Montgomery County Correctional Facility

A judge does. Deputies and jail officers can't set or waive it. Someone taken into custody goes before a judge for arraignment, which is the first hearing on the charge. The state's CourtHelp site says arraignment normally comes about 24 hours after the arrest.

In the towns, the local justice usually handles it. An arrest inside the city of Amsterdam lands in Amsterdam City Court, Public Safety Building, Room 208, 1 Guy Park Avenue Extension, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-9510.

The written ruling goes by the name "securing order" (CPL 500.10(5)). It decides one of four paths: home on a promise, home with rules, bail, or jail. The decision must fit this particular person's chance of running, and the judge must explain the choice aloud in court or in writing (CPL 510.10(1)). A defense lawyer is part of that hearing, free for anyone who can't pay (CPL 510.10(2)).

Many people never see a cell. For most low-level charges, officers must usually hand over a desk appearance ticket. That slip lists a return date in court, and no booking into the jail follows (CPL 150.20).

Going home became the starting point in 2020, and Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2020 adjusted the rules. In 2022 the budget added gun use and earlier order of protection violations to what judges weigh. In 2023 lawmakers erased the "least restrictive" standard, so judges gained more say. These are the four possible orders:

• Release on recognizance. A signed promise to return, and nothing more.
• Release with conditions. Rules like checking in with a pretrial officer, staying in New York or surrendering a gun. The person never pays for these (CPL 500.10(3-a)).
• Bail. Dollars or a bond posted so the court feels sure the person will be back. Judges may use it only for a "qualifying offense."
• Remand. The person stays behind bars and no payment can change that. This is open only for a qualifying felony (CPL 510.10(4)).

The qualifying list sits in CPL 510.10(4) and 530.20. Examples are violent felonies, the top tier of felonies (class A), most sex felonies and a death caused by a crime. Others are violating a protective order for a relative, choking a household member, and a felony while on probation. For every other charge, release is required (CPL 510.10(3)).

Electronic monitoring is a last resort. It is limited to certain charges, and each order runs at most 60 days before a new review (CPL 510.40(4)).

New York has no bail price chart. Each judge settles on an amount for the one person in front of them and must consider whether the person can raise it "without posing undue hardship" (CPL 510.10(1)). Bail must come in at least three forms, and among them the judge must pick an unsecured or partially secured surety bond (CPL 520.10(2)(b)). Here is what the forms mean:

• Cash: the whole amount, from the person or from anybody else.
• Partially secured bond: a deposit no bigger than 10%, plus a signature covering what remains (CPL 500.10(18)).
• Unsecured bond: zero dollars today. The people who sign pay later only if court dates are missed (CPL 500.10(19)).
• Secured bond: property pledged. Real estate has to be worth double the bail once loans are subtracted (CPL 500.10(17)).
• Insurance company bond: the bail agent route, which costs a fee.
• Credit card: allowed whenever the judge names it (CPL 520.10(1)).

State numbers from 2024 show money bail is now the exception. Away from New York City, town and village courts set it in only 13% of arraignments, while 75% of people left on a promise. City courts in the rest of the state set bail in 20%.

The exact figure for your person comes from the court that arraigned them, or from the Sheriff's Office at 518-853-5500.

Under CPL 520.15(1), cash bail may be given to the sheriff holding the person, the court behind the order, or the county treasurer. The Sheriff's Office and the jail share 200 Clark Drive, Fultonville, NY 12072. Follow this order:

1. Ring the Sheriff's Office at 518-853-5500, staffed 24 hours. The county directory also lists a jail line, 518-853-5555, as an alternative number.
2. Give staff the full legal name, with spelling, and the birth date. Write down the amount, each form the judge allowed, and the court and docket number.
3. Find out the hours bail is accepted, what payment works, and the exact wording for the payee line on a money order.
4. The person posting must show ID and sign a state form (CPL 520.15(2)).
5. Hold on to the receipt. With proof the money is in, the law says the person "must be forthwith released," which means at once (CPL 520.15(1)).

