Colonie Town Court

If you have been charged with a crime and have to appear in Colonie Town Court, there is some helpful information you should have.  The Colonie Town Court is the busiest Town Court in the Capital District and, is among the busiest in the State of New York.  And, as a result, if you do not have an attorney at your first appearance, you can expect to spend upwards of four to five hours waiting for your case to be heard.  The court is so busy that conventional wisdom is that many attorneys charge an enhanced fee for dealing with cases in the Colonie Town Court.  This law office does not charge an enhanced fee for Colonie Town Court cases.

What are the Most Common Cases in the Colonie Town Court?

Common cases in the Colonie Town Court are petit larceny and driving while intoxicated (DWI).  Numerous other offenses are charged there but these are the most prevalent, partly because it draws numerous petit larceny cases due to the sheer number of retail stores in the Town, including the Colonie Center Mall and Latham Farms.

Cases are dealt somewhat differently in the Colonie Town Court, partly owing to the size of the court’s docket.  For one, attorneys can negotiate and meet with the prosecutor during the afternoon prior to court in order to negotiate resolutions.  This office makes sure to utilize this opportunity which, provides clients with certainty of result prior to court and, also ensures that they will be not be waiting for hours to have their case heard.

How are Offenses Handled in the Colonie Town Court?

Since petit larceny and DWI form the majority of offenses in the Colonie Town Court, it is important to note the peculiarities of how those offenses are handled there.  If you are charged with a DWI and your BAC is alleged to be .15 or higher or, you refused to take a breath test, the Albany County District Attorney’s Office will refuse to negotiate the case or reduce it to a DWAI.  This places individuals so charged in a difficult position.  They must either plea to the charge or take their criminal case to trial.  This is a very important decision that must be made.

The stakes are fairly high for a DWI trial in the Town of Colonie because, they are known to sentence individuals to jail if they lose at trial, even if it is their first offense.  Matthew Hug successfully reversed the Town of Colonie Court on appeal in a case in which, it sentenced the defendant to six months in jail for a DWI conviction after trial on the ground that it was harsh and excessive under the circumstances.  Nevertheless, it is an important consideration and, retaining an experienced and zealous trial attorney in Albany is an absolute necessity if you are charged with DWI in the Town of Colonie.

The other offense that merits attention is petit larceny.  As one of the contingencies to reducing a petit larceny in the Colonie Town Court, you must take a shoplifting prevention course — even if the negotiated plea is for an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal.  In addition, you will likely receive a letter from a law firm demanding that you pay a civil penalty.  Find out how to deal with these letters here.

Colonie Town Court Information

With that said, the Colonie Town Court is located at 312 Wolf Road in Latham and can be reached at (518) 783-2714 (they have a lengthy phone tree and it is very difficult to navigate successfully to speak to a person).  The judges of the court are Hon. Norman Massry, Hon. Peter G. Crummy and Hon. Andrew Sommers.

If you have to go to the Colonie Town Court, contact Matthew Hug first