CPL § 680.50

Examination of witnesses on commission; interrogatories · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 680.50 Examination of witnesses on commission; interrogatories.

1. Following an order for the issuance of a commission and the court's designation of the witnesses to be examined thereon, each party must prepare interrogatories or questions to be asked of each witness who is to be examined upon his or its request, and must submit the same to the court and serve a copy thereof upon the other party. Following such submission and service, such other party may in the same manner submit and serve cross-interrogatories or questions, to be asked of the witness following his examination upon the direct inquiry.

2. After all such interrogatories and cross-interrogatories have been submitted and served, the court may examine them and, with opportunity for counsel to be heard, exclude and strike any question which it considers irrelevant, incompetent or otherwise improper or violative of the rules of evidence which prevail at a criminal trial.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/680.50

In plain English

After the court orders a commission and identifies its witnesses, each side prepares the written questions for its own witnesses.

(1) The requesting party must submit and serve its interrogatories; the other side may then submit and serve cross-interrogatories asked after direct questions. ★
(2) After counsel can be heard, the court may strike any question that is irrelevant, incompetent, otherwise improper, or contrary to criminal-trial evidence rules.

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.