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NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

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Quick Summary of Courts / Judicial Districts

Court of Appeals

This is the New York court of last resort. In addition to serving as the court of last resort, the Court of Appeals has certain administrative powers including: promulgating rules of court, regulating admission of attorneys to the bar, and appointing members of the State Board of Law Examiners. The chief judge serves as chief judicial officer of the New York State Unified Court System. In addition to the chief judge, six associate judges sit on the court. They are appointed by the governor to fourteen year terms as set forth in the NYS Constitution, Article VI, section 2.

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court serves as an intermediate appellate court with the power to review both the law and facts in civil and criminal cases. It also serves as a court of original jurisdiction for limited areas including: discipline, disbarment and admission of attorneys and Article 78 proceedings (article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules) brought against a Supreme Court Justice. The Appellate Division is a branch of the Supreme Court, thus justices are designated by the governor from the array of elected Supreme Court justices. They serve five year terms.

Supreme Court

The supreme court has general original jurisdiction in law and equity and the appellate jurisdiction herein provided. In the city of New York, it has exclusive jurisdiction over crimes prosecuted by indictment, provided, however, that the legislature may grant to the city-wide court of criminal jurisdiction of the city of New York jurisdiction over misdemeanors prosecuted by indictment and to the family court in the city of New York jurisdiction over crimes and offenses by or against minors or between spouses or between parent and child or between members of the same family or household.

Should the legislature create new classes of actions and proceedings, the supreme court would have jurisdiction over such classes of actions and proceedings. However, the legislature may provide that another court or other courts also has jurisdiction and that actions and proceedings of such classes may be originated in such other court or courts.

Court of Claims

The court of claims consists of the twenty two judges now authorized by law, but the legislature may increase such number and may reduce such number to six or seven. The judges are appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the senate and their terms of office shall be nine years. The court has jurisdiction to hear and determine claims against the state or by the state against the claimant or between conflicting claimants as the legislature may provide.

Family Court

The family court of the state of New York consists of at least one judge in each county outside the city of New York and such number of additional judges for such counties as may be provided by law. Within the city of New York Family Court consists of such number of judges as may be provided by law. The judges of the family court within the city of New York are residents of the city and are appointed by the mayor of the city of New York for terms of ten years. The judges of the family court outside the city of New York, are chosen by the electors of the counties wherein they reside for terms of ten years.

The family court has jurisdiction over the following classes of actions and proceedings which shall be originated in such family court in the manner provided by law: (1) the protection, treatment, correction and commitment of those minors who are in need of the exercise of the authority of the court because of circumstances of neglect, delinquency or dependency, as the legislature may determine; (2) the custody of minors except for custody incidental to actions and proceedings for marital separation, divorce, annulment of marriage and dissolution of marriage; (3) the adoption of persons; (4) the support of dependents except for support incidental to actions and proceedings in this state for marital separation, divorce, annulment of marriage or dissolution of marriage; (5) the establishment of paternity; (6) proceedings for conciliation of spouses; and (7) as may be provided by law: the guardianship of the person of minors and, in conformity with the provisions of section seven of this article, crimes and offenses by or against minors or between spouses or between parent and child or between members of the same family or household.

The family court also has jurisdiction to determine, with the same powers possessed by the supreme court, the following matters when referred to the family court from the supreme court: habeas corpus proceedings for the determination of the custody of minors; and in actions and proceedings for marital separation, divorce, annulment of marriage and dissolution of marriage, applications to fix temporary or permanent support and custody, or applications to enforce judgments and orders of support and of custody, or applications to modify judgments and orders of support and of custody which may be granted only upon the showing to the family court that there has been a subsequent change of circumstances and that modification is required.

Surrogate's Court

Each county has a Surrogate's Court which maintains jurisdiction over all actions and proceedings relating to the affairs of decedents, probate of wills, administration of estates and guardianship of the property of minors. Surrogate's court shall exercise such equity jurisdiction as may be provided by law. There is at least one judge of the surrogate's court in each county. Judges of surrogate's court are residents of the county, chosen by the electors of the county. Within the city of New York Surrogate;s are elected to fourteen year terms and in other counties ten years.

