Bill > A05787

This bill requires town and village justices in courts with high arraignment volumes to be licensed attorneys admitted to practice law in New York state for at least five years before taking office. The bill defines a "high arraignment volume" court as one of the top 100 courts with the most arraignments, with the initial determination based on arraignment data from 2018 and 2019, and subsequent determinations to be made every ten years using at least two years of data. The Office of Court Administration, in consultation with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, will identify these high-volume courts. When a court is designated as having a high arraignment volume, the new attorney requirement will take effect at the start of the next judicial term. Importantly, justices who are already serving in these courts and are not attorneys will be allowed to continue in their current positions, effectively grandfathering in existing non-attorney justices. The bill aims to ensure that justices in busier courts have substantial legal training and experience to handle more complex legal proceedings, while also providing a gradual transition period for existing justices.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5787