Criminal Justice (Courts)

in committee · New York · Assembly Sep 8, 2025

A 7009: Enacts the "pretrial risk overview for threat evaluation, custody, and treatment (PROTECT) act"; repealer

Enacts the "pretrial risk overview for threat evaluation, custody, and treatment (PROTECT) Act" to evaluate certain defendants; establishes a risk assessment instrument to aid judges in determining whether to release or detain a principal, where and when a release is appropriate and necessary conditions that should be imposed as part of such release; repeals provisions of law relating to qualifying offenses and allows a court to set bail or remand a principal where based on the risk assessment instrument, where the principal poses a safety risk or risk of flight; makes related provisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes risk assessment for pretrial release to reduce unnecessary detention and promote fairer judicial decisions, aligning with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 492: Relates to domestic violence training for judges, court clerks and law enforcement officers

Requires judges or justices in a court that exercises criminal jurisdiction, including town and village justices, family court judges, and justices of the supreme court who regularly handle matrimonial matters, and court clerks of such courts to attend a program approved by the chief administrator of the courts addressing issues relating to domestic violence totaling at least ten hours every two years; requires law enforcement officers to complete ten hours of domestic violence training every two years.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates domestic violence training for judicial and law enforcement personnel to improve case handling, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of enhancing accountability and victim protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5952: Relates to falsely filing an extreme risk protection order

This bill (A 5952) creates a new class E felony offense for knowingly submitting false information when applying for an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). It directly affects individuals who lie to request these court orders, which temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a risk. The law makes it illegal to use false information in an ERPO application, punishable by up to four years in prison. The bill amends both the Penal Law and Civil Practice Law to establish this criminal penalty and define the offense.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates felony for false ERPO applications, preventing system abuse and protecting court process integrity in firearm risk prevention.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5095: Relates to requiring affirmative consent for the disclosure of contact information of witnesses to a defendant

Requires affirmative consent for the disclosure of contact information of witnesses to a defendant; provides that denial of such consent shall only be for good cause as determined by the court.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires defendant consent for witness contact disclosure, protecting defendant rights and aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3319: Provides for issuing non-driver identification cards to certain persons with suspended driving privileges

This bill requires the state department to issue a photo ID card immediately when a court suspends a driver's license due to a driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrest. It directly affects people whose licenses are suspended for DWI-related offenses, ensuring they receive a valid photo ID card similar to standard non-driver IDs. The key provision mandates that the department must issue this card upon suspension, replacing the need for a separate application process. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment, with necessary rules to be implemented before that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProvides immediate ID access for DWI offenders, reducing barriers to civil rights and preventing secondary legal issues that could exacerbate criminal justice involvement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jun 16, 2025

A 8890: Relates to judges presiding over designated youth parts

This bill expands who can serve as judges in specialized youth courts. It allows superior court judges (who have specific training in juvenile justice) to preside over "youth parts" in each county, in addition to current family court judges. All judges in these youth parts must receive specialized training on juvenile justice, adolescent development, and treatment methods. The youth parts will handle all cases involving juvenile and adolescent offenders (ages 16-20), excluding certain cases covered elsewhere in the law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates specialized youth courts with judges trained in juvenile justice and treatment methods, focusing on rehabilitation for 16-20 year olds, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5616: Relates to criminal possession of stolen property

Authorizes the court where there is criminal possession of stolen property to, in its discretion release the principal pending trial on the principal's own recognizance or under non-monetary conditions, fix bail, or order non-monetary conditions in conjunction with fixing bail, or, where the defendant is charged with a qualifying offense which is a felony, the court may commit the principal to the custody of the sheriff; makes related provisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAuthorizes courts to use non-monetary release conditions instead of cash bail, reducing pretrial detention - a key criminal justice reform measure.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Drug Policy

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7352: Makes the inability to pay child support an affirmative defense to non-support of child offenses, rather than an element of such offenses

This bill changes how child support non-payment cases are handled in court. It makes a defendant's inability to pay child support an argument they can raise (an "affirmative defense"), rather than requiring prosecutors to prove the defendant could pay as part of the crime itself. The law applies to both misdemeanor (second-degree) and felony (first-degree) cases for failing to support a child. However, this defense does not apply if the defendant voluntarily quit a job, reduced their income, or failed to seek work despite being able to do so. The bill shifts the legal burden in these cases but does not change the penalties for non-support.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeShifts burden from prosecution to defendant in child support cases, preventing criminalization of poverty and aligning with reform goals to reduce unnecessary incarceration.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3317: Relates to the creation of Melinda's Law in relation to the basis for removal of children

Melinda's Law protects non-abusive parents who report domestic violence from losing custody of their children. It requires courts to consider whether a parent reported abuse before removing children, treating them as "not at fault" if they reported it and are not neglectful. The law prevents abusers from threatening to have children taken away as leverage to control the non-abusive parent. It applies to cases where domestic violence - defined to include emotional, psychological, or physical abuse - has occurred, with specific court procedures to verify reports. This directly affects parents in domestic violence situations seeking to report abuse without fear of child removal.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill protects non-abusive parents reporting domestic violence from custody loss, aligning with criminal justice reform by preventing abuser leverage and safeguarding victim rights in court proceedings.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4789: Relates to training requirements for attorneys appointed to represent a child in certain proceedings

This bill requires attorneys appointed to represent children in family court proceedings to complete specific training. It mandates 6 hours of initial training and ongoing training covering juvenile delinquency law, domestic violence dynamics, and its impact on children - particularly regarding custody, visitation, and child support. Training programs must be developed with input from the State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and approved by the Office of Court Administration. The bill also encourages public defender offices to offer state-bar-approved training on juvenile delinquency for continuing legal education credit. It directly affects all attorneys representing children in these court cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates training on juvenile delinquency law for child attorneys, improving representation in cases affecting juvenile justice reform.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Juvenile Justice

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