Finding Aid Search

Title

Writs of commission

Series Number

J0014

Summary

This series consists of writs of commission, issued under seal of the Supreme Court of Judicature, directed to commissioners appointed to take depositions under oath from witnesses residing in other states or countries. The return to the writ consists of the answers of the witness, transcribed by the commissioners and certified by them. Attached to the writ and the return are the interrogatories, and occasionally cross-interrogatories, submitted by attorney for parties to the action.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Supreme Court of Judicature (New York) judgment rolls

Series Number

JN529

Summary

This series consists mostly of judgment rolls filed by the clerk of the Supreme Court of Judicature in New York City, prior to July 1, 1847. It also includes judgment rolls of the reorganized Supreme Court, July 1-December 31, 1847, filed by the New York County Clerk. A judgment roll (also called a judgment record) contains a summary of the pleadings and other proceedings in a common-law action, including the trial if there was one. At the conclusion of the judgment roll is the final determination by the court and the amount of the money judgment (debt and/or damages, court costs). The file may contain additional documents relating to defendant's attorney and bail, and satisfaction (payment) of the judgment debt.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Use and reproduction of fragile documents may be restricted.

Title

Transcripts of chancery decrees

Series Number

JN544

Summary

This series consists of transcripts of decrees docketed by the Court of Chancery. These records are simple folded sheets of paper with information given in tables: the name of the person on whose behalf the court made the decree, that person's residence, the amount of debt (and damages and costs) adjudged, the date and time of the decree, and the case title. These transcripts were sent by the Court of Chancery to the Supreme Court of Judicature when requested by the winning litigant in a case before the court.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Writs of habeas corpus

Series Number

JN550

Summary

The writ of habeas corpus ("you have the body") ordered a lower court or public officer to bring a defendant into the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Judicature. This small collection of writs of habeas corpus includes one colonial example; the others are from the early national period. Almost all the writs in this series were directed to the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of New York (known as the Mayor's Court, since that official or his designee presided).

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Writs of inquiry and inquisitions

Series Number

JN551

Summary

This small series of writs of inquisitions includes to colonial examples; the others are from the early national period. The writ is accompanied in most cases by the jury's inquisition, determining the amount of money owed by the defendant to the plaintiff. The inquisition bears the jurors' signatures and seals.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Supreme Court of Judicature (New York) registers of writs sealed and issued

Series Number

JN545

Summary

Registers contain lists of writs sealed and issued by the clerk of the Supreme Court of Judicature at New York City. Each entry in a register includes the date of issuance, names of plaintiff and defendant, and type of writ. County is mentioned if a writ was directed to a sheriff outside of New York City and County. Most of the entries are for writs of capias ad respondendum, capias ad satisfaciendum, and fieri facias, but many other types of writs are represented.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Docket of judgments

Series Number

J0131

Summary

This series consists of the dockets of judgments filed by the clerk of the Supreme Court of Judicature at New York City. Each entry in the docket books gives the following information: name of party against whom judgment has been obtained, amount of debt, amount of damages and costs, date judgment was signed, date filed, name of attorney for losing party, and date of satisfaction, if any.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Writs of commission

Series Number

JN548

Summary

This series contains writs of commission, court orders to obtain written testimony for a proceeding in the Supreme Court of Judicature. The writ appointed commissioners to depose a witness residing out of state or out of country. Accompanying the writ are interrogatories (questions to the witness) and, occasionally, the witness's deposition (answer to the questions).

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Use and reproduction of fragile documents may be restricted.

Title

Writs of procedendo

Series Number

JN552

Summary

Writs of procedendo are orders from the Supreme Court of Judicature directing the sheriff of New York City and County to deliver a defendant in a proceeding before the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of New York (known as the Mayor's Court) into the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The writ transferred the defendant and the case to the latter court. A writ of procedendo was issued after a previous writ of habeos corpus had been issued and disregarded.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

New York State Supreme Court of Judicature (New York) pleadings and other civil court documents

Series Number

JN535

Summary

Series contains documents relating to litigation in the Supreme Court of Judicature, filed by the court clerk in New York City, and in that court's successor the Supreme Court (New York County), filed by the New York County Clerk. Most of the documents are pleadings by plaintiffs and defendants. There are also numerous affidavits of service, bonds for court costs, clerk's reports of damages, writs of inquiry and inquisitions, and circuit rolls (including minutes of trials). There are many declarations by the district attorney of New York County seeking recovery of debt and damages from individuals who had been arrested and gave bond for appearance in the Court of General Sessions of the Peace and failed to appear. Some documents are missing (particularly for codes 1842 M and 1844 H), and there are very few documents for 1845 and 1846.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Use and reproduction of fragile documents may be restricted.

