What You Need to Know About Criminal Court

In New York City courts, courtrooms are referred to as “court parts”. Your case will be assigned to a specific court part calendar. On any given day, one courtroom may be handling the calendars of several different parts. In order to locate where your case will be called, you need to know both your court part name and the courtroom number.

Check WebCrims, the New York State Unified Court System website, to find the date and the court part of your next appearance. Court calendars are posted daily in the lobby of each courthouse. Cases are listed by either docket or indictment number, or by name. If your name does not appear on the calendar, go to the Central Clerk’s Office in the courthouse.

To find out when your case takes place, call your attorney or the office in which that attorney works. You can also try WebCrims, the website of the New York State Unified Court System.

If you missed your court date, contact your attorney immediately, since it is likely that the judge issued a warrant for your arrest, called a bench warrant. If it has only been a few days report to the Central Clerk’s Office in the borough your case was scheduled to clear up the warrant. Bring any documents that might explain your absence.

If it has been a longer period of time or you were charged with a felony, it is especially important for you to speak to your lawyer before coming to court to clear the warrant. Your lawyer can advise you what to expect in court, documents you might bring to court to explain your absence, and arrange to be with you when you come to court to surrender on a warrant.

• WebCrims
• NYC Court Locator
• WebFamily

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.