S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
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5897
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 24, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the judiciary law, in relation to the creation of the
fourteenth judicial district consisting of the county of Monroe
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 70 of the judiciary law, as amended by chapter 690
of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
§ 70. Judicial departments. The state is hereby divided into four
judicial departments. The first department shall consist of the counties
embraced within the first and twelfth judicial districts; the second
department shall consist of the counties embraced within the second,
ninth, tenth, eleventh and thirteenth judicial districts; the third
department shall consist of the counties embraced within the third,
fourth and sixth judicial districts; the fourth department shall consist
of the counties embraced within the fifth, seventh [and], eighth AND
FOURTEENTH judicial districts.
§ 2. The opening paragraph and the seventh undesignated paragraph of
section 140 of the judiciary law, the opening paragraph as amended by
chapter 690 of the laws of 2007 and the seventh undesignated paragraph
as amended by chapter 10 of the laws of 1948, are amended and a new
fourteenth undesignated paragraph is added to read as follows:
The state is hereby divided into [thirteen] FOURTEEN judicial
districts, pursuant to the provisions of the first section of the sixth
article of the constitution, which districts shall be arranged as
follows:
The seventh judicial district shall consist of the counties of Living-
ston, Wayne, Seneca, Yates, Ontario, Steuben[, Monroe] and Cayuga;
THE FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT SHALL CONSIST OF THE COUNTY OF
MONROE. THE CREATION OF SUCH FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT SHALL NOT
AFFECT OR IMPAIR THE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES OR COMPENSATION OF ANY OFFICER
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05444-01-5
A. 5897 2
OR EMPLOYEE OF THE SUPREME COURT IN OFFICE ON THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY,
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX IN THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT AS THERETOFORE
CONSTITUTED; EACH SUCH OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE EMPLOYED IN THE COUNTY OF
MONROE ON SUCH DATE SHALL THEREAFTER BE AN OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE FOR THE
FOURTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT AND EACH SUCH OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE EMPLOYED
IN THE COUNTIES OF LIVINGSTON, WAYNE, SENECA, YATES, ONTARIO, STEUBEN
AND CAYUGA ON SUCH DATE SHALL THEREAFTER BE AN OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE FOR
THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.
§ 3. Subdivisions 7 and 13 of section 140-a of the judicial law, as
amended by chapter 749 of the laws of 2023, are amended and a new subdi-
vision 14 is added to read as follows:
7. Seventh district, [twenty] SIX;
13. Thirteenth district, nine[.]; AND
14. FOURTEENTH DISTRICT, FOURTEEN.
§ 4. The county of Monroe shall establish, maintain and expand, if
necessary, its court library, as established in accordance with sections
813 and 814 of the judiciary law, to accommodate the needs of the four-
teenth judicial district.
§ 5. The following named justices or their successors in office on the
effective date of this act shall for the remainder of the terms for
which they were elected or appointed be justices of the supreme court in
and for the seventh judicial district as reconstituted and continued by
this act.
Elena F. Cariola
Jason Cook
Craig J. Doran
William K. Taylor
James A. Vazzana
Joseph D. Waldorf
The following named justices or their successors in office on the
effective date of this act shall for the remainder of the terms for
which they were elected or appointed be justices of the supreme court in
and for the fourteenth judicial district as created and constituted by
this act.
Victoria M. Argento
Vincent M. Dinolfo
Gail A. Donofrio
Daniel J. Doyle
John B. Gallagher, Jr.
Steven K. Lindley
Kevin M. Nasca
Alex R. Renzi
Stacey M. Romeo
Judith A. Sinclair
Charles A. Schiano, Jr.
Erin Skinner
Sam L. Valleriani
James W. Walsh
§ 6. It is the intended object of this act to erect, in the fourth
judicial department, the fourteenth judicial district, comprised of the
county of Monroe and to provide for the employees thereof selection,
designation, nomination and election in the general election to be held
in November, 2026 of justices of the seventh and fourteenth judicial
districts consistent with the foregoing provisions of this act. Any
other consistent provision of law, rule or regulation which by its terms
or in its application aids in the accomplishment of such object shall be
A. 5897 3
given full force and effect. Any provision which is inconsistent with
the accomplishment of such object shall be denied force and effect to
the extent that it may be applicable thereto.
§ 7. If any provisions of any section of this act shall be held void
or unconstitutional, all other provisions and all other sections of this
act which are not expressly held to be void or unconstitutional shall
continue in full force and effect.
§ 8. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
sections one through five of this act shall take effect January 1, 2027.