Senate Gives Final Passage to Bill Adding 25 New Family Court Judges

The New York State Senate gave final legislative passage to legislation (S7883), sponsored by Senator John Bonacic (R-C-I, Mount Hope), that would help alleviate a backlog of cases in the state’s family courts by creating 25 new family court judgeships.  One new judgeship would be established in each of 16 counties, and nine in New York City.

“Our family courts across the state are struggling to handle larger caseloads and more complex cases, and that strain is having a huge negative impact on children and families who need immediate intervention or are seeking justice,” Senator Bonacic said.  “The addition of 25 new judgeships will go a long way toward addressing this problem by giving the state’s family justice system the resources it needs to protect vulnerable children and families.”

New family court judges would be elected in 2014 in Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Franklin, Nassau, Oneida, Oswego, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester counties, and take office January 1, 2015.

New family court judges would be elected in 2015 and seated in 2016 in Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe, and Warren counties.

This would be the first major increase in the number of family court judges in New York in more than three decades.

The bill was sent to the Assembly.