Benjamin Goldman Law Office Successfully Overturns VTL §402(1)(b)(ii) Plate Violation

In August of 2025, our client was cited in the Union Town Court (Broome County) for a VTL §402(1)(b)(ii) violation — plate knowingly covered with intent to obscure. According to the supporting deposition, a license plate bracket around their New Jersey plate was obstructing the state name. They also received a companion six-point speeding ticket. The prosecution offered to reduce the speeding charge to three points; our client rejected that offer. In February of 2026, our attorney Codruta Antonovici filed a motion to dismiss, raising speedy trial grounds under CPL §30.30 and facial insufficiency based on the failure to serve an Affidavit of Service for the supporting deposition. On April 27, 2026, Hon. Gregory P. Thomas granted dismissal with prejudice — both tickets dismissed, with no points and no fine.

Union Town Court Grants Dismissal With Prejudice Pursuant to CPL §30.30 (Speedy Trial)

The court order states that the court is “GRANTING the motion to dismiss pursuant to CPL 30.30” and that the motion to dismiss is granted “with prejudice.” The order further notes that there had been no response submitted by the People. Although the defense motion also argued that the tickets were facially insufficient because neither our client nor counsel were served with an Affidavit of Service for the supporting deposition — a request our office had made by letter on August 29, 2025 — the dismissal here was granted on speedy trial grounds, not on a merits determination about whether the plate bracket violated the statute.

Key Facts (At a Glance)

• Court: Union Town Court, Broome County (Endwell)
• Judge: Hon. Gregory P. Thomas
• Plate charge: VTL §402(1)(b)(ii) — plate knowingly covered with intent to obscure (ticket S250615360)
• Companion charge: Speeding 81 mph in a 55 mph zone.
• Prosecution: Broome County District Attorney’s Office
• Handling attorney: Codruta Antonovici, Esq.
• Defense motion (filed Feb. 12, 2026): Dismissal under CPL §30.30; facial insufficiency for failure to serve Affidavit of Service of supporting deposition
• Decision date: April 27, 2026 — both tickets dismissed with prejudice; no points, no fine
• Key authority: CPL §30.30
• Court order: Read the Union Town Court Order

Lesson of the Day

Plate tickets — including those involving brackets, covers, or obscured state names — are not always decided on whether the plate looked “dirty” or “covered” at the roadside. In justice court, procedural defects matter: expired speedy trial time under CPL §30.30, missing affirmations of service, and a prosecution that fails to respond can produce a dismissal with prejudice even when the underlying facts look unfavorable. An experienced traffic attorney preserves those arguments from the start.

Benjamin Goldman Law Office

The Benjamin Goldman Law Office is a New York State traffic ticket defense firm. We prefer to be known for the tenacious defense we put up for our clients when negotiations fail. In this matter, when the plea offer was not acceptable, we continued fighting through a formal motion rather than accepting points on our client’s record. If you want a law firm that just plays nice, we are not for you. If you want a law firm that plays nice but then fights hard when not everyone is playing nicely, you can contact the Benjamin Goldman Law Office.

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