{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "cpl", "section": "10.10", "citation": "CPL § 10.10", "heading": "The criminal courts; enumeration and definitions", "text": ["§ 10.10 The criminal courts; enumeration and definitions.", "1. The \"criminal courts\" of this state are comprised of the superior courts and the local criminal courts.", "2. \"Superior court\" means:", "(a) The supreme court; or", "(b) A county court.", "3. \"Local criminal court\" means:", "(a) A district court; or", "(b) The New York City criminal court; or", "(c) A city court; or", "(d) A town court; or", "(e) A village court; or", "(f) A supreme court justice sitting as a local criminal court; or", "(g) A county judge sitting as a local criminal court.", "4. \"City court\" means any court for a city, other than New York City, having trial jurisdiction of offenses of less than felony grade only committed within such city, whether such court is entitled a city court, a municipal court, a police court, a recorder's court or is known by any other name or title.", "5. \"Town court.\" A \"town court\" is comprised of all the town justices of a town.", "6. \"Village court.\" A \"village court\" is comprised of the justice of a village, or all the justices thereof if there be more than one, or, at a time when he or they are absent, an associate justice of a village who is authorized to perform the functions of a village justice during his absence.", "7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a court specified herein which possesses civil as well as criminal jurisdiction does not act as a criminal court when acting solely in the exercise of its civil jurisdiction, and an order or determination made by such a court in its civil capacity is not an order or determination of a criminal court even though it may terminate or otherwise control or affect a criminal action or proceeding."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/10.10", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "1. The **\"criminal courts\"** are the **superior courts** and the **local criminal courts**.\n2. **\"Superior court\"** = **(a) the Supreme Court** or **(b) a County Court**. ★\n3. **\"Local criminal court\"** = **(a) district court; (b) NYC Criminal Court; (c) city court; (d) town court; (e) village court; (f) a Supreme Court justice sitting as a local criminal court; (g) a county judge sitting as a local criminal court.** ★\n4. **\"City court\"** = any court for a city **other than NYC** with trial jurisdiction of **less-than-felony offenses** committed in the city — whatever it's called (municipal, police, recorder's court, etc.).\n5. **\"Town court\"** = all the **town justices** of a town.\n6. **\"Village court\"** = the village justice(s), or an authorized associate justice when they're absent.\n7. **Civil-capacity carve-out:** a court that also has **civil** jurisdiction is **not acting as a criminal court** when acting solely in its civil role — and a civil order isn't a criminal-court order even if it affects a criminal case. ★", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/cpl/10.10", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}