Chief Judge DiFiore proposed amendments to the State Constitution that would alter the structure of the judiciary in New York. Highlights of the proposal include that it:
- eliminates the county courts, Surrogates Court, and Family Court, and creates a single Supreme Court with the following parts: family law, probate, criminal, state claims, commercial, and general;
- eliminates the New York City Civil and Criminal Courts, the District Courts on Long Island, and the upstate City Court Courts and replaces them with a statewide Municipal Court with the same criminal jurisdiction as now is exercised by New York’s local criminal courts, and the same civil jurisdiction as now is exercised by the New York City Civil Court;
- leaves the town and village justice courts unchanged; and
- authorizes the Legislature to adjust the number of departments of the Appellate Division once every ten years.
The proposal and a summary of its key changes can be accessed here; the press release announcing the proposal may be found here.