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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Courts - In NY, "A Judgeship With Prestige, and, Oh, What a Grand Room"

William Glaberson's story today in the NY Times begins with a photo of "The chambers occupied by the top judge of the appeals court in Brooklyn," then continues:

Sure, being the top judge of the appeals court in Brooklyn is impressive. It is one of the most powerful judicial seats in the state.

But check out the office that goes with the job, with its 15-foot ceilings, antique furnishings and off-white porcelain private bathroom. Not to mention the crimson damask curtains with gold fringe, framing the 11-foot windows with their tranquil view of brownstone Brooklyn. * * *

There is no list of the most luxurious chambers in the state judicial system, of course, but many judges agree that the top job in the Brooklyn court comes with the best chambers of the more than 1,200 in the state system.

Fascinating. And I wonder if there are any chambers in Indiana that might match up.

But as I read the story wondered -- "What is "the appeals court in Brooklyn?" Where does it fit into the NY system, where "supreme courts" are not supreme, but trial courts?

I found this good diagram of the New York court structure on the National Council of State Courts site. Look at the left box in the second row of boxes. It says, "Appellate Divisions of Supreme Court. 56 justices sit in panels in 4 departments." The link in the box leads to a list of counties served by each of the 4 divisions. The Brooklyn court is in the 2nd division.

Also useful is this "Overview of the Appellate Division," which explains:

The Supreme Court, of which the Appellate Division is a part, is New York State's principal trial court, with a branch in each of the State's 62 counties.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 26, 2012 11:26 AM
Posted to Courts in general