People v. Rice

The right, privilege or license to operate a motor vehicle is important and precious. Its loss in many instances creates a greater hardship than would imprisonment for a limited period of time. For this reason the procedure for the trial of violations of the Vehicle and Traffic Law which carry with them in addition to the prescribed punishment, the loss of a license to operate a motor vehicle, should be surrounded with all of the safeguards which legal jurisprudence has given to the trial of criminal cases and civil cases involving property rights.

On the 30th day of October, 1954, the…