A routine traffic stop on Crescent Avenue in Saratoga Springs turned into a felony arrest last week after police say the driver behind the wheel had not one or two but 38 active license suspensions. Dillon Koonce, a 30-year-old Albany man, was pulled over around 2:42 p.m. on October 1 and now faces a Class E felony charge in Saratoga Springs City Court.
Koonce was arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, according to WRGB, which first reported the stop. Police allege he was behind the wheel while 38 separate suspensions were in effect, a number that stands out even among routine traffic enforcement cases in Saratoga County.
How 38 Suspensions Piled Up
Those suspensions were not the product of a single incident. The station's report states they were imposed on 13 separate dates, all stemming from failure to answer a summons. New York State Department of Motor Vehicles guidance lists failing to answer a ticket or pay a fine as one of the circumstances that can trigger a license suspension, though the evidence available does not detail the dates, jurisdictions, or individual circumstances behind each of Koonce's 38 suspensions.
Beyond the felony charge, Koonce was also cited for operating a motor vehicle without a valid certificate of inspection, an infraction, per the same account. The stop itself occurred in Saratoga County, with Crescent Avenue in Saratoga Springs identified as the location where police made contact with Koonce.
Released on Appearance Tickets
Rather than being held, Koonce was released on appearance tickets pending proceedings in Saratoga Springs City Court, the article notes. Under New York's Criminal Procedure Law, an appearance ticket may be issued and served for an offense under specified circumstances, and such a ticket is made returnable in a designated local criminal court where an information for the offense may be filed, according to the New York State Senate's published statute. A companion provision from the New York State Senate addresses where that return location must be designated.
No court appearance date, case number, or plea has been made public, and it remains unclear whether Koonce has retained an attorney. The case now moves to Saratoga Springs City Court, where the felony allegation against him will be formally addressed.
