Every offense in New York falls into one of three tiers, and that tier points to the right court:

• Violations sit at the bottom and are not crimes at all. The most jail possible is 15 days (Penal Law § 70.15(4)).
• Misdemeanors are lesser crimes. Class A brings up to 364 days in the local jail, and class B up to three months.
• Felonies carry the heaviest punishment. They run from class A, the gravest, to class E, and can mean state prison.

The three city courts and the town and village justice courts try violations, misdemeanors and traffic cases. Felonies begin with them too: a local justice arraigns the person and may hold a preliminary hearing. Indicted cases then climb to County Court in Utica. Supreme Court, in the same building, can take criminal matters as well. Family Court and the Youth Part handle young people.

This county belongs to the Fifth Judicial District, along with Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga and Oswego. Anyone appealing a conviction from here takes it to the Fourth Department, one of four branches of the state's Appellate Division.

These are the bigger courthouses. Clerk windows keep business hours on weekdays, so phone ahead before a long drive.

• Supreme, County and Family Courts: 200 Elizabeth Street, Utica, NY 13501. Indicted felonies are heard in County Court here. For court help, call the Fifth Judicial District office at 315-671-2111.
• Utica City Court: 413 Oriskany Street West, Utica, NY 13502, 315-266-4600.
• Rome City Court: Justice Building, 100 West Court Street, Rome, NY 13440, 315-266-4700
• Sherrill City Court: 373 Sherrill Road, Sherrill, NY 13461, 315-266-4381
• Federal court for criminal cases: James Hanley Federal Building, 100 South Clinton Street, Syracuse, NY 13261, 315-234-8500, open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Federal building in Utica: Alexander Pirnie Federal Building, 10 Broad Street, Room 307, Utica, NY 13501, 315-793-8151, open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Every town has a justice court, and several villages run their own. A city, town or village court can hear the misdemeanor or arraign the felony that happened inside its borders. Many meet only a day or two a week, so call before you go.

North and west:

• Annsville Town Court, Town Hall, 9196 Main Street, Taberg, NY 13471, 315-336-1295
• Ava Town Court, 11468 State Route 26, Ava, NY 13303, 315-942-5669
• Boonville Town and Village Courts, 13149 State Route 12, Boonville, NY 13309, 315-338-2890
• Camden Town Court, Town Hall, 14 Church Street, Camden, NY 13316, 315-245-4033
• Florence Town Court, 11897 Thompson Corners-Florence Road, Camden, NY 13316, 315-245-0457
• Forestport Town Court, Town Hall, 12012 Woodhull Road, Forestport, NY 13338, 315-392-2801
• Lee Town Court, Town Hall, 5808 Stokes Lee Center Road, Lee Center, NY 13363, 315-336-1585
• Remsen Town Court, Town Hall, 10540 Academy Lane, Remsen, NY 13438, 315-831-8710
• Steuben Town Court, Town Hall, 9458 Soule Road, Remsen, NY 13438, 315-865-5508
• Sylvan Beach Village Court, 808 Marina Drive, Sylvan Beach, NY 13157, 315-762-4246
• Trenton Town Court, 8520 Old Poland Road, Barneveld, NY 13304, 315-896-4510
• Vienna Town Court, Town Hall, 2083 State Route 49, North Bay, NY 13123, 315-245-2191
• Western Town Court, Town Hall, 9219 Main Street, Westernville, NY 13486, 315-827-4548

Around Rome and Utica:

• Deerfield Town Court, Municipal Building, 6329 Walker Road, Deerfield, NY 13502, 315-507-3058
• Floyd Town Court, 8299 Old Floyd Road, Rome, NY 13440, 315-865-4256
• Marcy Town Court, 8801 Paul Becker Road, Marcy, NY 13403, 315-768-4800
• New Hartford Town and Village Courts, 8634 Clinton Street, New Hartford, NY 13413, 315-732-5924
• New York Mills Village Court, 1 Maple Street, New York Mills, NY 13417, 315-736-7811
• Oriskany Village Court, 708 Utica Street, Oriskany, NY 13424, 315-736-2725
• Whitesboro Village Court, 8 Park Avenue, Whitesboro, NY 13492, 315-736-4353
• Whitestown Town Court, 1 Championship Way, Whitesboro, NY 13492, 315-736-1251
• Yorkville Village Court, 30 6th Street, Yorkville, NY 13495, 315-736-0204

South and east:

• Augusta Town Court, 2470 North Road, Augusta, NY 13425, 315-821-3814
• Bridgewater Town Court, Town Hall, 404 State Route 8, Bridgewater, NY 13313, 315-822-5909
• Kirkland Town Court, Municipal Building, 3699 State Route 12B, Clinton, NY 13323, 315-853-4538
• Marshall Town Court, Town Hall, 2651 State Route 12B, Deansboro, NY 13328, 315-841-8525
• Paris Town Court, 2580 Sulphur Springs Road, Sauquoit, NY 13456, 315-839-6208
• Sangerfield Town Court, Town Barn, 1084 State Route 12, Sangerfield, NY 13455, 315-841-4108
• Vernon Town Court, 4305 Peterboro Road, Vernon, NY 13476, 315-829-4481
• Vernon Village Court, 4305 Peterboro Road, Vernon, NY 13476, 315-829-2489
• Verona Town Court, 6600 Germany Road, Durhamville, NY 13054, 315-363-4394
• Waterville Village Court, Village Hall, 122 Barton Avenue, Waterville, NY 13480, 315-841-8737
• Westmoreland Town Court, Town Hall, 100 Station Road, Westmoreland, NY 13490, 315-853-4333