County Court

The county court has jurisdiction over the following classes of actions and proceedings which shall be originated in such county court in the manner provided by law, except that actions and proceedings within the jurisdiction of the district court or a town, village or city court outside the city of New York may, as provided by law, be originated therein: actions and proceedings for the recovery of money, actions and proceedings for the recovery of chattels and actions and proceedings for the foreclosure of mechanics liens and liens on personal property where the amount sought to be recovered or the value of the property does not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs; over all crimes and other violations of law; over summary proceedings to recover possession of real property and to remove tenants therefrom; and over such other actions and proceedings, not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the supreme court, as may be provided by law.

The county court exercises such equity jurisdiction as may be provided by law and its jurisdiction to enter judgment upon a counterclaim for the recovery of money only shall be unlimited.

The county court has jurisdiction to hear and determine all appeals arising in the county in the following actions and proceedings: as of right, from a judgment or order of the district court or a town, village or city court which finally determines an action or proceeding and, as may be provided by law, from a judgment or order of any such court which does not finally determine an action or proceeding. The legislature may provide, in accordance with the provisions of section eight of this article, that any or all of such appeals be taken to an appellate term of the supreme court instead of the county court.

New York City Civil Court

New York City Civil Court is a court of city-wide civil jurisdiction with jurisdiction over the following classes of actions and proceedings which originate in the court in the manner provided by law: actions and proceedings for the recovery of money, actions and proceedings for the recovery of chattels and actions and proceedings for the foreclosure of mechanics liens and liens on personal property where the amount sought to be recovered or the value of the property does not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars exclusive of interests and costs, or such smaller amount as may be fixed by law; over summary proceedings, not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the supreme court, as may be provided by law. It may exercise such equity jurisdiction as may be provided by law and its jurisdiction to enter judgment upon a counterclaim for the recovery of money only shall be unlimited. Judges are city residents elected for terms of ten years.

New York City Criminal Court

New York City Criminal Court is a court of city-wide criminal jurisdiction with jurisdiction over crimes and other violations of law, other than those prosecuted by indictment, provided, however, that the legislature may grant to said court jurisdiction over misdemeanors prosecuted by indictment; and over such other actions and proceedings, not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the supreme court, as may be provided by law. Judges are city residents appointed for terms of ten years by the mayor of the city of New York.

Courts for Towns and Villages and Cities Outside the City of New York

Courts for towns, villages and cities outside the city of New York have the jurisdiction prescribed by the legislature, but not in any respect greater than the jurisdiction of the district court. The number of judges of each town, village and city court and the classification and duties of the judges shall be prescribed by the legislature. The terms, method of selection and method of filling vacancies for the judges of such courts shall be prescribed by the legislature, provided, however, that the justices of town courts shall be chosen by the electors of the town for terms of four years from and including the first day of January next after their election.

JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
(Listing of Counties included in each Judicial District)

1st J.D.

New York County

2nd J.D.

Kings County
Richmond County

3rd J.D.

Albany County
Columbia County
Greene County
Rensselaer County
Schoharie County
Sullivan County
Ulster County

4th J.D.

Clinton County
Essex County
Franklin County
Fulton County
Hamilton County
Montgomery County
St. Lawrence County
Saratoga County
Schenectady County
Warren County
Washington County

5th J.D.

Herkimer County
Jefferson County
Lewis County
Oneida County
Onondaga County
Oswego County

6th J.D.

Broome County
Chemung County
Chenango County
Cortland County
Delaware County
Madison County
Otsego County
Schuyler County
Tioga County
Tompkins County

7th J.D.

Cayuga County
Livingston County
Monroe County
Ontario County
Seneca County
Steuban County
Wayne County
Yates County

8th J.D.

Allegany County
Cattaraugus County
Chatauqua County
Erie County
Genesee County
Niagara County
Orleans County
Wyoming County

9th J.D.

Dutchess County
Orange County
Putnam County
Rockland County
Westchester County

10th J.D.

Nassau County
Suffolk County

11th J.D.

Queens County

12th J.D.

Bronx County

Nassau County Page

County Page is designed to provide essential referral phone numbers for each county in a uniform, all-on-one page format.