N.Y. County Law 218 – Courthouses and judicial expenditures
§ 218. Courthouses and judicial expenditures. 1. Except as otherwise provided by law, each board of supervisors shall provide suitable rooms for courts of record within the county including rooms for holding court, grand and trial jurors, witnesses and attorneys during such terms of court. Chambers shall be provided for any resident judge of the court of appeals or justice of the supreme court and may be provided for the county judge, surrogate, and family court judge. The board of supervisors shall provide necessary and suitable furnishings together with light, heat, telephone, law books, periodicals and such other furniture, supplies or equipment as may be necessary for such courts to properly function. If such board after a written request by any resident judge of the court of appeals or justice of the supreme court presiding therein fails after a reasonable time to furnish such provisions, such judge or justice may require the sheriff to furnish the same and the expense shall be a county charge. When such rooms are not being used for court purposes, the same may be used for any other public purposes; and additional rooms may be provided for hearings, examinations, clinics and other lawful public purposes. When so ordered by the court, the sheriff shall provide food and lodging for jurors kept together pending a trial and their deliberation thereon, and for grand jurors kept together pending an indictment or presentment and their deliberation thereon, and the cost shall be paid by the county treasurer upon order of the presiding judge or justice. The board shall provide for the expense of printing and publishing proclamations, notices of terms and court calendars as required by law. The compensation and lawful expenses of court attendants, court criers, jurors, grand jurors, witnesses, interpreters and stenographers, except as otherwise provided by law, shall be a county charge and paid in the manner prescribed by law.
Terms Used In N.Y. County Law 218
- Chambers: A judge's office.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
2. The board of supervisors shall audit and pay the fees allowable for services rendered by justices of the peace, police justices, city judges, police officers and peace officers of the cities, towns and villages within the county in criminal proceedings, for or on account of an offense which a court of special sessions has not jurisdiction to try. A county shall pay any amount due to a town or village for the services of a justice of the peace or police justice which is a county charge upon presentation to it of a claim by the state comptroller for such charges each quarter.