New York district courts
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In the U.S. state of New York, District Courts are state courts that are a type of trial court of inferior jurisdiction. District Courts are established in Nassau County[1] the five western towns in Suffolk County.[2] Each contains individual districts for civil cases which are organized along town lines, while criminal cases are heard in a separate countywide (in Nassau) or half-countywide (in Suffolk) district. They effectively replace town justice courts in these localities, but have subject-matter jurisdiction and operations similar to city courts.
They are not to be confused with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, a federal court whose territorial jurisdiction includes the two counties, or any of the other federal district courts in New York.[3]
Subject-matter jurisdiction
The court has subject-matter jurisdiction over civil matters seeking monetary damages up to $15,000, small-claims matters seeking monetary damages up to $5,000, and landlord and tenant matters. The criminal jurisdiction of the court includes trials over misdemeanors, violations, and infractions, preliminary jurisdiction over felonies, and jurisdiction over traffic tickets charging a crime. In Suffolk County, the jurisdiction of the court also includes town ordinance offenses prosecuted by the towns.[1][2] This subject-matter jurisdiction is the same as the city courts within New York State.[4]
Organization
The Nassau County District Court is organized into four districts, all of which sit at 99 Main Street, Hempstead, New York.[1] The First District covers criminal cases countywide.[5] The other three districts cover civil cases, and are organized by town and city: the Second covers Hempstead and Long Beach,[6] the Third covers North Hempstead,[7] and the Fourth covers Oyster Bay and Glen Cove.[8]
The Suffolk County District Court is organized into six districts. One district, having a "central location," covers criminal cases in all five towns. The other five districts, having "outlying courthouses," are each coextensive with one of the towns, and have the above-noted jurisdiction over civil matters, small claims, landlord and tenant matters, and town ordinances.[3] The six districts are:
| District | Towns covered[3] | Courthouse location[9] |
|---|---|---|
| First | all | Cohalan Court Complex, Central Islip (criminal)
Ronkonkoma (civil) |
| Second | Babylon | Lindenhurst |
| Third | Huntington | Huntington Station |
| Fourth | Smithtown | Hauppauge |
| Fifth | Islip | Ronkonkoma |
| Sixth | Brookhaven | Patchogue |
These districts do not correspond to districts of the New York Supreme Court.[3]
Appeals
Appeals from the District Court go to the Appellate Term of the New York Supreme Court for the Second Department.[10]
History
The Suffolk County District Court became active pursuant to the New York Uniform District Court Act[11] in January 1964, replacing the town courts.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "District Court - Nassau - 10th JD | NYCOURTS.GOV". ww2.nycourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ a b "Suffolk County District Court Home Page | NYCOURTS.GOV". ww2.nycourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ a b c d e "History and Organization of Suffolk District Court | NYCOURTS.GOV". ww2.nycourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ "A COURT SYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE: THE PROMISE OF COURT RESTRUCTURING IN NEW YORK STATE" (PDF). New York State Unified Court System. February 2007. p. 21. Retrieved 2022-01-28.
- ^ "Nassau County First District Court - Criminal Court NY". www.town-court.com. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ "Nassau County District Court, 2nd District - Hempstead NY". www.town-court.com. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ "Nassau County District Court, 3rd District - Great Neck NY". www.town-court.com. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ "Nassau County District Court, 4th District (Glen Cove & Oyster Bay) NY". www.town-court.com. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ "Directions - Suffolk District Court | NYCOURTS.GOV". ww2.nycourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
- ^ Lower Appellate Courts
- ^ New York Uniform District Court Act