Bill > A04674

This bill, known as the "Criminal Court Opinion Transparency Act," aims to improve public access to judicial opinions in criminal cases by requiring the state reporter and courts to collect, compile, and publish detailed information online. The bill mandates that for each criminal case resulting in an opinion, courts must provide statistics about the defendant (such as age, gender, and racial background), the judge's name, the general issues addressed, and the case's outcome. Additionally, courts must publish annual data about judges, including their courts, case types, and the number of published and unpublished decisions. The bill requires that this data be published quarterly in a machine-readable, downloadable format that allows for quantitative analysis. The legislation also establishes a new system where court clerks will automatically transmit opinions to the state reporter, and creates guidelines for publishing previously unreported opinions, particularly those related to specific pre-trial motions like evidence suppression or charge dismissal. To protect privacy, the bill also requires redaction of personal identifying information for parties and witnesses, while maintaining transparency by keeping names of police officers and expert witnesses visible. The new requirements will take effect 180 days after the bill becomes law.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A4674