On that same call, check whether a second hold could block the release.

The court that wrote the order is a lawful place to post cash too (CPL 520.15(1)). Phone first, because rural court offices keep limited hours.

• Supreme and County Court (felonies): New Montgomery County Courthouse, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-4516. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Ask which payment types the clerk can take.
• Amsterdam City Court: Public Safety Building, Room 208, 1 Guy Park Avenue Extension, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-9510. Its clerk keeps weekday hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Town and village courts: clerks here often work part days, and many judges hold court in the evening. Call the court that set bail to learn when someone is at the desk, and have the docket number ready.

Wherever you pay, show ID, get a receipt naming the case, and ask the clerk to alert the jail right away.

Under CPL 500.10(9), bail means cash, a bail bond, or a credit card charge. The judge's order spells out which ones fit a given case. Before heading out:

• Have the exact cash. A clerk may have no change drawer.
• Ask if a bank check or money order is fine, and the name to write on it.
• Ask whether a card or a phone payment is possible, and about any added fee.
• Make sure your own name is on the receipt, since the refund follows that name.

Never send cash by mail. For today's accepted payments at the jail, phone 518-853-5500.

New York licenses bail agents through its Department of Financial Services (DFS). An unlicensed agent is breaking the law. Premiums have a ceiling (Insurance Law § 6804(a)):

• On bonds of $3,000 or less, the most is 10%. That puts a $1,000 bond at $100.
• Above $3,000, the agent may take 10% of the first $3,000, 8% of the next $7,000, and 6% of the rest. So $5,000 costs no more than $460, and $20,000 no more than $1,460.
• Bonds under $200 can carry a $10 minimum.

DFS rules also guard the family:

• Agents may not add fees on top of the premium. The only exceptions are a few listed costs, like catching a person after a court warrant.
• Collateral, the item or money an agent holds as security, ought to be modest, about a tenth of the bond.
• Every payment earns a signed receipt. Once the bond is exonerated, meaning closed, the agent has 45 days from receiving that paperwork to hand collateral back.
• When nobody is freed, or the judge drops money bail, you can get the premium back within 14 days.
• Nonprofit bail funds, called charitable bail organizations, may also post cash for a person. Ask for its DFS certificate number in writing.

Look up any agent on the state bail bond license search. File complaints on the DFS complaints site.

Each bail belongs to a single case. Paying it does not wipe out these:

• A warrant from elsewhere. City, town and village warrants reach the issuing county plus every county bordering it (CPL 530.70).
• Probation trouble. County Probation sits at 200 Clark Drive, Fultonville, NY 12072, 518-853-8380.
• A parole warrant from state parole officers.
• Another pending case with a separate order.
• Federal charges or an ICE detainer.
• A release rule that takes time, like fitting a monitor.

The law also runs a clock. If a felony complaint is the only paper and nothing has happened for 120 hours, the person must be let out. That window stretches to 144 hours over a weekend or a legal holiday. Exceptions apply, such as an indictment vote or a delay the defense asked for (CPL 180.80).

Ask the Sheriff's staff at 518-853-5500 to read every hold aloud first.

Yes, but narrowly. Remand, meaning jail with no bail, is possible only if a qualifying felony is charged (CPL 510.10(4)). A qualifying misdemeanor can bring bail, never remand.

Local courts face a further rule. On a class A felony charge, a local judge has no power to release the person or name bail. The same goes for a person with two earlier felony convictions (CPL 530.20(2)). A County Court judge decides those. Before a local judge frees someone on any felony, the DA must be heard and the judge must see a criminal history report.

The District Attorney's Office handles these hearings from the New Montgomery County Courthouse, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8250.

When bail came from a local court, the defense may carry it to a superior court judge here, such as the County Court judge, for a fresh look. That judge may free the person, swap in conditions, or cut the amount. The law allows one such try, and for a felony the prosecutor speaks first (CPL 530.30).

