New York State Court system’s annual report released

The New York State Unified Court system has issued its annual report for the previous year.

Among the issues addressed in the report for 2024 are:

• Access to Justice and Equal Justice

• Community Outreach & Civic Education
• Justice for Children
• Court Modernization
• Diversity and Inclusion
• E-Filing
• Grants and Contracts
• Indian Nation Courts
• Justice Court Support
• Technology and Court Research

The New York State Unified Court System is administered by the Office of Court Administration (OCA) under the authority of the Chief Judge and Chief Administrative Judge. OCA provides financial management, automation, public safety, personnel management and other essential services to support day-to-day court operations throughout the state, including Schuyler County.

A complete copy of the report is available here.

Student Law Day 2025 Art Contest Announced

Press release:

In celebration of Law Day 2025—commemorated annually in May to highlight our nation’s rule of law—the courts’ Office for Justice Initiatives’

Division of Access to Justice and the Historical Society of the New York Courts invite high school students statewide to participate in an art contest inspired by the American Bar Association’s 2025 Law Day theme, “The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One.”

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Submissions should be original pieces of art that depict what the Law Day 2025 theme means to the artist. All submissions must be received by February 25, 2025. The winners will be announced on May 1, 2025. This year, the contest will consist of two rounds. In the first round, entries will be judged against others within the same judicial district. The first-place winners in each judicial district will then advance to the second round to compete statewide. First, second, and third-place statewide prize winners will be selected from the second round and awarded cash prizes, courtesy of the Historical Society of the New York Courts, and have their artwork featured on the court system’s website.

For more information, click here.

New Hope Card Program to Enhance Safety of Domestic Violence Survivors

Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman wants Domestic Violence Survivors to know about the implementation this month of the Hope Card program, a new initiative of the New York Courts that will further enhance the safety of domestic violence survivors, family court litigants and of crime victims generally.

“A Hope Card is a portable version and/or summary of an order of protection,” Getman said. “Parties with final orders of protection may request and receive, free of cost, a physical Hope Card, a digital Hope Card, or both, which they can carry in their wallet, pocket, or on their cell phone.”

“An order of protection is issued by a court to limit the behavior of someone who harms or threatens to harm another person,” he continued. “It is used to address various types of safety issues, including, but not limited to situations involving domestic violence, child abuse and neglect and crime victim safety. Family courts, criminal courts and supreme courts can all issue orders of protection where legally authorized.”

According to Getman, the physical Hope Card is a durable, wallet-sized card with a summary of the information on the order and a link to a digital image of the order. A digital Hope Card is a digital image of the order. Physical Hope Cards are sent to the protected party by mail, while digital Hope Cards are sent by email or text message, with a secure link to the digital image.

“Protected parties can readily provide vital information regarding orders of protection quickly and effectively to law enforcement in an emergency,” Getman said. “The cards will also enable protected parties to share the details of an order with their school, workplace, family or friends.”

Implementation of the Hope Card program follows passage last year in New York State of the Hope Card Act, designed to empower domestic violence survivors to enforce their orders of protection, Getman noted.

A Hope Card request can be made online or by filing a Hope Card Request form with the court clerk’s office at any Criminal, Family, or Supreme court. Hope Card Request forms are available online or at a criminal, family, or supreme courthouse.

Copies of the request form will also be available online at the Schuyler County Attorney’s Office webpage.

The Schuyler County Attorney is the legal advisor for county government. The Schuyler County Attorney's Office also serves as “presentment agency,” prosecuting cases of juveniles accused of crimes or delinquent behavior in Family Court as well as the attorney for the Department of Social Services when investigating and prosecuting Family Court cases of child abuse and neglect.

For more information about Hope Cards and who can request them, click here.WENY News

New York State Court system’s annual report released

The New York State Unified Court system has issued its annual report for the previous year.

Among the issues addressed in the report for 2023 are:

• operational improvements;
• advances in courtroom technology;
• reforms to help close the justice gap;
• profiles of the New York State Courts’ new leadership team.

