S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3462
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 29, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the right of
a defendant who has entered a plea of not guilty to an information
which charges a misdemeanor to a jury trial
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 340.40 of the criminal procedure law, as amended by
chapter 815 of the laws of 1971 and subdivision 7 as added by chapter
981 of the laws of 1971, is amended to read as follows:
§ [340.00] 340.40 Modes of trial.
1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a trial of an infor-
mation in a local criminal court must be a single judge trial.
2. In any local criminal court a defendant who has entered a plea of
not guilty to an information which charges a misdemeanor must be
accorded a jury trial, conducted pursuant to article three hundred
sixty[, except that in the New York city criminal court the trial of an
information which charges a misdemeanor for which the authorized term of
imprisonment is not more than six months must be a single judge trial].
The defendant may at any time before trial waive a jury trial in the
manner prescribed in subdivision two of section 320.10 OF THIS CHAPTER,
and consent to a single judge trial.
3. A defendant entitled to a jury trial pursuant to subdivision two OF
THIS SECTION, shall be so entitled even though the information also
charges an offense for which he is otherwise not entitled to a jury
trial. In such case, the defendant is not entitled both to a jury trial
and a separate single judge trial and the court may not order separate
trials.
[7.] 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any local crim-
inal court the trial of a person who is an eligible youth within the
meaning of the youthful offender procedure set forth in article seven
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03195-01-9
A. 3462 2
hundred twenty OF THIS CHAPTER and who has not prior to commencement of
the trial been convicted of a crime or adjudicated a youthful offender
must be a single judge trial.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made on or before such date.