What's happening
This bill authorizes Buffalo to create a pilot alternative youth criminal court for 16- to 18-year-olds charged with non-felony offenses.
Why it matters
Targets youth in a critical age group (16–18) who often fall into a gray area between juvenile and adult courts, potentially reducing long-term negative impacts of early criminal records.
Focuses on non-felony offenses, aiming to divert lower-level youth offenders from traditional adult criminal courts, which may increase access to age-appropriate interventions and rehabilitation.
Enables localized experimentation—Buffalo can test alternative approaches specific to its community needs, providing data and models that could influence statewide or national reforms in youth justice.
Requires the Office of Court Administration to develop new rules and regulations, signaling a shift in how the justice system treats young offenders and possibly spurring further policy innovation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Youth Court in Buffalo
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to judiciary
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2921
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT relating to the establishment of an alternative youth criminal court in the city of Buffalo
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the city of Buffalo is hereby authorized to create a pilot program establishing an alternative youth criminal court. Juveniles, age sixteen through eighteen, that would otherwise be prosecuted in city court for offenses of less than felony grade, committed within such city, shall be prosecuted and sentenced in the alternative youth criminal court.
§ 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2019. Effective immediately, the office of court administration shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03451-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.