1. Reach the defense lawyer fast. The Public Defender works at the Old Courthouse, 9 Park Street, 2nd Floor, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8305.
2. Collect pay stubs, a lease, school or child care papers, and an honest number the family can afford.
3. Suggest supervision. Probation runs the county's Pretrial Services Program at 200 Clark Drive, Fultonville, NY 12072, 518-853-8380, and monitors people when the court requests it.
4. Raise speedy trial limits with the lawyer. A client jailed on a felony must go free if prosecutors aren't trial-ready inside 90 days (CPL 30.30(2)).

One more tool: the person can ask for "nominal" bail, meaning a tiny amount. A freely made request of that kind has to be granted (CPL 510.10(5)).

State law makes each county pay for defense when a person can't afford it (County Law § 722). This county uses its own Public Defender:

• Old Courthouse, 9 Park Street, 2nd Floor, Fonda, NY 12068
• Main number 518-853-8305; alternative number 518-853-8306
• A financial affidavit, the money form, is linked from the office's county web page.

A lawyer belongs at the arraignment itself, and the hearing should go ahead while eligibility is still being checked (Executive Law § 832(4)). State guidelines treat people as likely eligible when the household earns below 250% of the federal poverty guideline, or when they are locked up. A spouse's income doesn't count. A judge decides, and can appoint counsel right away while forms are reviewed.

A conflict can arise when the office is already defending a co-defendant. The judge then appoints a different lawyer, so ask the court how.

This is part of the state's 4th Judicial District. Felony trials take place at the county courthouse. Local courts handle first appearances, misdemeanors and violations.

• Supreme and County Court: New Montgomery County Courthouse, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-4516. A drug treatment court sits in the same building.
• Family Court (cases about young people): 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8133
• Amsterdam City Court: Room 208, 1 Guy Park Avenue Extension, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-9510
• Town of Amsterdam Court: 283 Manny's Corners Road, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-7411
• Town of Canajoharie Court: 209 Erie Boulevard, Canajoharie, NY 13317, 518-673-3013
• Village of Canajoharie Court: 75 Erie Boulevard, Canajoharie, NY 13317, 518-673-5116
• Town of Charleston Court: 480 Corbin Hill Road, Sprakers, NY 12166, 518-922-6279
• Town of Florida Court: 214 Fort Hunter Road, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-843-6468
• Town of Glen Court: 7 Erie Street, Fultonville, NY 12072, 518-853-4825
• Town of Minden Court: 136 State Highway 80, Fort Plain, NY 13339, 518-993-3616
• Town of Mohawk Court: 2-4 Park Street, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8865
• Town of Palatine Court: 141 West Grand Street, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428, 518-673-1003
• Town of Root Court: 1048 Carlisle Road, Sprakers, NY 12166, 518-673-3549
• Town and Village of St. Johnsville Court: 7431 State Highway 5, Saint Johnsville, NY 13452, 518-568-2662, extension 102
• Federal court: James T. Foley Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789

Money posted as cash bail stays yours (CPL 520.15). A judge can take it only after a missed court date. Refunds usually follow the end of the case.

• Nothing is held back when every charge is dismissed or a jury acquits.
• If the case ends some other way, the county keeps 3%, made of a 2% fee plus 1% (General Municipal Law § 99-m).
• Guard the original receipt. Only the person it names collects, with photo ID.

Skipping court without a valid reason allows the judge to order forfeiture, the legal word for losing the bail (CPL 540.10). Forfeiture can be wiped away if the person shows up with an acceptable reason while the case is still open. The county treasurer must write to whoever posted forfeited cash. Anyone hoping to recover it has one year to apply, and the prosecutor must be notified (CPL 540.30).

The court that set bail can say how its refund check is sent.

Items taken at booking, plus money left in the jail account, are kept by the Sheriff's Office, 200 Clark Drive, Fultonville, NY 12072. Phone 518-853-5500 ahead and ask:

1. What day and time can belongings be collected?
2. Is a leftover account balance paid by check, card or another way?
3. Must the person sign a release so a relative can pick things up?

