According to new rules established by the state court system, all judges in their first year of assuming office or newly assigned to courts handling criminal cases must undergo four hours of training on the state’s bail laws. In addition to the training requirement for new judges, all judges in their second year on the bench must undergo two additional hours of training, and Judges in their second year will complete two hours of such training and all other judges handling criminal cases will complete one hour of training on this topic each year. The court will also provide additional training on the rules governing discovery in criminal cases and the discretion judges have in determining sanctions for discovery violations.
All judges attending the new bail programs will receive refresher courses designed to explain the rules governing bail determinations under state law and all relevant changes to the criminal procedure law and developments in the case law surrounding bail and securing orders. “In my role as chief administrator of the courts, I am proud to place a renewed emphasis on meaningful education and training opportunities, especially training on an issue, like bail, that is so important to the fair and equitable functioning of our criminal justice system,” said Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas. The New York State Judicial Institute will offer the training, as well as programs that focus on specialized sessions in criminal, civil, housing, matrimonial, and other areas of law, as well as general training on ethics.
