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Courts

Jun 23, 2021

Fourth Department reverses order on money for Iran terrorism victim

A state appeals court has reversed a lower court decision on how to distribute money for relatives of a man who was among hostages held for 444 days in Iran.

Sep 27, 2019

Chief Judge proposes massive overhaul of courts

New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore has proposed a major reorganization of the state court system that would replace a complex system of 11 separate trial courts with a simplified three-level structure. DiFiore said in a news release that the change, which would require amending the state Constitution, will make courts easier to navigate, […]

Jan 30, 2019

Courts now closed in five western New York counties

All state county and city courts in Chautauqua, Genesee and Wyoming Counties closed at 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon due to the severe winter weather. State, local and city courts in Erie and Niagara counties were already closed Wednesday. Erie County Executive Mark Polocarz declared a state of emergency for the county and a travel ban […]

Jan 29, 2019

State, city and county courts closed in Erie County Wednesday

All state, county, and city courts in Erie County will be closed on Wednesday due to the expected extremely cold and snowy weather. The closure includes Buffalo City Court, Lackawanna City Court and Tonawanda City Court. The National Weather Service forecast calls for 4 to 8 inches of snow Wednesday in Buffalo. The high temperature […]

Jan 24, 2019

Analysis: Trump turns to Supreme Court to stop nationwide injunctions

The Constitution established one court and one court only and called it Supreme. The framers authorized Congress to establish “inferior courts,” which it did starting in 1789, in the form of U.S. district courts and circuit courts. In theory, Congress could disestablish all of them. And no doubt there are times that President Donald Trump […]

Aug 15, 2018

Lavish court spending in poor West Virginia triggers scandal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A $42,000 antique desk. A $32,000 blue suede sectional sofa. A $7,500 inlaid wooden floor map of West Virginia’s 55 counties. A scandal involving lavish office renovations and other financial abuses by the highest court in one of the poorest states in America has triggered an extraordinary move by one branch […]

Apr 25, 2017

Raise the Age projected to cost Monroe County $20M to start

The Raise the Age legislation adopted as part of the new state budget could cost Monroe County more than $20 million to get off the ground and $13 million annually after it’s implemented next year. The startup cost includes $7.5 million to build a new secure detention facility to house inmates who are now held […]

Apr 24, 2017

Commentary: The courthouse is not the place for immigration enforcement

Years ago, when I was a trial court judge in Sacramento, the husband of one of my court staffers murdered their two children in front of her, beat her and then killed himself. All of us were unaware of her problems at home, as well as the fear and shame that drove her into silence. […]

Feb 23, 2017

More states are feuding with their courts

As President Donald Trump escalates his confrontation with the judiciary branch in tweets and speeches, lawmakers in some half a dozen states are testing their state courts’ independence with actual legislation. Bills have been proposed in Florida, Washington state and Idaho to allow those legislatures to override certain court decisions. In Arizona, the House passed […]

Jan 3, 2017

Supreme Court may circumscribe power of lay judges

New York has approximately 2,150 town and village court judges. Of those, 1,450 or nearly 70% are nonlawyers. That is the greatest number and highest percentage in the country. For years the media, good government groups, and even the Office of Court Administration have chronicled how these judges of “tiny courts” have engaged in “abuses […]

Feb 7, 2013

Subcommittee focuses on bankruptcy, courts

The Senate Judiciary Committee has created a new subcommittee focused on federal courts and the bankruptcy litigation system. The new Subcommittee on Bankruptcy and the Courts is one of the new subgroups created by splitting up the former Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., named chairman of the new subcommittee, said […]

Jul 12, 2011

New commission to review judicial salaries

A 41 percent pay increase for the state’s judges is being recommended by Chief Administrative Judge Ann Pfau. Her recommendation, on behalf of the judiciary, would restore the purchasing power of judges to the level their salaries had in 1999, the last time they received a pay hike.

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