The New York State Unified Court System is administered by the Office of Court Administration (OCA) under the authority of the Chief Judge and Chief Administrative Judge. OCA provides financial management, automation, public safety, personnel management and other essential services to support day-to-day court operations throughout the state, including Schuyler County.

A complete copy of the report is available here.

“Careers in the Courts” Videos Relased

NEWS RELEASE:

To better acquaint New Yorkers and others with the wide range of court

career opportunities available across the State–with the aim to further expand and diversify the pool of potential job candidates–Chief Administrative Judge Zayas and First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George (have) announced the release of an engaging “Careers in the Courts” video series, narrated in part by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson.

Following are synopses of the six videos comprising the Careers in the Courts series.

Careers in the Courts: Overview –– This film, narrated by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina G. Richardson, features interviews with a diverse, eclectic group of employees in various court locations who explain what they do, why it matters, and the benefits of working for the court system.

Careers in the Courts: Court Officer — In this segment, Court Officer Jennifer Pacheco explains her role and why serving in this capacity is so professionally rewarding. “Court officers maintain security and courtroom decorum, providing safety for the customers who come in, as well as the staff.”

Careers in the Courts: Resource Coordinator — Here, Craig Stratton, at the time the resource coordinator with Albany’s Supreme Court and County Court, discusses his work helping those with substance abuse issues who find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system. “Individuals have come into our court that really were in dire straits, in total desperation with no hope … I've seen them reunite with their families, I've seen them obtain employment, I've seen them even go back to college and obtain degrees.”

Careers in the Courts: Interpreting — Court interpreter Lourdes Cardona explains how important it is for people who come to court to find someone who speaks their language. “At the moment you speak the language, they know that they are going to be heard and they are going to be able to tell their story, to ask for the remedies that they're expecting the court to provide for them.”

Careers in the Courts: Administrative — Pearl Yu-Rodriguez, senior court clerk, and George Sanchez, clerical assistant, explain their respective jobs in three words, “to help people.”

Careers in the Courts: Court Reporter –– Court reporter Cyndi West discusses the importance and variety of her work. “It's always something different. You can come in one day and you're doing a murder trial. You can come in the next day, you're doing a trial in Surrogate’s Court or an adoption. The next day you could be doing a contested matrimonial. It's fascinating. It's never dull and I absolutely love it.”

New York courts commemorate 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

On Monday, September 11, 2023, the Unified Court System will observe the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The commemoration will honor those who responded, including a tribute to Captain William Harry Thompson, Sergeant Thomas Jurgens, and Sergeant Mitchell Wallace.

New York Courts’ Equal Justice Initiative Issues Progress Report

The New York State Office of Court Administration has released a report updating the status of the court system’s Equal Justice Initiative.

“Equal Justice in the New York State Courts: 2022 Year in Review,” highlights the court system’s statewide efforts over the past year "to promote diversity and inclusiveness on the bench and in the courts’ workforce and foster a safe, welcoming and bias-free environment."

Initiatives highlighted in the March 8 report include:

▪ Mandating comprehensive racial bias training for all judges and nonjudicial staff.
▪ Expanding the resources of the court system’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).
▪ Revising human resources and interview practices.
▪ Creating Equal Justice Committees in each of the court system’s 13 judicial districts to implement reforms at the local level.
▪ Developing a bench card for judges, with tips on using LGBTQ+-inclusive language and pronouns.
▪ Expanding Virtual Court Access Network (VCAN) sites to help bridge the digital divide by providing remote access to courts in locations such as libraries, houses of worship and community centers.
▪ Appointing a Statewide Equal Justice Coordinator.

The full report is available online here.

Schuyler County moving forward with centralized arraignment plan for local criminal courts

Schuyler County has received notification that New York State Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks and the Office of Court Administration Administrative Board have given final approval to the county’s Centralized Arraignment Part plan for after-hours arrests. The county is currently targeting Monday March 30 for the first day of operations.