Villages such as Camden, Clinton, Holland Patent, Oneida Castle, Oriskany Falls and Remsen may send cases to the town court around them, or may have a court of their own. To be sure, search the court system's Find a Court tool for the address and hours, or call the Fifth Judicial District office at 315-671-2111.

The arraignment is the first court date. Most people held after arrest see a judge within about 24 hours, according to the state's CourtHelp site. Here, it takes place either before the justice whose town or city covers the arrest, or in the Centralized Arraignment Part, a county court session that runs at set times with local judges taking turns, nights and weekends too.

1. The judge reads the charges, which are written on a paper called the accusatory instrument.
2. Anyone short on money gets a free lawyer right then. Public Defender staff work the arraignment part.
3. The judge issues a securing order: release on recognizance, release with conditions, or, for qualifying offenses only, bail or remand (CPL 510.10).
4. On a felony, what comes next is a preliminary hearing or the grand jury.
5. When the charge involves family or household members, expect a temporary stay-away order (CPL 530.12).

Ask the jail's Records and Bail line at 315-765-2251 where and when the person will be arraigned.

Lots of first-time shoplifting and drunk-driving arrests end up as misdemeanor cases in a city, town or village court. Many begin with an appearance ticket rather than a night in jail.

1. First date. The person appears, gets a lawyer and hears the charge.
2. Evidence sharing. Called discovery. The DA turns over police reports and other proof on a deadline: within 20 days of arraignment if the accused is locked up, 35 if they are free (CPL 245.10).
3. Speedy trial limit. Prosecutors get 90 days to be trial-ready on most misdemeanors that can bring over three months in jail. Lighter ones get 60 (CPL 30.30).
4. Plea or trial. A guilty plea, a dismissal, or a verdict by a local judge or jury closes it out.
5. Sentence. Options range from a fine to jail.

Maximum penalties in New York:

• The top misdemeanor grade, class A, can bring 364 days behind bars plus a $1,000 fine. Probation instead lasts two or three years.
• A class B can mean as much as three months inside and $500, or a single year on probation.
• Violation: up to 15 days and a $250 fine.

A conditional discharge, which means freedom on rules with no probation officer, lasts one year for a misdemeanor (Penal Law § 65.05).

A felony moves from a local court up to County Court. Here is the usual path:

1. Felony complaint and arraignment, handled by a town, village or city justice or by the county arraignment part.
2. Preliminary hearing or grand jury. While the accused sits in jail, one of these has to start within 120 hours, stretched to 144 across a weekend or holiday. If not, release usually follows (CPL 180.80).
3. Grand jury. This is a panel of citizens that decides whether to bring formal charges. Through written notice to the DA, the accused can choose to tell their side to the grand jurors (CPL 190.50(5)).
4. Indictment and arraignment in County Court at 200 Elizabeth Street, Utica, NY 13501.
5. Discovery and motions. Prosecutors share evidence within 20 or 35 days (CPL 245.10).
6. Trial readiness. The People get six months to be ready (CPL 30.30).
7. Plea or trial, then sentencing, often after a report from Probation.

How long can prison last? Under Penal Law § 70.00, the ceiling is 4 years for a class E felony, 7 for class D, 15 for class C and 25 for class B. Class A can mean life. Fines can reach $5,000 or twice the gain from the crime. Felony probation runs three to five years for most crimes. For class D and E, a judge may give a year or less in jail if more would be too harsh.

New York treats violent felonies, listed in Penal Law § 70.02, more strictly at every step:

• Release. Each one is on the qualifying list, which opens the door to money bail or remand (CPL 510.10(4)).
• Class A felonies. City, town and village judges may not release a person charged with one. A County Court judge decides instead (CPL 530.20(2)).
• Fixed sentences. Violent felonies get a set number of years plus parole-like supervision afterward, called post-release supervision.
• Ranges: a violent class E felony draws 1.5 to 4 years. Move up to class D and the range becomes 2 to 7. Class C means 3.5 to 15 years, and class B means 5 to 25.
• Common ones: first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary sit in class B, and the same charges in the second degree are class C. Assault in the second degree falls in class D.
• Victims. Keeping away from the alleged victim is a common release rule.

Most violent felony cases end in County Court. Questions about the charge go to the District Attorney at 315-798-5766.

Voters choose the District Attorney, whose office prosecutes all state crimes in the county. Free defense comes mainly from the county Public Defender.

• District Attorney: 235 Elizabeth Street, Utica, NY 13501, 315-798-5766. Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
• Public Defender, Criminal Division: 250 Boehlert Center, 321 Main Street, Utica, NY 13501, 315-798-5870. The office covers the arraignment part, County Court, appeals and the 42 local courts.
• Assigned Counsel program: if a conflict keeps the Public Defender off a case, a private lawyer paid by the county is appointed.

