New York State Judicial Council Annual Reports

Chronological.

The Judicial Council of the State of New York was established by Chapter 128 of the Laws of 1934. Its purpose was to study the "organization, jurisdiction, procedure, practice, rules and methods of administration and operation of each an all the courts of the state . . . the volume and condition of business . . . the work accomplished and the results obtained."

Duties included collecting, analyzing, and publishing state judicial statistics in compliance with the state constitution; receiving and investigating criticisms and suggestions about the administration of justice; advising the legislature on decisions of the courts relating to procedure and practice and concerning pending legislation affecting the courts' organization, jurisdiction, operation, procedure and practice; and recommending changes to expedite or improve court administration and methods of conducting business.

Clerks of each court of the state, each judge or justice of a court not of record which had no clerk, each official referee, and the district attorney of each county reported to the council periodically at its request. Failure to observe a requirement of the council was deemed a neglect of duty constituting grounds for removal from office. The council was required to report to the legislature annually.

The series consists of published volumes of annual reports of the council on its proceedings and the work of various courts of the state, which it was required by law to transmit to the legislature. The council could also make supplemental reports and supporting studies as necessary. Reports include information on the condition of business within the courts, including many statistical tables (on intake and disposition of civil and criminal cases, work of grand juries, business in clerks' offices, totals of cases pending and delay, etc.), and extensive recommendations (new and renewed) which required action by the legislature to improve the administration of justice.

The two volumes in the series cover the periods December 31, 1934 to December 31, 1935 (Second Annual Report, 1936); and December 31, 1947 to December 31, 1948 (Fifteenth Annual Report, 1949).

Volume list.

This series was transferred under records disposition number 90338.

These records were originally accessioned under series G0004 and were reaccessioned as series B2463 as part of a State Archives conversion project.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.