violations count.
I am undocumented. Should I show up to municipal court?
Generally yes — failure to appear triggers warrants and license suspension. Municipal courts are not ICE collaboration sites in NJ. However, certain convictions can trigger immigration consequences — counsel essential.
What is conditional discharge or PTI?
Diversion programs for low-level municipal/criminal offenses. PTI (Pretrial Intervention) in NJ Superior Court avoids conviction if successfully completed. Conditional discharge in municipal court avoids conviction for first-time drug offenses.
How long does a municipal court case take?
Routine cases: 1-2 court dates over 2-3 months. DWI: 3-6+ months with discovery, expert reports, and potential motions. Plea negotiations can speed resolution.
Will my employer find out?
NJ municipal court records are generally public — but routine background checks vary. Some convictions can be expunged after waiting periods. Specific concerns should be discussed with counsel before plea.
How much does municipal court counsel cost?
Standard traffic/municipal cases are typically flat fee. DWI defense is flat fee or hourly with retainer. Initial consultations are free.

06 · Service Area

Where We Serve

NJ and NY municipal courts across all jurisdictions.

NJ Municipal Courts

Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Englewood, Tenafly, Hackensack, Paramus, Closter, Bergenfield, Teaneck, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, Edison. All Bergen/Hudson/Essex/Passaic municipal courts.

NY Municipal & Justice Courts

NYC Criminal/Traffic Court (Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx). Town and village justice courts on Long Island, Westchester.

Office: Parker Plaza, 400 Kelby St, 19th Floor, Fort Lee, NJ 07024.

07 · Recent Articles & Columns

Municipal Court Articles

Recent columns on traffic and municipal court matters.

08 · Success Stories

Recent Municipal Matters

Selected DWI, traffic, and municipal outcomes.

09 · Get in Touch

Protect Your License and Record.

Free initial consultation. Direct counsel in Korean, Chinese, or English. Senior attorney from day one.

Parker Plaza, 400 Kelby St, 19th Floor, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 · office@songlawfirm.com

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