Income no higher than 250% of the federal poverty guidelines creates a presumption of eligibility. People held in jail are presumed eligible too. A spouse's income doesn't count. A lawyer can be named for now while the court checks (ILS eligibility standards). Email the Public Defender at pubdef@oneidacountyny.gov.

The fastest route depends on the court. Try these:

1. The jail. The Records Unit enters court dates for people held at the Oriskany jail. Call 315-765-2251.
2. WebCrims. The state's WebCrims search covers about 60 city courts and some county courts. Search a name and narrow by county. It lists only open cases that have a court date coming up.
3. The court itself. For town and village courts, call the court. For County Court, the Fifth Judicial District office at 315-671-2111 can point you to the clerk. Give the clerk the person's name and date of birth.
4. The lawyer. Defense lawyers get every date. The Public Defender is at 315-798-5870.

Finished cases, sealed cases and youthful offender cases never show on WebCrims. For a final result, ask the clerk of the court that handled it.

The Sheriff's warrants unit at 6065 Judd Road, Oriskany, NY 13424 serves county warrants; call 315-765-2232. Look at the Sheriff's warrants list, updated each Monday, and its Ten Most Wanted page. Utica police keep an open warrants page, and the State Police post a wanted list. You can also call the court named on the warrant. To clear it, talk to a lawyer first, then surrender at that court or ask it for a new date. A Utica City Court warrant goes to 413 Oriskany Street West, Utica, NY 13502, 315-266-4600.

A federal charge from the Mohawk Valley belongs to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Its Syracuse Division takes the criminal side, in the James Hanley Federal Building at 100 South Clinton Street, Syracuse, NY 13261, 315-234-8500.

• Detention hearing. Federal law wants it held immediately. The defense may push it back up to five days, and the prosecution up to three (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
• Custody. Federal prisoners answer to the Marshals, whose office is at 100 South Clinton Street, 10th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13261, 315-473-7601. The Sheriff says 35 beds at the Oriskany jail are set aside for them.
• Pretrial officers. The federal pretrial and probation office in Utica sees people by appointment at 315-266-1161.
• Defense. Federal Public Defender, 4 Clinton Square, 3rd Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202, 315-701-0080.
• Records. Federal case files are on the PACER Case Locator, at 10 cents a page with a $3 cap per document.
• After sentencing. Track the person with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

An immigration hold runs next to the criminal case. It does not end it. Here is the order of events:

1. First comes Form I-247A, the detainer ICE sends to the jail.
2. Its request: keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. If ICE arrives, agents drive the person to federal detention. A common stop is the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500.
4. Track them on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

New York law shapes this in three ways. First, the 2018 Wells v DeMarco ruling from the Appellate Division held that county and town officers can't arrest people for civil immigration violations under New York law. Second, Executive Law § 170-k wiped out every 287(g) deal on August 25, 2026. Third, Civil Rights Law § 28 protects parties and witnesses from civil arrest near a courthouse unless a judge signed a warrant or order. Before taking any plea, get the defense lawyer's advice on what it could mean for immigration status.

Short sentences, up to one year, stay local at the Oriskany jail. Longer felony terms go to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).

• Once the county marks the person "state ready," DOCCS has to receive them within ten business days.
• They spend their first weeks at a reception center for health exams, tests and a security rating.
• Next comes a move to a prison that fits that rating.
• Find them with the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup. Their DIN, a state ID number, is the quickest search. Weekday help is at 518-457-5000.
• Our guide to New York prisons has details on each one.

Raise the Age took full effect in October 2019. Teens aged 16 or 17 facing a felony are now adolescent offenders. Their cases open in the Youth Part of County Court.

• Nonviolent felonies get transferred to Family Court. To stop that, the DA must file within 30 days and show "extraordinary circumstances" (CPL 722.23(1)).
• A violent felony stays in the Youth Part only if the DA proves one of three things. Someone suffered serious injury, the accused displayed a firearm or deadly weapon, or the case involves sexual conduct (CPL 722.23(2)).
• Misdemeanors by teens go to probation intake instead.
• Children from 12 to 17 can face delinquency cases in Family Court, 200 Elizabeth Street, Utica, NY 13501 (Family Court Act § 301.2).
• Teens are never held with adults. The state lists its secure juvenile detention centers online.

Officers have to alert a parent right away and tell them where any questioning will take place. The county's Raise the Age unit in Probation is at 315-798-5914.

Victims and families have rights and practical help in New York:

• Money for losses. The Office of Victim Services can pay out-of-pocket costs like medical bills, counseling and funerals. Call 800-247-8035.
• Release alerts. Register with VINE at VINELink or by phone at 888-846-3469, for a call or text when the person's custody status changes.
• Orders of protection. In family-offense cases, the criminal judge may issue a stay-away order with release (CPL 530.12).
• Talking to prosecutors. Call the District Attorney at 315-798-5766 about the case.
• Sheriff's resources. Read the Sheriff's crime victims page.