Title

Writs of certiorari, error, and habeas corpus

Series Number

JN591

Summary

This series contains writs of error and related documents; writs of habeas corpus; and a single writ of certiorari. All of the writs of error were directed to the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of New York. Several of the writs of habeas corpus concerned custody of minors. Two writs of habeas corpus post date the reorganization of the Supreme Court in 1847. A few of the writs include the return to the writ (the response of the lower court).

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Supreme Court of Judicature (New York) registers of returns of writs

Series Number

JN599

Summary

Registers in this series contain lists of writs returned to the clerk of the Supreme Court of Judicature at New York City. Each register entry includes the date or court term when the writ was returned, names of plaintiff and defendant, type of writ, and a summary of the sheriff's or other court officer's action in response to the writ. Most writs were returned by the sheriff of New York City and County, but some were returned from other counties.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Use and reproduction of records may be restricted due to fragile condition. State Archives staff will review condition of requested documents before granting access.

Title

Miscellaneous writs

Series Number

JN595

Summary

This small series contains one example each of a writ of covenant, writ of habere facias possessionem, and writ of proclamation. There is also a folder of unidentified writs.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Supreme Court of Judicature (New York) sheriff's writs and other historical documents

Series Number

JN999

Summary

This series contains writs, other court documents, and miscellaneous non-government documents. Among the writs are capias ad respondendum (order to arrest a civil defendant); capias ad satisfaciendum, fieri facias, and scire facias (orders to execute a civil judgment); and venire facias juratores (order to summon jurors). Documents were filed by the clerk of the Supreme Court of Judicature, except for those from 1825-1826 which were filed in the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of New York. Also in the collection are mortgages given by Daniel D. Tompkins and his wife Hannah, 1807, 1815; and a printed broadside address by Daniel Webster at Saratoga Spring, Aug. 19, 1840.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Title

Writs of capias ad respondendum and other sheriff's writs

Series Number

JN543

Summary

Collection contains writs of arrest and a small number of other writs, issued out of the Supreme Court of Judicature. Over ninety percent of the documents are writs of capias ad respondendum, ordering a sheriff to arrest a civil defendant, thereby bringing him into the court's custody to answer the plaintiff's declaration of claim. Also present are writs of fieri facias and writs of capias ad satisfaciendum, ordering a sheriff to execute a civil judgment, and other writs for special purposes. At the end of the series are a few writs issued by the Court of Chancery, 1810-1813.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Use and reproduction of fragile documents may be restricted.

Title

Writs of venire facias juratores

Series Number

JN554

Summary

This series contains writs summoning jurors for trials at which a justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature presided. The writ of venire facias juratores commands the sheriff to summon individuals qualified to serve as jurors in the trial of a particular case. Almost all the writs were returned to the court by the sheriff of New York County. A very small number of the earliest writs are for trials in other counties. Starting in spring 1823, all the writs are for jury trials in the Circuit Court sitting in New York City and County. A few writs have an attached panel of jurors stating their names, residences, and sometimes occupations.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Use and reproduction of fragile documents may be restricted.

Title

Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Seditious Activities investigation subject files

Series Number

L0039

Summary

This series of records generated or collected by the committee, known as the "Lusk Committee" for its chairman Clayton R. Lusk, includes correspondence, pamphlets, leaflets, testimony, news clippings, and other records on individuals and organizations. Topics center on anarchism, birth control, African-American activities, the 1919 Steel Strike, and the investigation of Socialist Party members elected to the State Assembly.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Rough minutes

Series Number

JN594

Summary

This booklet contains rough minutes of the court's October Term, 1795, which was held in Albany.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

Document is very fragile and is closed to research and reproduction.

Title

Writs of scire facias

Series Number

JN553

Summary

This series consists of writs of scire facias. These writs were issued by the Supreme Court of Judicature to compel a judgment debtor or his heirs to satisfy the judgment against him.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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

Title

Writs of certiorari

Series Number

JN547

Summary

This small series consists of writs of certiorari. Writs were directed to the Court of Common Pleas (Mayor's Court) in New York City and County and in several other counties in eastern New York. Most of the writs have attached to them the return of proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas.

Creator

• New York (State). Supreme Court of Judicature (New York)

Access Restrictions

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