New York sorts offenses by weight:

• Felonies are the serious crimes, graded class A (worst) through class E. A conviction at this level may mean years in a state prison.
• Misdemeanors rank below felonies and come in class A or class B. The longest jail term for one is 364 days, served locally (Penal Law § 70.15).
• Violations are not crimes at all. The cap is 15 days.

City, town and village courts count as "local criminal courts." Trials for misdemeanors, violations and traffic tickets happen there. For a felony they only handle the opening steps, the arraignment and a preliminary hearing. Once a grand jury indicts, the felony moves up to County Court, which shares its home with Supreme Court in the county courthouse. Family Court and the Youth Part take most cases of people under 18. If a case is appealed, the Appellate Division, Second Department, hears it.

These are the county-level courts. Family Court hours are weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except state holidays.

• Supreme and County Court, Criminal Department, 2nd floor, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601, 914-824-5400. Felonies after indictment, and weekend and holiday arraignments for city cases (914-824-5032).
• Family Court in White Plains, same building, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601, 914-824-5500.
• Family Court in Yonkers, 131 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701 (3rd floor), 914-831-6555.
• Family Court in New Rochelle, 26 Garden Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801, 914-831-6590.

Family Court handles youth delinquency matters but not divorce. The 9th Judicial District office, which oversees the local courts, is in the county courthouse too, 914-824-5140. To ask for a disability accommodation at any court here, call 914-824-5100.

Each of the county's six cities has its own court for arrests inside city lines. On weekdays they arraign at home. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, city arraignments move to the County Courthouse. Hours below are Monday through Friday, holidays excluded.

• Mount Vernon City Court, 2 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 (2nd floor). Main desk 914-831-6440; criminal part 914-831-6420. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• New Rochelle City Court, 475 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801, 914-358-8000. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; payments taken until 4 p.m.
• Rye City Court, 21 McCullough Place, Rye, NY 10580, 914-831-6400. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• White Plains City Court, 77 South Lexington Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601, 914-824-5675. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; some fines can be paid on the web.
• Yonkers City Court, 100 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; payments until 4 p.m. For the clerk's number, call the 9th District office at 914-824-5140. People arrested by city police wait at the Yonkers City Jail, 104 South Broadway, until they first see a judge.
• Peekskill City Court. Look up its address and hours on the court system's 9th District court directory.

Every town has a justice court, sometimes called a town court. These towns' courts are confirmed by the state court list or the town:

• Eastchester Town Court, 40 Mill Road, Eastchester, NY 10709, 914-771-3354
• Harrison Town Court, 1 Heineman Place, Harrison, NY 10528, 914-670-3010
• Lewisboro Town Court, 79 Bouton Road, South Salem, NY 10590, 914-763-5417
• New Castle Town Court, 200 South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua, NY 10514, 914-238-7264
• North Castle Town Court, 15 Bedford Road, Armonk, NY 10504, 914-273-8627
• North Salem Town Court, 66 June Road, North Salem, NY 10560, 914-669-9691 (mail to PO Box 365)
• Ossining Town Court, 86 Spring Street, Ossining, NY 10562, 914-762-8562
• Pelham Town Court, 34 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803, 914-738-7030
• Pound Ridge Town Court, Town Office, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576, 914-764-5511
• Scarsdale Town and Village Court, 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583, 914-722-1120
• Yorktown Justice Court, 3 Captain Kenneth Sgroi Plaza, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 (GPS address: 2295 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598), 914-962-6216, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Greenburgh Town Court, in session full time on weekdays, 914-989-1850
• Town of Rye Justice Court, inside the Village of Port Chester, 914-939-3305. It hears cases from Port Chester, Rye Brook, the Rye Neck part of Mamaroneck and Westchester County Airport. Court opens at 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with some Tuesday and Thursday evening sessions at 5 p.m. Rye Brook has no court of its own.

