New York State Supreme Court of Judicature (Geneva) Affidavits of Justification of Special Bail

This series consists of affidavits of defendants' bail. Each affidavit states that the bail is worth a specified sum of money after payment of his outstanding debts (the amount was required to be double the amount of debt or damages claimed by the plaintiff in the writ of capias ad respondendum). The affidavit is signed by the bail and acknowledged by a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, a Supreme Court Commissioner, or other court officer. On the dorso of each affidavit are the title of the cause, the name of the defendant's attorney, and the filing date. This series also includes a few affidavits of merits of a case, made by defendants. This affidavit states that the defendant has "fully and fairly stated his case" to his attorney and that he is advised and believes that he has a "good and substantial case on the merits," that is, in law.

The Court of Appeals placed these records on deposit at the Historic Documents Collection, Queens College, from 1973-1982.

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