Show photo ID at the window. Our inmate money guide covers deposits and leftover balances.

Federal crimes here belong to the Albany Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, at the James T. Foley Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789. Its office hours run 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

• Whether the person goes home is decided at a detention hearing, normally on day one in federal court. A defense delay is capped at five days and a prosecution delay at three, weekends and holidays aside (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
• The judge may accept a signed promise or unsecured bond, set conditions, or order the person held (18 U.S.C. 3142(a)).
• Until a federal trial ends, deputy marshals decide where the person sleeps. Reach the Marshals in Albany at 445 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Albany, NY 12207, 518-472-5401. The Sheriff's jail in Fultonville is among the places housing people with federal charges.
• Free federal defense lawyers work at the Federal Public Defender, 54 State Street, Suite 310, Albany, NY 12207, 518-436-1850.
• Following a federal sentence, check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. Court papers open on PACER, a paid federal records site.

Paying bail settles the state case only. Federal immigration officers follow their own steps:

1. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may send the Fultonville jail Form I-247A, a request that the person not walk free on schedule.
2. The request covers up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving ICE time to arrive (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Agents pick the person up. Western New York has an ICE site where they may land: Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500.
4. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator by name or A-number.

New York law reins in how the Fultonville jail can respond. In People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco (2018), an Appellate Division panel concluded that New York never gave local deputies or police the job of arresting people over civil immigration status. State Attorney General guidance says to honor detainers only when a judicial warrant is attached. Executive Law § 170-k, enacted May 27, 2026, ended all 287(g) agreements, which let local officers do ICE work. Those still in place stopped counting on August 25, 2026. Civil Rights Law § 28 also covers courthouse trips: people going to court, attending, or leaving can't be civilly arrested there without a judicial warrant or a court order.

Prison terms are run by the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). After a sentence, the person waits in the Fultonville jail until the county reports them "state ready." After that notice, the state gets ten business days to take the person.

• The first destination is a DOCCS reception center. Medical screening, testing and a security score come before any prison assignment.
• Everyone gets a DIN, a state number that is the quickest way to search.
• Find people by name or DIN on the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup.
• Callers without internet can reach DOCCS on weekdays at 518-457-5000. Its central office sits at the Harriman State Campus, Building 4, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12226.
• Each prison's visits and mail are covered by the New York state prisons guide.

Misdemeanor jail time is shorter: 364 days at most for a class A misdemeanor (Penal Law § 70.15).

Raise the Age took effect in two steps: October 1, 2018 covered 16-year-olds, and October 1, 2019 added 17-year-olds. Anyone under 18 stays out of jails that house adults. If held, a teen goes to a youth detention center.

• Officers who detain a child have to reach a parent or guardian immediately (Family Court Act § 305.2).
• For a teen of 16 or 17 accused of a misdemeanor, the case starts at probation intake instead of adult court.
• Felony cases for teens of 16 or 17 open in County Court's Youth Part. Most nonviolent ones get moved to Family Court. Prosecutors who want to keep such a case there must file a motion inside 30 days and prove "extraordinary circumstances" (CPL 722.23).
• Children under 16 are usually handled by Family Court, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8133.

To find out which youth center has your teen, phone the Sheriff's Office at 518-853-5500 or Probation at 518-853-8380.

State law ranks every offense on a three-step ladder. A violation sits below the crime line, and its stiffest jail term is 15 days. A misdemeanor is a lesser crime that can bring a local jail stay as long as 364 days. A felony is a serious crime, graded from class A at the top to class E at the bottom, and it can lead to state prison.

• Local criminal courts. Amsterdam City Court plus the justice courts in towns and villages decide violations and misdemeanors. Their judges also arraign felony suspects and hold preliminary hearings.
• County Court. An indictment, or a signed waiver of one, carries a felony up to County Court. It shares the courthouse at 58 Broadway with the Supreme Court.
• Family Court. Most cases of children under 16 go here, along with many cases of 16- and 17-year-olds.

