N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 155

§ 155. Traffic infraction. The violation of any provision of this\nchapter, except articles forty-seven and forty-eight, or of any law,\nordinance, order, rule or regulation regulating traffic which is not\ndeclared by this chapter or other law of this state to be a misdemeanor\nor a felony. A traffic infraction is not a crime and the punishment\nimposed therefor shall not be deemed for any purpose a penal or criminal\npunishment and shall not affect or impair the credibility as a witness\nor otherwise of any person convicted thereof. This definition shall be\nretroactive and shall apply to all acts and violations heretofore\ncommitted where such acts and violations would, if committed subsequent\nto the taking effect of this section, be included within the meaning of\nthe term "traffic infraction" as herein defined. Except in those\nportions of Suffolk county for which a district court has been\nestablished, outside of cities having a population in excess of two\nhundred thousand in which administrative tribunals have heretofore been\nestablished, courts and judicial officers heretofore having jurisdiction\nover such violations shall continue to do so and for such purpose such\nviolations shall be deemed misdemeanors and all provisions of law\nrelating to misdemeanors except as provided in section eighteen hundred\nfive of this chapter and except as herein otherwise expressly provided\nshall apply except that no jury trial shall be allowed for traffic\ninfractions. In those portions of Suffolk county for which a district\ncourt has been established, and in cities having a population in excess\nof two hundred thousand in which administrative tribunals have\nheretofore been established, the criminal courts of such cities or\nportions of Suffolk county in which a district court has been\nestablished shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any complaint\nalleging a violation constituting a traffic infraction, except that\nadministrative tribunals heretofore established in such cities or\nportions of Suffolk county in which a district court has been\nestablished shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any charge of\nan offense which is a traffic infraction, except parking, standing or\nstopping. In cities having a population in excess of two hundred\nthousand in which administrative tribunals have heretofore been\nestablished, and any such administrative tribunal established by the\ncity of Yonkers, the city of Peekskill, or the city of Syracuse, such\ntribunals shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any charge of an\noffense which is a parking, standing or stopping violation. Any fine\nimposed by an administrative tribunal shall be a civil penalty. For\npurposes of arrest without a warrant, pursuant to article one hundred\nforty of the criminal procedure law, a traffic infraction shall be\ndeemed an offense.\n