The research could not confirm a street address for these local courts yet. Get each one's address and hours from the court system's Find a Court search, or phone the County Court clerk at 914-824-5400:

• Town courts: Bedford, Cortlandt, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant and Somers, plus the street addresses for Greenburgh and the Town of Rye
• Village courts: Ardsley, Irvington, Mamaroneck, Ossining, Pelham Manor, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown

Many villages hold their own justice court for arrests inside village limits. Those with a confirmed address:

• Briarcliff Manor Village Court, 1111 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510, 914-944-2788
• Bronxville Village Court, 200 Pondfield Road, Bronxville, NY 10707, 914-337-2454
• Buchanan Village Court, 236 Tate Avenue, Buchanan, NY 10511, 914-737-1033
• Croton-on-Hudson Village Court, Municipal Building, 1 Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520, 914-271-6266
• Dobbs Ferry Village Court, 112 Main Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522, 914-693-6161
• Elmsford Village Court, 15 South Stone Avenue, Elmsford, NY 10523, 914-592-6555
• Hastings-on-Hudson Village Court, Municipal Building, 7 Maple Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706, 914-478-3403
• Larchmont Village Court, Municipal Building, 120 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont, NY 10538, 914-834-1826
• Pleasantville Village Court, 80 Wheeler Avenue, Pleasantville, NY 10570, 914-769-2027
• Tuckahoe Village Court, 65 Main Street, Tuckahoe, NY 10707, 914-961-4787

Ardsley, Irvington, Mamaroneck, Ossining, Pelham Manor, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown hold village courts as well. Their addresses come from the state's Find a Court tool. Arrests in Port Chester go to the Town of Rye court.

Arraignment usually happens about 24 hours after arrest. Three things happen in front of the judge: the charge is read, a lawyer steps in, and release is decided.

1. A lawyer. If the person can't pay, the court names one. State rules want a lawyer at this hearing (Executive Law § 832(4)). On weekends, city cases get lawyers from the county's assigned lawyer office.
2. The charge. A felony starts on a paper called a felony complaint.
3. Release. Most are released, many without paying anything. Bail or remand is possible only for qualifying offenses (CPL 510.10).
4. Next dates. For a felony, the prosecutor may give notice of a grand jury, and the person may ask to testify there (CPL 190.50(5)).

Anyone handed a desk appearance ticket never sits in a cell. They simply come to court on the date the ticket shows.

Most misdemeanor cases begin and end in one local court. If the defendant sits in jail, the evidence, called discovery, must be turned over inside 20 days of arraignment (CPL 245.10(1)(a)). A defendant who is out waits up to 35 days.

Readiness deadlines (CPL 30.30(1)): 90 days for a class A misdemeanor, 60 for class B, 30 if the only charge is a violation. A jailed defendant goes free if the state still isn't ready after 30, 15 or 5 days (CPL 30.30(2)).

• Class A misdemeanor: a jail stay capped at 364 days, a fine reaching $1,000, or 2 to 3 years on probation (Penal Law 70.15, 65.00).
• Class B misdemeanor: a 3-month ceiling on jail, $500 tops, or probation lasting a year.
• Violation: a maximum of 15 days and $250.
• Conditional discharge: freedom with court-set conditions for a year, without a probation officer (Penal Law § 65.05).

Convictions for a violation are sealed in most cases (CPL 160.55). Misdemeanor convictions seal on their own three years after sentence or release under the Clean Slate Act (CPL 160.57).

1. Felony complaint and arraignment in a local court.
2. Preliminary hearing or grand jury. Someone held must be freed at the 120-hour limit, or 144 hours if a weekend or holiday intervenes, if neither has happened (CPL 180.80).
3. Indictment. A grand jury votes the formal charge.
4. Upper court arraignment. County Court arraigns the person on the indictment at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601.
5. Discovery and motions. Prosecutors get six months to declare readiness (CPL 30.30(1)).
6. Plea bargain or trial, and a sentence if convicted.