The county falls in the 4th Judicial District, and its appeals go to the Appellate Division, Third Department.

The county's main court building stands in the village of Fonda. Its office keeps 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. hours.

• Supreme and County Court (indicted felonies, the Youth Part and the drug treatment court): New Montgomery County Courthouse, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-4516.
• Family Court: same building at 58 Broadway, 518-853-8133.
• Amsterdam City Court (city cases): Public Safety Building, Room 208, 1 Guy Park Avenue Extension, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-9510. The clerk works 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays.
• Federal court (U.S. charges): James T. Foley Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789.

Filing is electronic for some case types in the county's Supreme and County Court, so a lawyer may handle papers online.

Each of the ten towns has a justice court, and two villages share or keep their own. Lots of these judges hold court just a night or two each week, so phone before you go.

• Amsterdam City Court: Room 208, 1 Guy Park Avenue Extension, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-9510. Court Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.
• Town of Amsterdam: 283 Manny's Corners Road, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-842-7411. Court Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 p.m.; clerk weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Town of Canajoharie: 209 Erie Boulevard, Canajoharie, NY 13317, 518-673-3013. Court the first Thursday of the month at 4:00 p.m.
• Village of Canajoharie: 75 Erie Boulevard, Canajoharie, NY 13317, 518-673-5116. Court Mondays at 4:30 p.m.
• Town of Charleston: Municipal Building, 480 Corbin Hill Road, Sprakers, NY 12166, 518-922-6279. Wednesday 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and Thursday 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
• Town of Florida: 214 Fort Hunter Road, Amsterdam, NY 12010, 518-843-6468. Court Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
• Town of Glen: 7 Erie Street, Fultonville, NY 12072, 518-853-4825. Court Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday at 5:00 p.m.
• Town of Minden: 136 State Highway 80, Fort Plain, NY 13339, 518-993-3616. Second and fourth Monday and Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
• Town of Mohawk: 2-4 Park Street, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8865. Court Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.
• Town of Palatine: 141 West Grand Street, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428, 518-673-1003. Court Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
• Town of Root: 1048 Carlisle Road, Sprakers, NY 12166, 518-673-3549. Court Monday at 4:00 p.m.
• Town and Village of St. Johnsville: 7431 State Highway 5, Saint Johnsville, NY 13452, 518-568-2662, extension 102. Second and fourth Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.

For an arrest in a village without its own justice, such as Fort Plain, Fonda or Fultonville, ask the court office at 518-853-4516 which court has the case.

Arraignment is the opening court session in a criminal case. The court system's CourtHelp pages put it roughly a day after the arrest. With a desk appearance ticket, there is no overnight stay; the person simply comes to court on the listed day.

1. The charges arrive in a paper called a complaint, and the judge makes sure the person has it.
2. A defense lawyer stands in. State rules call for counsel at every arraignment, paid by the county when needed (Executive Law § 832(4)).
3. Next comes the securing order, choosing among four outcomes. The person may sign a promise, go out under conditions, owe bail, or be remanded. Money bail is open only for qualifying offenses.
4. Family cases may bring a short-term protective order, such as a rule to stay away from home (CPL 530.12).
5. A return date gets picked before the hearing closes.

Time limits help people held on a felony complaint. They must be freed after 120 hours if nothing has moved. Over a weekend or holiday the cap is 144 hours. A started hearing, a grand jury vote or a few other reasons can stop the clock (CPL 180.80).

Lesser cases begin and end in the local court where they were filed. Plenty close through a plea bargain, and others are dropped. A few reach trial before the city, town or village judge.

• Class A misdemeanor: jail of 364 days or less, plus a fine as high as $1,000 (Penal Law §§ 70.15, 80.05).
• Class B misdemeanor: three months in jail at the very most, with fines capped at $500.
• Violation: as many as 15 days and $250.
• Probation lengths: class A, two or three years; class B, one year (Penal Law § 65.00).
• Conditional discharge: freedom with rules but no officer to report to (Penal Law § 65.05).

