New York splits criminal work between two layers. Ogdensburg City Court and the town courts are called local criminal courts. They try violations, misdemeanors and traffic offenses, and they also run the opening steps of every felony, namely the arraignment and the preliminary hearing. An indictment from a grand jury sends a felony up to County Court in Canton. Supreme Court, in the same building, has power over felonies as well.

• Felony: the serious end, graded class A (worst) down to class E. A state prison term is possible.
• Misdemeanor: a mid-level crime, ranked class A or class B. It can bring up to 364 days behind bars locally (Penal Law § 70.15).
• Violation: a lower offense, legally not a crime. Jail is capped at 15 days.

Cases involving young people are heard in Family Court or the Youth Part. The county sits in the Fourth Judicial District, and appeals from County Court go to the Appellate Division, Third Department.

The county's higher courts all share one courthouse block on Court Street:

• County Court and Supreme Court (felonies after indictment), 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-2219. Call for clerk hours.
• Family Court (children, families and most youth cases), same address, 315-379-2410.
• Wheelchair entrance for the complex: a ramp with a call button at 620 Main Street, Canton, NY 13617. Ask the District Executive's office about access needs at 518-285-5099.
• Court Help Center, Supreme Court Law Library, Floor 2B, 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-2279. Phone help runs 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; walk-ins need an appointment.
• Ogdensburg City Court, 330 Ford Street, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, 315-393-3941. Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Two treatment courts work here as well: a felony drug treatment program run through County Court, and the Ogdensburg City Misdemeanor Hub Court inside the city court building. In these, people whose addiction is tied to the charge can choose supervised treatment.

The county has one city and 32 towns. Ogdensburg City Court handles crimes inside the city limits. Each town has its own justice court for local charges and early felony steps. The courts below are listed by the state's Unified Court System or a town office:

• Ogdensburg City Court, 330 Ford Street, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, 315-393-3941
• Brasher Town Court, Main Street, P.O. Box 358, Brasher Falls, NY 13613, 315-389-4223
• Canton Town Court, 60 Main Street, Municipal Building, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-9844
• DeKalb Town Court, P.O. Box 133, DeKalb Junction, NY 13630, 315-347-2071
• DePeyster Town Court, 3999 County Route 10, DePeyster, NY 13633, 315-344-7259
• Edwards Town Court, 161 Main Street, Edwards, NY 13635, 315-562-3274
• Fine Town Court, 4078 State Highway 3, Star Lake, NY 13690, 315-848-3121
• Hermon Town Court, Town Hall, 109 Church Street, Hermon, NY 13652, 315-287-6519
• Lawrence Town Court, 11403 US Highway 11, North Lawrence, NY 12967, 315-389-4487
• Louisville Town Court, 14810 State Highway 37, Massena, NY 13662, 315-764-1424
• Madrid Town Court, Madrid Town Office, 3529 County Road 14, Madrid, NY 13660, 315-528-3399. Court meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m.
• Norfolk Town Court, 5 Main Street, Norfolk, NY 13667, 315-384-4721
• Oswegatchie Town Court, 51 State Street, Heuvelton, NY 13654, 315-344-7284
• Parishville Town Court, P.O. Box 155, Parishville, NY 13672, 315-265-2131
• Piercefield Town Court, Town Hall, 48 Waller Street, Piercefield, NY 12973, 518-359-2237
• Pierrepont Town Court, 864 State Highway 68, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-0415
• Pitcairn Town Court, Town Hall, Harrisville, NY 13648, 315-543-2802
• Potsdam Town Court, 35 Market Street, Potsdam, NY 13676, 315-265-4318

More town courts, with addresses to look up: Clare, Clifton, Colton, Fowler, Gouverneur (315-287-4623, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Hammond, Hopkinton, Lisbon, Macomb, Massena, Morristown, Rossie, Russell, Stockholm and Waddington. Find each one's address and hours with the Unified Court System's court locator, or ask the County Court clerk at 315-379-2219.