How long can prison be (Penal Law § 70.00)? The worst class A crimes can carry life. Class B goes up to a quarter century; class C, 15 years; class D, 7; class E, 4. Fines reach $5,000 or twice the gain. A judge who finds prison unduly harsh for a class D or E felony may impose a definite term of one year or less. Felony probation is three to five years. Some drug cases can go to court-supervised treatment through Judicial Diversion (CPL Article 216). Felony convictions seal automatically after eight years in most cases (CPL 160.57).

Many robbery, burglary, assault and weapon charges are "violent felony offenses" in New York (Penal Law § 70.02). The differences are real:

• Set prison ranges. A class B violent felony runs from 5 years to 25. Class C means 3.5 years up to 15. A class D violent felony means 2 to 7 years, and class E means 1.5 to 4.
• Parole-style supervision. After release, post-release supervision follows (Penal Law § 70.45).
• Release. These charges usually qualify for bail, so a judge may set money bail or remand.
• Youthful offender. Armed felonies and certain sex crimes usually rule out youthful offender treatment for anyone charged at 16, 17 or 18 (CPL 720.10).
• Records. Clean Slate never seals sex offenses or most class A felonies, and applications to seal never cover violent felonies (CPL 160.59).

Examples by class: first-degree robbery (B), second-degree weapon possession (C), second-degree assault (D).

Prosecution belongs to the District Attorney, an elected official. The main office is at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601, 914-995-3414. Branch offices cover the local courts:

• Greenburgh branch, 188 Tarrytown Road, White Plains, NY 10607, 914-995-4075: Greenburgh, Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown.
• Mount Vernon branch, 2 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY 10550, 914-813-5025: Mount Vernon, Bronxville, Pelham, Pelham Manor.
• New Rochelle branch, 475 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 (2nd floor), 914-813-5800: New Rochelle, Larchmont, Eastchester, Tuckahoe.
• Northern Westchester branch, 1940 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, 914-862-5140: Peekskill, Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining, Pound Ridge, Somers, Yorktown, Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson, Mount Kisco, Pleasantville.
• Rye branch, 3010 Westchester Avenue, Suite 205, Purchase, NY 10577, 914-813-7257: Rye, North Castle, Harrison, Port Chester, Mamaroneck.
• White Plains branch, 77 South Lexington Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601, 914-422-6265: White Plains, Scarsdale.
• Yonkers branch, 104 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701, 914-231-2700: Yonkers.

On defense, the county's independent Office of Assigned Counsel is the largest provider, with a panel of over 250 private lawyers. The Legal Aid Society of Westchester County also has an office inside the jail. A person qualifies if they are jailed or earn under 250% of the federal poverty level, and the judge decides. To find the assigned lawyer, call the court with the case.

Start with WebCrims, the state's free criminal case search. It covers Westchester County Court and about 60 city courts around New York. Enter two or more letters of each name, first and last, and filter by county.

Its reach is narrow: only pending cases with an upcoming appearance. Finished cases, sealed cases, youthful offender cases, cases waiting on a warrant, and cases ending in only a violation stay off it.

For town and village courts, or anything the search doesn't show, call the court itself:

• Felony cases: County Court Criminal Department, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601, 914-824-5400.
• Mount Vernon cases: criminal part, 2 Roosevelt Square North, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 (2nd floor), 914-831-6420.
• New Rochelle cases: 475 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801, 914-358-8000.
• Rye cases: 21 McCullough Place, Rye, NY 10580, 914-831-6400.

Before calling, gather the person's legal name, birthday and docket number if known. Numbers for each town and village court are in the state's local court directory.

County Police's Warrant-Fugitive Unit hunts people wanted on county criminal court and Family Court warrants. Reach headquarters at 1 Saw Mill River Parkway, Hawthorne, NY 10532, 914-864-7700. City, town and village police handle their own courts' warrants. Browse the county's Warrant Watch fugitive list and the New York State Police wanted listings. WebCrims skips warrant cases, so phone police or the issuing court. To clear a warrant, call a lawyer and walk in together to the court that issued it, or ask that court to reschedule. Felony warrants are handled by the County Court criminal clerk, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601, 914-824-5400.