To be ready for trial, the DA gets 90 days in a class A misdemeanor case and 60 in a class B case (CPL 30.30(1)). Their evidence, called discovery, must reach the defense quickly: 20 days from arraignment when the client is in custody, 35 when the client is out (CPL 245.10).

Records can fade later. A violation conviction is sealed right away in most cases (CPL 160.55). Clean Slate puts a misdemeanor conviction under seal by itself after three years, counted from jail release or, with no jail, from sentencing (CPL 160.57).

Felonies open at the local level and close in County Court. Expect these steps:

1. Felony complaint and arraignment before the city, town or village judge.
2. Evidence check. Either the local judge runs a preliminary hearing, or the District Attorney takes the case directly to a grand jury. The accused can speak to that grand jury after serving written notice (CPL 190.50(5)).
3. Indictment, the grand jury's formal charge. The case then moves to County Court in the county courthouse.
4. Motions, plea talks and trial. Prosecutors must be trial-ready within six months (CPL 30.30(1)).
5. Sentencing.

Penal Law § 70.00 sets the longest terms. Life is possible for class A. The top for B is 25 years. C reaches 15, D reaches 7, and an E felony reaches 4. Probation for most felonies is three to five years (Penal Law § 65.00). A felony fine can reach $5,000 or twice what the person gained, whichever is more (Penal Law § 80.00).

When drug use drove the crime, a defendant may qualify for judicial diversion, which trades prison for treatment under a judge's eye (CPL Article 216). The county's drug treatment court runs at the courthouse.

Penal Law § 70.02 names the felonies the state treats as violent. First-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, assault in the second degree and possessing a weapon in the second degree are on it. Three things change.

• Bail and remand. Since almost all of them qualify under the bail law, a judge can name a bail amount or deny release.
• Set sentences. Instead of a low-and-high range, the sentence is a single number of years. A class B violent felony allows 5 to 25 years; C allows 3.5 to 15; D allows 2 to 7; E allows 1.5 to 4 (Penal Law § 70.02(3)).
• Supervision after prison. Release brings a period of post-release supervision, much like parole (Penal Law § 70.45).

Youthful offender status, which can replace a conviction for someone 16 to 18, is usually closed off for armed felonies (CPL 720.10). Clean Slate sealing does not apply to class A felonies other than drug cases, or to sex offenses (CPL 160.57).

Prosecution. State criminal charges in the county are handled by the elected District Attorney.

• New Montgomery County Courthouse, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068
• Phone 518-853-8250
• Mail: P.O. Box 1500, Fonda, NY 12068

Defense. Under County Law § 722 the county pays for lawyers through a county-run office.

• Public Defender, Old Courthouse, 9 Park Street, 2nd Floor, Fonda, NY 12068
• Phone 518-853-8305; alternative number 518-853-8306

Under state standards, people in jail and households below 250% of the federal poverty level are presumed to qualify. The judge makes the final call and can assign a lawyer at once while the money form is checked. If that office is already tied to another party, the judge appoints outside counsel.

Calling the court is the surest way. A case number speeds things up; without one, staff can search by name and date of birth.

• Felony after indictment: the court office at the county courthouse, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-4516.
• City case: Amsterdam City Court clerk, 518-842-9510.
• Town or village case: phone the justice court that held the arraignment.
• Family Court: 518-853-8133.

The state's WebCrims tool lists pending cases only when another court date is already set, and only for certain courts. The County Court here is missing from its list of courts, so most local cases won't appear. Closed, sealed and youthful offender matters stay hidden there too.

The defense lawyer also receives every court date and can share it.

The Sheriff's Office, 518-853-5500, serves warrants countywide, and Amsterdam police serve them in the city, 518-842-1100. Look at the New York State Police wanted page and the most wanted section of the Sheriff's free app. For a bench warrant, call the court that issued it. Felony warrants come from the court office, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-4516. To clear one, have a lawyer arrange a surrender to that court on a set day. Courts usually give 48 hours' notice before a missed-date warrant (CPL 510.50).

