CPL § 20.10

Geographical jurisdiction of offenses; definitions of terms · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 20.10 Geographical jurisdiction of offenses; definitions of terms.

The following definitions are applicable to this article:

1. "This state" means New York State as its boundaries are prescribed in the state law, and the space over it.

2. "County" means any of the sixty-two counties of this state as its boundaries are prescribed by law, and the space over it.

3. "Result of an offense." When a specific consequence, such as the death of the victim in a homicide case, is an element of an offense, the occurrence of such consequence constitutes the "result" of such offense. An offense of which a result is an element is a "result offense."

4. "Particular effect of an offense." When conduct constituting an offense produces consequences which, though not necessarily amounting to a result or element of such offense, have a materially harmful impact upon the governmental processes or community welfare of a particular jurisdiction, or result in the defrauding of persons in such jurisdiction, such conduct and offense have a "particular effect" upon such jurisdiction.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/20.10

In plain English

(1)–(2) “This state” means New York and the space above it; a “county” means any of New York’s 62 counties and the space above it.
(3) A “result” is the required consequence of an offense, such as death in a homicide; an offense requiring such a consequence is a result offense.
(4) A “particular effect” exists when criminal conduct materially harms a jurisdiction’s governmental processes or community welfare, or defrauds people there, even if that effect is not an element or formal result of the offense. ★

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 2 — The Court Officer: Criminal Procedure Law; Volume 2 — Your Career: Criminal Procedure in Plain English.