Westchester is one of six "Northern Counties" in the Southern District of New York. Crimes committed mainly here are assigned to the White Plains division (SDNY Rule 18). The building is known as the Brieant courthouse: 300 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601. The clerk answers at 914-390-4100, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

1. The person is arraigned in that building. A magistrate judge there, or in Manhattan if none is free, hears bail.
2. A detention hearing comes at the first appearance (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)). Factors include the strength of the evidence, the nature of the crime, the person's record and roots in the community, and any danger (18 U.S.C. 3142(g)).
3. Deputy marshals from the federal Marshals Service hold an unconvicted defendant and drive them to each hearing: 500 Pearl Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10007, 646-563-9800.
4. Lawyers for people without money come from Federal Defenders of New York, 81 Main Street, Suite 124, White Plains, NY 10601, 914-428-7124.
5. Nationwide, over nine in ten federal defendants take a plea rather than a trial.

PACER has the filings; each page costs $0.10, capped at $3.00 per document. A sentenced defendant can be located through the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

The criminal case keeps going whatever ICE does. A detainer comes into play only when the jail would otherwise free the person. The usual sequence:

1. ICE's detainer, Form I-247A, reaches the jail.
2. It requests that the person be kept up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Agents from ICE's New York City office, which also serves Westchester, collect the person. That office is at 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 9-110, New York, NY 10278 (9th floor), 212-436-9315.
4. Transfers can go to ICE's center in Batavia, called the Buffalo (Batavia) Service Processing Center, 4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY 14020, or out of state.
5. Track them with the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

State law matters here. People ex rel. Wells v DeMarco (Second Department, 2018) found that New York officers can't arrest anyone for a civil immigration violation under state law. The Attorney General treats detainers as voluntary and urges jails to act on one only with a judicial warrant. Since May 27, 2026, Executive Law § 170-k bans 287(g) agreements, and those still in force ended August 25, 2026. Civil Rights Law § 28 protects parties, witnesses and their families from civil arrest while they travel to court, attend it, or head home, unless a judicial warrant or order says otherwise. State and local officers also may not question someone only about civil immigration status without a judicial warrant or legal duty.

Anything over a year is a state sentence, served under the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). Shorter ones are served on the county jail campus in Valhalla.

• The county holds the person until DOCCS is ready, then DOCCS has ten business days to take them.
• At a reception center they get a DIN (state ID number), health checks and a security rating, then move to a prison that fits.
• Look them up on the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup. It's offline nightly near 11:45 p.m.
• For someone released to parole, try the Parolee Lookup.
• Our New York prisons page gives visiting and mail details for each prison.

Age decides the court:

• Ages 12 through 17: conduct that is criminal for grown-ups makes the child a juvenile delinquent, and Family Court hears it (Family Court Act § 301.2).
• Ages 13 to 15 charged with the gravest felonies, such as murder, may be prosecuted as juvenile offenders (CPL 1.20(42)).
• Ages 16 and 17 charged with felonies are adolescent offenders. Their cases open in County Court's Youth Part. Nonviolent ones get transferred to Family Court. The DA can keep one in the Youth Part only with a motion, filed within 30 days, showing "extraordinary circumstances" (CPL 722.23).

Young people are never held in the adult jail. The county's secure youth detention is run by The Children's Village under contract, 914-231-1103. See our youth detention page. Probation's juvenile offices are at 26 Garden Street, New Rochelle, NY 10801 (4th floor), 914-813-5500, and 131 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701 (3rd floor), 914-231-2900. That building also houses Family Court's Yonkers site, 914-831-6555.

The District Attorney's Victims' Justice Center helps people harmed by crime, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 914-995-3300. It works from the DA's main office, 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY 10601.

• Staff explain court dates, go to court with victims, and help write impact statements.
• They refer people to counseling and help with state compensation claims.
• The state Office of Victim Services can pay for medical bills, counseling and funeral costs, 800-247-8035.
• A temporary order of protection can come from the criminal judge when the case is a family offense (CPL 530.12). Victims keep the right to petition Family Court as well.
• Sign up for release alerts through VINELink or at 888-846-3469.