Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D–Utica/Rome) announced that legislation she co-sponsored to provide Oneida County with an additional family court judge has been signed into law (Ch. 749 of 2023).

“Spending time in family court can be one of the most stressful experiences parents and children can go through, and we must do everything we can to ensure their fair treatment,” said Buttenschon. “Judges have seen a considerable influx in caseloads due to recent legislation, such as ‘Raise the Age,’ so our family court system needs more support to give every family the timely care and attention they deserve. This law provides an additional family court judge to our system, easing the strain of increased workloads and helping ensure our courts operate smoothly while also fulfilling their purpose of protecting New Yorkers.”

In addition to providing Oneida County with another family court judge, this law eases the burden across New York by increasing the number of judges in multiple state and local courts, Buttenschon noted.