The plan is part of the county’s ongoing effort to improve court efficiency, conserve law enforcement resources and protect the rights of criminal defendants

The plan is supported by a number of county officials involved in the legal system, including Sheriff William Yessman, District Attorney Joe Fazzary, Public Defender Wesley Roe and County Attorney Steven Getman. It was developed with input from town and village justices and the New York State Office of Court Administration.

The plan was endorsed by the Schuyler County legislature at its February 10 meeting. All legislators in attendance voted for the measure.

Under the plan, anyone arrested within the county when courts are no longer in session, and not given an appearance ticket, will be arraigned in the lobby of the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office in Watkins Glen, as opposed to a town’s jurisdiction. Town and village judges, prosecutors and public defenders will be placed on rotating on-call schedules for arrests made at night, on weekends or during holidays. There is state funding for implementing the plan, which will pay for the cost of installing a judge’s bench in the sheriff’s office lobby.

“Arresting officers must currently maintain custody of an arrestee until able to locate a local court and justice able to conduct the arraignment which is a process that often consumes officer time and can result in the arraignment occurring outside of the times when the Schuyler County Public Defender is able to appear as counsel for the defendant,” the legislature’s resolution of support noted.

“Those charged with a crime are entitled to the assistance of legal counsel at all important stages of their case including at the initial criminal arraignment,” it continued.

A centralized arraignment part, known as a CAP, is not mandated by the state, but many rural counties have found it to be the most effective way of ensuring compliance with the requirements for counsel at arraignment.

The plan is the county’s latest effort to improve court efficiency, conserve law enforcement resources and protect the rights of criminal defendants.

Other efforts have included an intermunicipal agreement with Tompkins County for that county to assist in administering the Schuyler County assigned counsel plan to provide legal representation to indigent criminal defendants and certain family court litigants.

That agreement, prepared by Roe and Getman with input from Schuyler County Administrator Tim O’Hearn and representatives of Tompkins County, has been praised as “a model approach and is consistent with statewide efforts to help municipalities identify opportunities for cost savings through inter-municipal cooperation, reorganization, and regionalization,” by the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services.

A copy of the resolution supporting the plan is available here.

Emergency notification system announced for New York courts.

Under the New York Courts Emergency Alert Portal, court users and members of the public can receive emergency related information and notifications regarding the state courts. These notices will include updates on court closings and delayed openings due to weather or other emergency conditions.

All counties of New York State are included in the portal, and users can decide which counties they would like to receive alerts about (information is not available for Town, Village or U.S. Federal courts).

Messages can be received by email, text message and/or a telephone call.

There is no cost to join. However, standard data fees and text messaging rates may apply.

During a brief transition period, the courts will be sending out alerts through both Twitter and the Portal. Effective approximately March 15, 2020, the court system will no longer use Twitter to send out these emergency notices.

For more information, including how to sign up for this service, click here.

Committee on Women in the Courts to survey attorneys on gender fairness

The New York State Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts is conducting a poll of lawyers, judges and court personnel to examine gender fairness and steps necessary to eliminate gender disparities in the courts:

The Committee has been working with experts to develop and distribute the survey, which will be emailed to a large, random sample of attorneys who have been admitted to practice law in New York State. Those attorneys selected will be able to complete the survey online. Their responses will be confidential and aggregated with others who respond. The Committee is also working with the State’s various bar associations to raise awareness about the survey and encourage attorneys, if selected, to participate.

The survey will address the experiences of attorneys and other court users. Some survey sections cover a broad range of experiences that may be encountered in the court system regardless of the survey participant’s practice area. Other sections ask about specific areas of practice and substantive law, such as family law, matrimonial law and criminal law.

Among the more general questions, the survey will query participants on whether and how gender affects courtroom interactions, the courthouse environment (sexual harassment) and fee-generating appointments and assignments. The survey also contains questions regarding the availability and impact of courthouse children’s centers ̶where litigants and other court users can safely leave their children while they attend to court matters ̶baby-changing tables in public restrooms and lactation facilities.

