New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is fed up with the way fraudulent license plates hamstring police investigations.<\/p>\n
Officials believe the fake license plate market began during coronavirus shutdowns, when the Department of Motor Vehicles was closed for most purposes.<\/p>\n
Now, buyers might pay up to $2,000 for a fraudulent license plate from an online marketplace.<\/p>\n
In recent months, fake license plates have been linked to thirty-three shootings and over five hundred<\/a> car crashes. Most fake license plates are temporary tags with New Jersey or Texas markings.<\/p>\n Hit-and-runs and shootings are only part of the problem. \u201cThere\u2019s also the sense of fairness that people pay to have insurance and registration, and some people are getting around that,\u201d added NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.<\/p>\n Frequently, law enforcement investigators have little more to go on than a partial license plate number.<\/p>\n So, a false plate number could derail a police investigation before it gets started. These investigations are already tough. In many jurisdictions, law enforcement agencies solve fewer than 8 percent<\/a> of hit-and-run wrecks.<\/p>\n The high burden of proof in criminal cases probably has much to do with this low-resolution rate.<\/p>\n Unless the at-fault driver voluntarily comes forward or is apprehended near the scene, there is not much evidence available at the scene. Fortunately, additional evidence is available, such as:<\/p>\n Police investigators have access to this evidence. However, many police officers believe that car crashes are civil matters. They don\u2019t want to spend valuable department resources on such disputes.<\/p>\n A New York personal injury attorney<\/a>, often in partnership with a private investigator, has even easier access to this evidence. Many people are more willing to speak with civil attorneys than police officers.<\/p>\n Criminal court prosecutors must establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That\u2019s the highest standard of evidence in the law.<\/p>\n For practical purposes, unless a credible witness places the defendant behind the wheel at or near the time of the crash, there\u2019s probably not enough evidence to support a conviction.<\/p>\n In contrast, personal injury attorneys must establish liability by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). That\u2019s the lowest standard of proof in the law. So, it\u2019s much easier to establish liability for damages.<\/p>\n How do these different burdens of proof work?<\/p>\n Assume witnesses say a light-colored sedan hit a pedestrian and kept going. A few minutes later, a red-light camera about a half mile away captures a clear image of Dan, who is behind the wheel of a light-colored sedan.<\/p>\n That evidence might or might not hold up in criminal court. After all, there are many light-colored sedans in New York City. However, that proof might hold up in civil court. It\u2019s more likely than not, albeit not much more likely than not, that Dan hit the pedestrian.<\/p>\n Many people have uninsured\/under-insured motorist insurance. The premiums are generally low and the coverage is usually high. UM\/UIM coverage often comes in handy in New York.<\/p>\nEvidence in Hit-and-Run Cases<\/h2>\n
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Burden of Proof<\/h2>\n
Other Options for Victims<\/h2>\n