What's happening
This bill extends the speedy trial timeframe for minor offenses to 90 days in jurisdictions with populations of 60,000 or less.
Why it matters
Impacts how quickly minor (non-criminal) cases must be resolved in small communities. By extending the timeframe from 30 to 90 days, local courts in areas with 60,000 or fewer residents will have more leeway before cases must be dismissed for not meeting speedy trial requirements.
May ease administrative and resource pressures on rural or small-town courts. Smaller jurisdictions often have fewer judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, so a longer window could help them manage caseloads without risking technical dismissals.
Could delay resolution for defendants facing minor violations. For people accused of non-criminal offenses (like some traffic violations or local code breaches), this change could mean waiting three times as long for their cases to be resolved, potentially affecting work, finances, and personal stress.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Extend Speedy Trial Deadline
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to codes
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.
Extend Small-Town Trial Deadlines
In Senate Committee · Codes · Sponsor John E. Brooks
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9828
IN ASSEMBLY
February 19, 2020
Introduced by M. of A. GRIFFIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to speedy trials
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subdivision 1 of section 30.30 of the criminal procedure law, paragraph (d) as amended and paragraph (e) as added by section 1 of part KKK of chapter 59 of the laws of 2019, are amended to read as follows:
(d) thirty days of the commencement of a criminal action wherein the defendant is accused of one or more offenses, at least one of which is a violation and none of which is a crime. However, in those such jurisdictions having a population of sixty thousand or less, such time frame shall be ninety days of the commencement of a criminal action wherein the defendant is accused of one or more offenses, at least one of which is a violation and none of which is a crime.
[(e) for the purposes of this subdivision, the term offense shall include vehicle and traffic law infractions.]
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14739-01-0
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.