U.S. charges from this county go to the federal court's Albany Division for the Northern District of New York, James T. Foley Courthouse, 445 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1789.

1. The first federal appearance starts with the judge explaining the charges. The judge checks the arrest papers for probable cause and offers a free lawyer if needed.
2. The release or detention hearing usually happens right then. A delay of a few days is possible if a lawyer asks (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
3. Anyone let go may be supervised by U.S. Pretrial Services, 445 Broadway, Room 347, Albany, NY 12207, 518-257-1700.
4. Held people stay in U.S. Marshals custody. Phone the Albany Marshals at 518-472-5401 to learn the jail. The Fultonville jail is one place that takes federally charged people.
5. Over 90% of federal defendants plead guilty. A presentence report from probation comes before most felony sentences.

The Federal Public Defender works from 54 State Street, Suite 310, Albany, NY 12207, 518-436-1850. Look up filings on PACER's case finder, and after sentencing use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

The state charges keep going either way. A detainer comes into play at release time.

Here is the usual chain of events:

1. The jail is handed a federal request, Form I-247A, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
2. That form asks the jail to hold them up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. If ICE comes, officers transfer the person to federal immigration custody. ICE's Buffalo Field Office is at 130 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202, 716-843-7600. ICE may then transfer them, sometimes as far as the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500.
4. Find them later on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

New York sets firm limits. In 2018, People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco held that local and state officers in New York can't arrest anyone purely for a civil immigration matter. Executive Law § 170-k, signed in May 2026, bans 287(g) agreements, and any still standing died on August 25, 2026. On court days, Civil Rights Law § 28 shields parties and witnesses traveling to a courthouse, inside it and heading home: a civil arrest needs a warrant or order from a judge. A criminal plea can affect immigration status, so the defense lawyer should hear about it early.

State prisons belong to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). A person sentenced to prison stays in the Fultonville jail at first. When the county gives notice that they are ready, DOCCS has ten business days to move them.

• A reception center handles intake: fingerprints, a DIN number, health and mental health screening, and a classification that decides which prison fits.
• Track the person by DIN or name on the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup. Expect a short outage near midnight.
• Facility pages on our New York state prison listings explain visiting and letters.

Shorter jail sentences, like most misdemeanor terms, are served locally.

Age decides the court.

• Under 13: Family Court only, as a juvenile delinquency case. Children 7 to 11 are included only for some homicide crimes (Family Court Act § 301.2).
• 13 to 15: usually Family Court. A few grave felonies, like murder or robbery, make the child a "juvenile offender." That child's case opens in the County Court's Youth Part (CPL 1.20(42)).
• 16 and 17: misdemeanors go to probation intake. Felonies start in the Youth Part, and most nonviolent ones are sent to Family Court (CPL 722.23).

A parent gets an immediate call from police. Questioning may happen only in a space the courts have approved for youth, or at home if a parent agrees (Family Court Act § 305.2). Family Court Act § 307.3 requires a judge to see a held child fast. That means by the next day court is open, or within 72 hours if sooner. No one under 18 goes to an adult jail.

Family Court is at 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8133. For youth detention and intake, call the county Probation Department, 200 Clark Drive, Fultonville, NY 12072, 518-853-8380.

If you were hurt by the crime, these services exist for you.

• Protection. When the accused is family or shares your home, ask the prosecutor about an order of protection. Judges can issue one early on and a final one at sentencing (CPL 530.12).
• Money for losses. The state Office of Victim Services can cover some bills for innocent victims, such as doctor visits, therapy and burial. Call 800-247-8035 or visit the OVS help page.
• Release alerts. Register with VINE at 888-846-3469 or on VINELink for custody changes in county jails and state prisons.
• Case updates. Ask the District Attorney's Office, 58 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068, 518-853-8250, how a case is moving and when you may speak to the court.