NY DWI, Crawford and Melendez-Diaz

It looks like NY DWI cases will become more interesting in light of Melendez-Diaz (129 S.Ct. 2527), which just came down from the Supreme Court in late June. That case follows on the 2004 Crawford (541 US 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354) decision on the Confrontation Clause in the Sixth Amendment.The defendant in a criminal case has the right to confront his accusers. Melendez-Diaz holds that lab technicians

Speeding ticket fines: Is NY the highest?

I got a call from Ontario the other day. Woman was charged with 96 mph in a 65 mph zone. I gave her the bad news. Maximum fine is $600. $55 mandatory surcharge. On top of that the DMV "Drivers Responsibility Assessment" is $450, for getting 8 points within 18 months. Total of about $1100.Her response: "New York is brutal."A while back I looked at NJ fines, and I think they top out at about $250.