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History
- Referred to judiciary
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 58–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.264
- Reported and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to judiciary
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to judiciary
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 58–1
Show 4 earlier actions
- Ordered to third reading cal.968
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allows for adjacent towns to merge into one single court facility
In Assembly Committee · Rules · Sponsor Dierdre Scozzafava
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the uniform justice court act, in relation to authorizing a single court facility for adjacent localities
Purpose
This bill would allow Towns to elect one Town Justice for a group of adjacent municipalities and to permit that Justice to hold court, with regard to all matters, in any public facility located within the geographical limits of any of the involved municipalities.
Summary of provisions
Section one amends the uniform justice court act by adding a new section (106-c) to allow for a merger into one court facility for adjacent towns. Section two provides for an immediate effective date.
Existing law
Section 106-b of the Uniform Justice Court Act currently provides for the election of a single town justice to serve two or more adjacent towns; to preside in the town courts of each such town. Section 106-b of the Uniform Justice Court Act does not authorize the single town justice to preside in a single court with a shared common court facility.
Justification
The Towns of Harrisburg, Montague and Pinckney are contiguously located in Lewis county with a total combined population of 850 people. Located in an area totaling 146.3 square miles, court volume fluctuates seasonally based upon recreational usage by outside visitors.
In recent years, the Towns of Montague and Pinckney have been unable to fill the position of Town Justice; there have been no interested candidates. Upon a temporary appointment by the Fifth Judicial District Administrative Judge, the position of Town Justice in the Towns of Montague and Pinckney has been filled by the Honorable John B. Woods, Town of Harrisburg Justice. Currently, Judge Woods is required to travel great distances in sometimes treacherous weather conditions to attend court proceedings in one of the Towns.
All three towns and the Lewis County Legislature have each, respectively, passed a resolution in support of consolidating to use one Justice for all the Towns, and for the combined Justice to hold Court in any public facility located within the Towns of Montague, Harrisburg or Pinckney.
Legislative history
New.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.