New York’s courts unveil new website
/
After four years of research and development, the Unified Court System launched its new website that court leaders hope offer users a streamlined approach to accessing the courts.
Read More
New York’s top judge calls sentencing practices ‘stupid,’ urges reform
/
New York’s top judge last week bashed the state’s sentencing laws, claiming “everything we are doing here is stupid,” while continuing his public plea for lawmakers to pass sentencing reforms.
Read MoreBlack women lead the way in Queens’ courts
/
Queens finds itself in the middle of a historic period for its courts – for the first time in the borough’s history, over half of the borough’s courts are being led by Black women.
Read MoreCourts saw major increase in trials last year, data shows
/
After the pandemic significantly slowed the number of trials taking place in New York’s courts, the Unified Court System saw a major increase in the number of trials commenced in 2025, a trend that experts say could lead to even faster case processing in 2026.
Read MoreIndigent legal services face $120 million ‘funding sweep’ from governor
/
The director of New York’s Office of Indigent Legal Services called on the state legislature to prevent the governor from taking over $120 million in funding from the office, and warned the funding sweep could have a dire impact on low-income New Yorkers’ ability to access free legal services.
Read MoreTop administrative judge says judge shortage remains biggest challenge for NYC courts
/
As court leaders prepare to seek a budget increase in Albany, Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas said Thursday that a persistent shortage of judges continues to strain New York City’s courts.
Read MoreAs AI enters courtrooms, courts leaders lay out potential risks and rewards
/
The New York Unified Court System on Thursday released its first annual report on the use of artificial intelligence in state courtrooms, outlining both the technology’s potential benefits and the risks it poses to the legal system.
Read MoreCalls grow for expansion of state’s treatment courts
/
The leaders of New York’s courts, a number of elected officials, lawyers and advocates together on Friday called on the state to reform its court system in a way that they say will prevent the cycle of incarceration hundreds of mentally ill New Yorkers experience every year.
Read MoreOrganizations jump to defend Protect Our Courts Act amid Trump admin challenge
/
A group of public defender organizations and immigration nonprofits are calling on a federal court to dismiss the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging a New York State law that protects immigrants when they appear in court.
Read MoreBill to grow New York’s courts unlikely to pass in Albany
/
A popular bill that would remove the population limit on new judicial seats appears unlikely to make it through the state legislature this year, but lawmakers say their plan to make a drastic change to the state’s constitution is very much alive.
Read MoreQueens courts lead way in case backlog reduction
/
Queens’ Civil and Criminal Courts have proven to be leaders in addressing stubborn backlogged cases, outperforming city and state courthouses in a number of metrics through the first half of the year.
Read MoreGov praises changes to discovery reforms
/
Governor Kathy Hochul and the city’s five district attorneys celebrated changes to the state’s evidence-sharing laws that were worked into the state budget Wednesday.
Read MoreAsian American judges have increased, but remain underrepresented in NY courts
/
New York’s legal community kicked off Asian American and Pacific Islander month with a who’s who gathering of court leaders on Tuesday.
Read MoreCity cannot shut Rikers by 2027, landmark report finds
/
In a stark admission on Wednesday, the commission formed to map out the closure of Rikers Island said that the current 2027 deadline to shutter the deadly jail complex has become impossible for the city to meet.
Read MoreCourt officials say plan to reduce population on Rikers shows early signs of success
/
A pilot program from the state’s court system meant to reduce the ballooning population on Rikers Island has seen early successes, officials claim.
Read More