The arraignment is the first hearing. CourtHelp, the state court system's help site, says about a day usually passes between an arrest and the arraignment. In this county a town justice or the Ogdensburg city judge presides. Here is what happens in that courtroom:

• the charges are read from a complaint or a similar court paper;
• a lawyer stands beside the accused, appointed free when they can't pay (Executive Law § 832(4));
• the judge picks a securing order, which ranges from ROR through conditions and bail up to remand on some felonies (CPL 510.10);
• on a felony, the District Attorney may speak before any release (CPL 530.20(2));
• in a family-offense case, the judge may add a temporary order of protection (CPL 530.12).

Someone who got an appearance ticket instead of being held simply shows up on the date written on it, at the court it names.

A misdemeanor stays in the town or city court from start to finish. Next comes a plea of guilty or not guilty. Prosecutors must hand over their evidence, called discovery. The deadline is 20 days when the person is locked up and 35 when free (CPL 245.10(1)(a)). They must also be ready for trial within set times (CPL 30.30(1)):

• 90 days for a misdemeanor carrying more than three months;
• 60 days for a misdemeanor carrying three months or less;
• 30 days for a violation only.

The most a judge can give (Penal Law §§ 70.15, 80.05):

• class A misdemeanor: 364 days in jail and a $1,000 fine;
• class B misdemeanor: three months and $500;
• violation: 15 days and $250.

A judge can also skip jail. For a class A misdemeanor, probation runs two or three years. Another option, called a conditional discharge, means one year of rules with no officer checking in (Penal Law §§ 65.00, 65.05). Under the Clean Slate Act, a misdemeanor conviction seals by itself three years after sentencing, or after release if there was jail time (CPL 160.57).

1. Felony complaint and arraignment in a town court or Ogdensburg City Court.
2. The 120-hour clock. If the person sits in jail, a preliminary hearing or grand jury action must happen within 120 hours, a limit that grows to 144 over a weekend or holiday. Past that deadline, release on recognizance is required (CPL 180.80).
3. Grand jury. A panel of citizens hears the District Attorney's evidence and votes on an indictment. The accused may testify there too, after serving written notice on the DA and waiving immunity in writing (CPL 190.50(5)).
4. Arraignment in County Court, this time on the indictment.
5. Evidence exchange and motions. The People, meaning the prosecution, must be trial-ready inside six months (CPL 30.30(1)).
6. Plea or trial, then a sentence, usually after a presentence report from Probation.

Class A can mean life in prison (Penal Law § 70.00). Below that, the top term drops step by step: 25 years (B), 15 (C), seven (D) and four (E). Felony fines reach $5,000 or double the gain (Penal Law § 80.00). When state prison would be unduly harsh, a judge can choose one year or less in jail on certain D or E felonies, except for repeat felony offenders.

Robbery in the first degree and assault in the second degree are two examples of violent felonies. New York handles this group more strictly at every stage:

• Bail and remand are allowed, since violent felonies count as qualifying offenses (CPL 510.10(4)).
• Fixed prison terms apply (Penal Law § 70.02). The judge must pick a set number of years inside a band: B runs from 5 to 25, C from 3.5 to 15, D from 2 to 7 and E from 1.5 to 4. Post-release supervision follows.
• Class A felonies can't get release from a town or city judge at all; a superior court rules (CPL 530.20(2)).
• Orders of protection after a family-offense felony may run eight years from sentencing. If the prison term ends later, the order can run longer (CPL 530.12(5)).
• Record sealing under Clean Slate never covers sex offenses or most class A felonies (CPL 160.57).

The elected District Attorney's office prosecutes every crime in the county. It works in County Court, Supreme Court, Family Court and about three dozen city, town and village courts. The office is at 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-2225.

Free defense runs through the county. Apply at the Office of Indigent Defense, 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617 (Public Safety Building), 315-379-2401, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bring court papers and proof of income. The office recommends a lawyer, and the judge decides.

• Public Defender: 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617 (Corner Building), 315-379-2115. Alternative number: 315-379-2393.
• Assigned Counsel Program (private panel lawyers for conflict cases): 2 Judson Street, Canton, NY 13617, 315-386-8544.

Anyone jailed, or with household income under 2.5 times the federal poverty level, is presumed to qualify.

The state's online tool, WebCrims, covers only certain courts around New York, and only active cases with a future court date. Finished cases, sealed cases and youthful offender matters never appear there.

