The unified court system of New York is an exemplary network. The various New York Courts handle civil and criminal cases at different levels. The local courts of New York act as the basis of the whole court system organization. Known as the Town and Village Courts of New York these form the basis of the court system hierarchy. They are also known as the Justice Courts of New York. About 1300 Justice Courts are located throughout the state and work on the basis of funds collected locally. However no such Justice Court is present in the New York City. The jurisdiction of these courts is applicable over cases involving traffic offenses, evictions, minor civil and criminal offenses and small claims.
Another interesting part of the New York Court system is the Problem Solving Courts. Nearing about 300 in number, these courts deal with particular problems of the society and their probable remedies. The common problems dealt with at these courts are drug abuse, domestic violence, mental health problems, sex offense (minor) and so on. The focus is on correcting the problem rather than deciding on the punishment. The treatment and rehabilitation offered by these help in solving the problem and reducing its impact on society. Community service is also another way of rectifying the offense instead of incarceration. Judicial monitoring is done to ensure that the person accused is complying with whatever has been asked of him or her.
The Trial Courts of New York are categorized into two sections, limited jurisdiction and superior jurisdiction. The limited jurisdiction trial courts of New York City are the NYC Civil and NYC Criminal Courts. The City Courts act as the limited jurisdiction trial courts outside the area of NYC and have jurisdiction over civil matters involving claims less than or equal to $15,000 and over criminal matters involving misdemeanors and minor offenses. Similar kind of jurisdiction is given to the District Courts located in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The superior jurisdiction trial courts of New York State are as follows:
- Supreme Courts
- Family Courts
- Court of Claims
- Surrogate's Court
- County Courts (outside NYC)
The New York Supreme Court has authority over the civil and criminal cases inside the City and over civil matters outside New York City. The criminal matters outside the city are adjudged by the County Courts.
The Appellate Courts of New York are planned in a three-tiered system. Appeals from the lower courts, i.e. Village, Town, City and District Courts, are heard at the 1st and 2nd Departments of the New York Appellate Courts. Outside New York City the same responsibility is given to the County Courts in the 3rd and 4th Departments. These form the basis of the appeals courts where decisions from the trial courts may be reviewed in case the losing side feels that the sentence is not proper. The intermediate appeals are taken up at the Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court. The Appellate Divisions number up to 4 and each has particular counties under its jurisdiction. The highest in the hierarchy of New York Courts is the Court of Appeals located in Albany. The composition of the court is 1 Chief Judge along with 6 Associate Judges. The term period for a judge of this court is 14 years.
New York Courts document each case filed. All New York Court Records are available for public use, except in sensitive cases. One of the best sources is Public Access to Court Electronic Records or PACER and it is easily accessible as well. Various other online sources are also available that gives information about the cases filed in New York.
