Ticket from North Hills: should I mail it in or fight it?
Neither, yet. North Hills Village Court lets you plead guilty or not guilty by mail for most infractions, but a mailed guilty plea is a final conviction the court reports to the DMV, and you will learn the fine by letter afterward. A not guilty plea mailed before your date gets you a new date and a conference with the village prosecutor. If you drive for a living, the difference between those two boxes can be the difference between keeping and losing your job, so get advice first.
North Hills Village Court
Address: 1 Shelter Rock Road, Roslyn, NY 11576
Phone: (516) 365-8857
Fax: (516) 627-0703
Email: nhillsvillagecourt@nycourts.gov
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; payments taken 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Court sessions: 5:30 p.m. on certain Mondays each month, in person, by scheduled appointment only
Village Justice: Jacob N. Schwartz
Associate Village Justice: Eric B. Lee
Court Clerk: Ann M. Demeri
The court will not resolve a ticket by phone, and it does not accept personal or business checks. Pay by cash, card with photo ID, money order, or certified check, payable to North Hills Village Court.
Sixth Precinct Patrols
North Hills relies on the Nassau County Police Department’s Sixth Precinct in Manhasset for patrol. A Sixth Precinct officer who stops you inside village limits writes a summons returnable here, at Village Hall on Shelter Rock Road, rather than at the county traffic agency. The court asks drivers who were cited for operating without proof of insurance to bring a letter from their insurance company confirming continuous coverage on the ticket date, with effective dates and the vehicle described. It will not accept an insurance card.
Expressway Country
Few villages its size carry this much through traffic. The Long Island Expressway and the Northern State Parkway both cross the south central part of North Hills, and Shelter Rock Road, Searingtown Road, and Willets Road connect those highways to the residential developments and businesses around them. Box trucks, delivery vans, contractor pickups, and livery cars pass through on any weekday. Speeding on the long county roads, improper lane changes near the expressway ramps, and handheld phone use in slow merging traffic are the charges that kind of road mix tends to produce.
Drivers Who Hold a CDL, and Everyone Else
Start with commercial drivers, because a North Hills conviction can cost them more than anyone. Federal rules treat certain violations as serious, among them speeding 15 mph or more over the limit, erratic lane changes, following too closely, and handheld phone use or texting in a commercial vehicle. Two serious violations within three years disqualify a CDL holder from commercial driving for 60 days, and a third brings 120 days. Federal law also bars courts from masking a CDL holder’s conviction or diverting it off the record, so a plea arrangement must actually change the charge to help. Motor carriers review their drivers’ records every year, and many will not keep a driver with a fresh serious violation.
Work drivers without a CDL face a smaller version of the same problem. Rideshare platforms, delivery services, and any employer with a company car check driving records, and a five point phone conviction or an eight point speed can be enough to lose eligibility.
For everyone else the cost runs through the DMV and the insurer. Six points in eighteen months starts the Driver Responsibility Assessment, a three year annual charge; eleven exposes your license to suspension. A newly licensed driver on probation faces suspension after two speeding convictions within six months. And driving on a suspended license is aggravated unlicensed operation, a crime.
How We Handle North Hills Cases
The Law Offices of Isaac Abraham enters the not guilty plea before your return date, schedules the Monday appointment, and meets the village prosecutor with your full abstract in hand. For commercial drivers we look first at whether a proposed reduction would still count as a serious violation under federal rules, because a deal that does not clear that bar is not a deal. For most infractions we appear and you keep your evening. Misdemeanors such as DWI or aggravated unlicensed operation may require you to be there in person. Clients have left us more than 2,000 five-star reviews, and the first consultation costs nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I walk in on a Monday night without an appointment?
No. The court requires a scheduled appointment for any appearance, and doors reopen at 5:30 p.m. on court nights. Bring photo ID and dress appropriately.
Does a ticket in my own car count against my CDL?
Your CDL record includes convictions in your personal vehicle as well, and some of them count toward federal disqualification. Tell us you hold a CDL at the start so the case is handled with that in mind.
Can I settle my North Hills ticket over the phone?
No. You must appear or return the ticket with a plea by mail. Misdemeanors cannot be resolved by mail at all.
What if I ignore the summons?
The court notifies the DMV to suspend your license, and adds a fee for each suspended ticket. Out of state drivers are not safe either; New York reports to most other states.
Is the case review actually free?
Yes. Send us the summons, tell us whether you hold a CDL or drive for work, and we will explain your exposure and options honestly. Call or text 646-397-9529.
Free Case Review
If your summons is returnable to North Hills, talk to us before the Monday on the ticket. Call or text 646-397-9529, or use the form on this page, and we will review it at no charge.