For a case here, the surest route is the court's own clerk. Before calling, write down the spelling of the person's name and their date of birth:

• County Court (felonies after indictment): 315-379-2219
• Ogdensburg City Court: 315-393-3941
• Town courts: call the town court where the arrest happened
• Court Help Center, for help finding the right office: 315-379-2279

The jail at 315-379-2367 can also tell you the next court date for someone held there. All three county-level courts sit at 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617.

Sheriff's deputies serve warrants countywide, and city and village police do so in their own areas. Ask the Sheriff's Office about warrants at 315-379-2222; its Warrant Alerts page shows people it is seeking. Statewide, see the New York State Police wanted list. A court clerk can also say whether that court issued one. Clearing a warrant starts with hiring or calling a lawyer. With the lawyer, surrender at the issuing court, or ring its clerk to get a new date set. A missed court date normally earns a 48-hour warning to the person or lawyer before any bench warrant (CPL 510.50(2)). County Court: 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-2219.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York hears federal cases, and this county belongs to its Malone/Plattsburgh Division. Hearings take place at the Gateway Building, 14 Durkee Street, Suite 360, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, 518-247-4501.

• A federal judge sees the person first. The judge covers what the charge is and the right to appointed counsel. A detention hearing follows right away (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)).
• The Federal Public Defender's Syracuse office is at 4 Clinton Square, 3rd Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202, 315-701-0080.
• A detained defendant answers to the U.S. Marshals Service, whose district base is 100 South Clinton Street, 10th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13261, 315-473-7601.
• Look up filings on PACER, at 10 cents a page with a $3 cap per document.
• After sentencing, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator shows the prison.

Across the country, more than 90% of federal cases close with a plea of guilty.

A detainer leaves the state charges untouched, and they continue. It matters only when the person is about to leave jail:

1. ICE may lodge Form I-247A.
2. The request asks staff to keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Agents then collect the person.
4. ICE holds people at places like its Batavia facility, the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, 585-344-6500, and the Clinton County Jail, 25 McCarthy Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, 518-565-4343.
5. Track them on the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

New York sets limits on that process. People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco (2018) found New York officers lack state-law authority to arrest for civil immigration violations. Executive Law § 170-k, passed in May 2026, made local 287(g) agreements void as of August 25, 2026. Civil Rights Law § 28 blocks civil arrests of parties, witnesses and their family members going to, at, or coming home from court, unless a judge has authorized the arrest.

Any term over one year goes to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Terms of a year or less stay in the county jail. After the county marks someone ready, DOCCS must pick the person up within ten business days. The new arrival is processed and classified, then sent to a prison that suits the security level and needs.

• Search by name, birth year or DIN on the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup. The DIN stays the same for one prison term.
• DOCCS answers location questions on weekdays at 518-457-5000.
• Prison-by-prison visiting and mail details: see our New York state prisons guide.

New York's Raise the Age law changed teen cases. A 16- or 17-year-old charged with a felony is called an adolescent offender. The Youth Part of County Court takes the case first. Nonviolent felony cases shift to Family Court within 30 days of arraignment, except when the DA files a motion and shows extraordinary circumstances (CPL 722.23(1)). A violent felony stays put only if the DA proves serious injury, a shown weapon or sexual conduct (CPL 722.23(2)).

• Misdemeanor arrests of teens are sent to probation intake rather than adult court.
• Family Court hears most cases of children 12 to 15, who are called juvenile delinquents.
• Juvenile offenders are 13 to 15 and charged with certain grave felonies; their cases go to the Youth Part.
• Youthful offender status can swap out a conviction for people who were at least 16 but under 19 when the crime happened (CPL 720.10).

Family Court, 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617, 315-379-2410. Probation, which handles youth intake, answers at 315-379-2230.

The District Attorney's Victims Services staff help victims through the case. Call the main DA line at 315-379-2225 or visit 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617. They help with case updates, orders of protection, restitution, compensation claims, victim impact statements and referrals for counseling and shelter.

• The state Office of Victim Services can repay out-of-pocket losses, medical bills and funeral costs: 800-247-8035.
• Register for custody alerts on VINELink or by phone at 888-846-3469. The alert service is free and runs around the clock.
• Domestic violence hotline: 800-942-6906 (English) or 800-942-6907 (Spanish).