Judiciary

Agency Web Site: http://www.nycourts.gov/

Mission

The Judiciary is one of the three branches of New York State government. The mission of the Judiciary is to provide a forum for the fair and prompt resolution of civil and family disputes, criminal charges, disputes between citizens and the state, and challenges to government action. Other matters within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary are administration of decedents' estates, presiding over adoptions and proceedings to protect children and incapacitated persons, and regulation of the admission of lawyers to the Bar and their conduct and discipline.

Budget Highlights

The Judiciary’s FY 2025 Budget Request seeks $2.7 billion in State Operating Funds appropriation. This increase excludes the cost of fringe benefits and represents an increase of 6.9 percent from Enacted FY 2024 appropriations. Increased funding is driven largely by judicial pay increases, new judgeships, family and NYC housing court judge increases, general salary increases for non-judicial staff, and staffing increases to return to pre-pandemic workforce levels. New York State’s Unified Court System (UCS) is among the largest, busiest and most complex in the country, consisting of twelve distinct State-paid trial and appellate courts, employing over 1,300 State-paid judges and 15,000 nonjudicial staff in more than 300 locations around the State, and receiving more than 3 million filings a year. This budget request seeks funding which will enable the courts to fulfill their mission to deliver justice in a manner that reflects the full measure of New York’s commitment to a just society under the rule of law. The Judiciary’s budget request also seeks $50 million in capital appropriation. This funding will allow the Judiciary to continue ongoing infrastructure modernization efforts, technology enhancements, and essential maintenance/upgrades on court facilities.

.

Judiciary (PDF)