Relates to increasing the number of judicial departments; creates a second department north consisting of the ninth judicial district and a second department south consisting of the second, tenth and eleventh judicial districts.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8802
SPONSOR: Lentol TITLE OF BILL: CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
proposing amendments to article 6 of the constitution, in relation to
increasing the number of judicial departments
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To create a North and South Department in the Second Department as a way
of lessening the overcrowding of cases and time it takes to hear a case.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Article 6 of the constitution is amended to include a second department
south and a second department north.
JUSTIFICATION:
In the Second Department of the Appellate Division it generally takes up
to 18 months for an oral argument to be heard after filing a brief. That
compares to the First Department where the time from filing to oral
arguments is general 6 to 8 months. The Second Department serves Brook-
lyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland and
Orange Counties; whereas the First Department serves two - New York and
the Bronx. Dividing the Second Department into North (Counties North of
NYC Westchester, Rockland and Orange) and Second Department South
(Brooklyn Queens Nassau and Suffolk Counties) will speed up case review
to more suitable times.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
