New York City Courts - Other Courts

Other Courts

Each county in New York City has a Surrogate's Court, which oversees the probate of wills and administers estates.

The Midtown Community Court in Manhattan opened in 1993 as a project of the Center for Court Innovation. It hears "quality-of-life" criminal cases, with a view toward rehabilitation instead of punishment. For example, judges may order offenders to perform community service and refer them to such social services as drug treatment, mental health counseling, and job training.

The Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn opened in 2000 as the nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court. Built to alleviate the chronic lack of access to justice services in the isolated area of Red Hook, Brooklyn, the court combines family, civil, housing, and minor criminal court functions and takes a community development approach to justice through such programs as the Youth Court, where teenagers are trained and act as mediators to help their peers resolve disputes.