Survey participants will be instructed to select the responses that best reflect their opinions based upon their own recent experiences or direct knowledge while handling matters in the New York State courts. At the end of each section, respondents will be given the opportunity to offer comments and suggestions.

For more on the survey, click here.

New York Commission on Parental Legal Representation to Hold Public Hearings

The Commission on Parental Legal Representation was created earlier this year "to examine the current state of mandated Family Court representation and determine how best to ensure the future delivery of quality, cost-effective parental representation.”

The Commission will be holding public hearings this fall “to gather information on existing services and suggestions for reform needed to ensure quality representation for persons eligible for assigned counsel in family law matters." It is seeking testimony related to the following topics:

• Funding and Caseloads;
• Timely Access to Counsel;
• Structural Issues;
• Model and Scope of Representation;
• Financial Eligibility Criteria and Procedures;
• Statewide Oversight Role; and
• Global Issues.

The deadline for submission of written testimony and requests to testify at the Commission hearings is Thursday, August 16, 2018.
The hearing dates, times and locations are:

• September 13, 2018, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., 50 East Avenue, Suite 200, Rochester;
• September 27, 2018, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 27 Madison Avenue, New York City;
• October 10, 2018, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Justice Bldg., State St., Room 511, Albany;
• October 23, 2018, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola.

For more on the hearings, including how to submit written testimony and requests to testify, click here.

New Version of N.Y. Family Court "Do it Yourself" Form Programs Launched

All New York State Family Court DIY (Do It Yourself) Form computer programs have been updated to improve the unrepresented litigant’s experience.

Program users no longer require Adobe Flash or Microsoft Word or Word Viewer to prepare their court papers. Instead the papers generated by the programs open in a PDF document. The computer program is also now available on mobile devices.

The DIY Forms FAQ page has been updated to reflect the changes to the program. According to the Court System, improved DIY Form Programs for Surrogate’s, Supreme, County, District, City, Civil, Housing and Justice Courts will be coming soon.

These forms cannot give you legal advice.  Litigants having questions about family court procedures should consult an attorney.  In certain cases, you may be eligible for assigned or low-cost counsel.

For more information about DIY Form Programs click here.

New York Court System Releases Report on Status, Reforms

The New York State Unified Court System recently released its annual report.

It provides an update on the "Excellence Initiative," to streamline caseloads in the New York court system.

The also includes a summary of

the "standards and goals," including benchmarks of 90 days for misdemeanors and 180 days from indictment for felonies. In addition, the report highlights the state's Access to Justice Program and volunteer attorney activities, the Pro Bono Scholars Program, and efforts to support specialty courts.

Finally, the document contains a section on caseload activity of the entire court system.

The complete report can be found here.

High Conflict Divorce: the Impact on Children

Are you in the process of a Divorce or Custody proceeding? Do you know how it affects your children?

The New York State Courts Access to Justice Program and the Gender Fairness Committee of the Supreme Court, New York County, Civil Branch are co-sponsoring “High Conflict Divorce: Part 2 of the Series The Impact on Children - Case by Case Analysis.”

The event will be held Wednesday, May 10, 2017 from 12:45 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Supreme Court, 60 Centre Street, Room 300, New York City.

The event is open to the public and includes the film “SPLIT,” a movie “about divorce for (and by) kids of divorce and (their parents).”

For more information, click here.

New York courts announce plan to enhance language access

New York State Court officials have announced a strategic plan to enhance access to justice for litigants and other parties with limited English proficiency or who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The plan comprises nearly seventy actions to be taken by the court system in eliminating barriers to justice for such court users, including:

• enhancing court interpreter recruitment, training and assessment; optimizing the use of interpreting resources;
• ensuring language access in other parts of the courthouse in addition to the courtroom;
• more effectively responding to the diverse needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community;
• raising public awareness about the services provided by the courts’ Office of Language Access; and
• ensuring language access in New York’s Town and Village Courts.

The full strategic plan is available here.