Criminal Justice (Courts)

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 930: Provides for the ability of a court to set bail for repeat offenses

Provides for the ability of a court to set bail where the principal stands charged for the third time for the same offense within a period of two years.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill restricts pretrial release for repeat offenders by mandating bail setting, reducing defendant rights and increasing punitive measures.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 865: Prohibits public officials from releasing sealed juvenile police records

S 865 prohibits public officials and employees who handle juvenile court records from releasing sealed juvenile police records without a court order. It directly affects elected officials, appointed staff, and court employees who manage sealed juvenile records. The bill makes unauthorized releases a class A misdemeanor, requiring judicial authorization for any disclosure. This strengthens existing protections for juvenile records by adding criminal penalties for violations. The law would take effect November 1, 2025, after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStrengthens juvenile record protections with criminal penalties for unauthorized releases, aligning with civil rights and privacy safeguards in criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice Policing

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3089: Requires certain justices and judges to visit the correctional facility with the highest population in the county in which such justice or judge was elected or appointed

Requires justices of the supreme court, judges of the county court and judges of the court of claims, regularly sitting in a criminal term or in a term with criminal as well as civil jurisdiction to visit the correctional facility with the highest population of incarcerated individuals in the county in which such justice is appointed or elected within two years of such appointment or election and every two years thereafter; requires a report on the conditions of such correctional facility.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires judges to inspect correctional facilities and report conditions, enhancing oversight and transparency in corrections, a key aspect of criminal justice reform.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts Judges

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failed · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 6684: Permits at the discretion of the court certain members of the victim's family to read statements in court during the sentencing of a defendant

Permits at the discretion of the court certain members of the deceased victim's family to read statements in court during the sentencing of a defendant, rather than allowing only a single member of the victim's family to read a statement in court, upon consultation with counsel for the defendant and the people.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllows multiple victim family members to share impact statements during sentencing, enhancing victim voice in criminal justice proceedings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Sentencing Victims' Rights

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passed · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 1819: Provides that the results of urine tests conducted pursuant to a judicial diversion program shall be private and confidential

This bill (S 1819) ensures that urine test results from judicial diversion programs - where defendants avoid jail by completing treatment instead of facing criminal charges - are kept private and confidential. It directly affects individuals participating in these programs who undergo required drug testing as part of their court-ordered treatment. The law prohibits sharing test results with courts, prosecutors, or other parties without the defendant’s consent, and bans using positive results as evidence in future criminal cases. Treatment programs may still access results to support care, but the defendant’s privacy is protected from legal proceedings. The bill does not change testing requirements but safeguards the confidentiality of sensitive health information.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects defendant privacy in judicial diversion programs, preventing misuse of test results and supporting rehabilitation efforts per bill's confidentiality mandate.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill protects sensitive health data privacy by prohibiting unauthorized sharing of urine test results in judicial programs, aligning with data privacy indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts Drug Policy

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3117: Provides that persons arrested for domestic violence forfeit bail when violating an order of protection

This bill requires individuals arrested for domestic violence to forfeit any bail they've posted if they later violate an existing order of protection. It applies specifically to people charged with domestic violence offenses who break court-issued protection orders, including those from New York courts or other states/tribes. The law automatically takes away the bail money without needing a separate court hearing. This directly affects individuals arrested for domestic violence who disregard protection orders, changing the consequence of violating those orders from potential additional penalties to losing their bail.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enforces accountability for domestic violence offenders violating protection orders by automatically forfeiting bail, strengthening enforcement mechanisms within criminal justice system.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5165: Provides that sentence for commission of certain provisions of murder in the first degree is death or life without parole

This bill (A 5165) changes sentencing requirements for certain serious crimes in New York. It mandates that defendants convicted of specific types of first-degree murder (as defined in sections 125.27(i)-(iii) of the penal law), aggravated murder, or certain terrorism/chemical weapon offenses must receive either the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. For other first-degree murder convictions, the court must choose between death, life without parole, or a standard class A-I felony sentence. The bill also specifies that individuals convicted of murder in the second degree under defined circumstances must receive life without parole. These changes apply directly to defendants convicted of the listed offenses in New York State.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates death or life without parole for certain first-degree murders, increasing mandatory sentences per oppose indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Probation & Parole Sentencing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5153: Prohibits the use of DNA phenotyping in criminal prosecutions and proceedings

This bill prohibits New York law enforcement agencies from using or contracting for DNA phenotyping services, which predict physical traits like eye color, skin tone, or ancestry from DNA. It bans any evidence derived from such analysis from being used in criminal investigations, arrests, or court proceedings, and requires existing DNA phenotyping data held by police to be destroyed immediately. Convictions based on this evidence would be eligible for review under existing legal procedures. The law applies directly to police departments and criminal cases within New York State.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBans DNA phenotyping to prevent biased evidence and protect civil rights in criminal prosecutions, aligning with reform indicators.95% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill explicitly prohibits DNA phenotyping technology use in criminal cases, restricting a specific tech application related to biometric data privacy.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3099: Relates to an order upon termination of criminal action in favor of the accused

This bill automatically seals certain criminal records after specific timeframes if no prosecution occurs. It applies to arrests (after January 1, 2027) without docket numbers or cases (after January 1, 2027) with no action for a year. The Division of Criminal Justice Services must notify relevant agencies (prosecutors, courts, police) after 6 months for arrests or 2 years for cases, then seal records 60 days later if no prosecution updates are received. Sealed records become inaccessible to all entities, protecting individuals from having unresolved arrests or cases affecting their records. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAutomatically seals records for unprosecuted cases, reducing collateral consequences and promoting criminal justice reform by limiting long-term impacts of unfounded arrests.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7360: Provides for orders of protection for harassment

This bill (S 7360) standardizes the duration of court-issued protective orders for harassment victims after criminal convictions. It requires courts to set specific time limits for these orders based on the offense type: up to 8 years for felony sexual assault convictions, up to 5 years for certain class A misdemeanors, and up to 2 years for other offenses. Courts must also state on record why they issued or denied such orders when a temporary order was previously granted. The bill directly affects defendants convicted of harassment-related crimes and the courts issuing protective orders in those cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill standardizes protective order durations and requires court justification, enhancing victim protection and transparency in criminal proceedings. Aligns with supporting civil rights and accountability in criminal justice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Violent Crime

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