Assembly Bill A10536

                                BILL NUMBER:A10536

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to amend the uniform city court act, in relation to the city court
judges of the city of Saratoga Springs and to repeal certain provisions
of the judiciary law relating thereto

PURPOSE:

To change the existing part-time judge in the city of Saratoga Springs
to a full time position.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Amends the uniform city court act to delete a part-time judge position
in the city of Saratoga Springs and add a full time position of judge
in the city of Saratoga Springs.

EXISTING LAW:

Currently the city of Saratoga Springs has one full time and a part
time judge.

JUSTIFICATION:
              

Part of what makes Saratoga springs unique is that they have four
separate police agencies that service the city. The Saratoga springs
police Department consists of more than seventy officers. The New
York State Park police services Spa State Park and surrounding areas
and consists of up to thirty officers during the summer, especially
during concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and maintains
presence all year round at the Spa State Park. The Park police are
responsible for a fair amount of traffic stops and arrests as well
all during the year. The Saratoga County Sheriff's Department and the
New York State police make arrests in the city as well. New York
State police currently are stationed at the Saratoga Gaming and
Raceway. The Gaming and Raceway over the past several years has been
a place of increasing criminal filings due to the amount of people
that are attending the "Racino".

In terms of the number of filings, the most recent data that is
available shows that they are comparable to two city courts that have
two full-time judges. In terms of population Saratoga springs has
27,686, Elmira has 30,073 and Long Beach has 35,553. In terms of case
filings, excluding parking, Saratoga Springs City Court had 10,305 in
2006, Elmira
had 10,318 in 2006, and Long Beach had 7,786 in 2006. In 2007
Saratoga springs numbers, excluding parking, was 10,712 and since
1998 Saratoga Springs filings' continue to climb at an average of

approximately 500 per year. In 1998 the filings in Saratoga springs
City Court was 6,480 and the filings as of the close of business 2007
was 10,712. These numbers demonstrate that Saratoga springs unlike
most city courts around the state continues to have an increase in
case filings year after year.

It is also instructive to look at courts who have one full-time judge
and a part-time 1/4 position judge and compare them to Saratoga
Springs.
Gloversville has a population of 15,277 and case filings of 4,462 in
2006; Amsterdam has a population of 17,928 and case filings of 5,191
in 2006; Glens Falls has a population of 14,166 and case filings of
6,579 in 2006; Saratoga springs has a population of 27,686 and case
filings of 10,712. When you look at these numbers from a weighted
standpoint (comparing those three courts, one full-time judge and a
1/4 position judge and Saratoga springs one full-time and 12 position
judge) the numbers are more pronounced. Saratoga Springs full-time
judge handles 7,609 cases annually. using the same measure, the
full-time judges in the other courts handle cases as follows:
Gloversville - 3,569; Amsterdam - 4,152; Glens Falls - 5,263. This
further demonstrates that the caseload and population support two
full-time positions in Saratoga springs.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2008: A.11473; Referred to Judiciary

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

$95,000 annual raise.

LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

EFFECTIVE DATE:

Thirtieth day after it shall have become law.