[justDOit2017]

Hey all, I am in a search of a quality long-term TLC lawyer. I would describe my situation but it's not that bad, and I have a 100% clean driving record otherwise so I'm confident a lawyer will help me out, but as a result of my situation, I realize that it will help to have someone dependable like this on hand for the long term... sort of like my own Tom Hagan (believe it or not, I haven't seen the Godfather fully, so any other references in response to this may go over my head).

I've read on this forum and heard from my friends about many experiences where cops are being unjust and unfair with issuing tickets (not necessarily my scenario), because they need to meet monthly quotas intended to fund city/state tax-payer deficits. After reading multiple threads, it seems like the advice is the same, either 1) hire a lawyer 2) fight the ticket yourself. I've seen logical arguments for option 2, but I'm not here to discuss which option is better, because in this industry more than others, we all know that our time is money.

Does anyone have any recommendations on a successful TLC lawyer? What lawyer(s) have you had the most positive experience with? I see a few recommendations on Google:

- Craig Bondy
- Isaac Abraham
- West Rapoport (recommended on a couple threads on this forum)
- Michael Spevack

Does anyone have any experience with these lawyers or any of their own? Who would you personally recommend? Please share and let me know!

 

[bigdreamslittlemoney]

We should think of something like a group retainer. to one specific lawyer like 200 drivers pay 10 a month or something like that then the same lawyer handles the tickets for say 50 per ticket etc would be a good deal for the lawyer and drivers.

 

[justDOit2017]

That's a solid idea but who is willing to lead and execute it? I'd gladly participate/contribute lol too lazy for much beyond that

 

[Charlie Schwartz]

Are u looking for a traffic court lawyer or a TLC tribunal lawyer. most of those guys methinks are ordinary traffic court lawyers and wouldnt be any good if u had to fight a tlc summons. but it sounds like a traffic court lawyer is what ur really looking for. or is it?

 

[justDOit2017]

I'll be honest -- I'm not sure what the difference is between an ordinary traffic court lawyer vs. a TLC Tribunal lawyer. Can you explain a little more about what differentiates the two? I looked up 'Tribunal' and it sounds like said lawyer in that court hearing circumstance appears before a single judge by themselves acting as an advocate before their client. I'm not too sure how this differs from regular traffic court lawyers.

However, my particular current situation is that I was stopped by a cop for a regular traffic court summons, so for the short-term, that is what I need.

 

[Charlie Schwartz]

You've probably heard of "TLC court" - you know, the court that always finds you guilty unless you agree to a settlement?

It's not really a court. From wiki:

"In many (but not all) cases, the word tribunal implies a judicial (or quasi-judicial) body with a lesser degree of formality than a court, to which the normal rules of evidence and procedure may not apply, and whose presiding officers are frequently neither judges nor magistrates."

When I paid them a visit a few months ago, they actually called themselves a tribunal, which, in their words, "is sort of like a court". So I now try to avoid using the word "court" in reference to the TLC. Note that besides taxi drivers, spies and other hostile foreigners are typically are tried before military tribunals.

If you have to show up before their tribunal*, you'd better have a TLC lawyer and not some ordinary traffic lawyer. If you're going to regular traffic court, you want a traffic lawyer, not a TLC lawyer. Spivak is definitely a traffic lawyer, not sure if he's a TLC lawyer. Maybe the others too. You've gotta know what you're looking for.

*Note that when you're in that situation, hiring a lawyer isn't always the best decision.

 

[justDOit2017]

Thanks Charlie, I really needed to hear this... I received a regular ticket by a regular cop for a court summons. Who would issue TLC tickets, those undercover TLC officers? How can I tell whether I received a TLC or regular traffic ticket? Do regular NYPD issue tickets that are only settled in TLC court?

Who is a good TLC lawyer, in contrast with a good traffic lawyer?
Edit: Thx Lordfrieza ['Michael Block']

 

[Lordfrieza]

Michael Block is good. Can vouch helped me with a stop sign ticket.

 

[justDOit2017]

Michael Block is a TLC lawyer? or Traffic Court lawyer? Thank you for the response

 

[Lordfrieza]

Michael Block is a TLC lawyer? or Traffic Court lawyer? Thank you for the response

Oh he does both. He does TLC safety hearings.

 

[justDOit2017]

Nice! thanks, really appreciate that.

To anyone else reading this:

Any other suggestions on good TLC lawyers from any other readers?

 

[Charlie Schwartz]

Oh he does both. He does TLC safety hearings.

yes, his website does say that. so, what exactly is a tlc safety hearing? so he does one particular type of tlc hearing, whatever exactly it is. does that make him a go-to guy for tlc hearings? i dont think so. have you used him for tlc court? have you even spoken to him about it? because i tell you, i spoke once to a lawyer who had the words "tlc" somewhere on their website, and they told me i shouldnt bother hiring them. i scoured the internet and couldnt find a single tlc lawyer. so really we've gotta wait until someone who's actually won a case using a tlc lawyer to post. it might be more helpful to ask in a yellow forum since those guys have been driving for longer. as for me, i have a name because i contacted the idg guy on this forum asking for a name, but i cant recommend him personally since ive never spoken to him. meanwhile we have this thread which names john hanson but good luck finding his contact info. looks like this thread has been even less successful than that one.

edit just found this thread, havent looked at it too carefully tho

https://uberpeople.net/threads/big-azz-ticket-from-tlc.135461/