Rough minutes
Statement on Language
Some content in this finding aid may contain offensive terminology. For more information on why this language is occasionally retained, see: New York State Archives Statement on Harmful Language in Descriptive Resources.
Overview of the Records
Repository
- New York State Archives
222 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY 12230
Summary
- This series consists of a daily record of court proceedings used to compile official minutes. As such it documents the progress of cases through the courts. Included are court members in attendance; parties involved; and a brief description of case proceedings. Early minutes typically summarizing proceedings; later minutes may include a resolution, decree, or judgment or the substance of an oral motion, argument, or discussion. The minutes also discuss the court's business during its final six months.
Title
- Rough minutes
Quantity
- 0.3 cubic feet; 2 volumes).
Inclusive Dates
Series Number
- J0162
Creator
Arrangement
Chronological by date of court session.
Administrative History
Rough minutes document the progress of cases through the court, the court's method of operation, and the final determination of cases. The contents and format of this series reflect the court's unique composition (entire State Senate, Lieutenant Governor, Chancellor, and Supreme Court Justices) and its parliamentary procedures. Proposed actions were brought before the court on a motion of one member and presented in the form of a resolution. The resolution was debated, sometimes amended, and then voted upon. Because of these procedures, the rough minutes often resemble those of a legislative body rather than a court.
Scope and Content Note
This series is a daily record of court proceedings used to compile the court's official minutes. Rough minutes include the date and names of court members in attendance for each session. Names of parties involved and a brief description of proceedings are included for each case heard at a session. Entries recorded prior to 1842 usually consist of several words summarizing proceedings. Entries recorded after 1842 vary in content and length depending on the stage and complexity of the given case. Such entries may include the text of a resolution, decree, or judgment; the results of a roll call vote; or the substance of an oral motion, argument, or discussion. Rough minutes also document court procedures and administration, such as the establishment of court rules, the setting of dates and locations for sessions, and the swearing in of new members.
The second volume contains information about the court's business during its final six months of existence, January-June 1847, a period not included in the formal minutes, series J0159.
Related Material
J0157Series J0157, Records of Appeals and Cases in Error, contains detailed information on the cases documented in this series
J0159 Series J0159, Minutes, contains the official daily record of court proceedings.
Custodial History
The Court of Appeals placed these records on deposit at the Historical Documents Collection, Queens College, from 1973-1982. The records were accessioned in conjunction with a project undertaken by Archives staff in 2003 to describe or integrate estrayed or unidentified records.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.