The Text

The court of general sessions in and for the city and county of New York is continued, and from and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, it shall have the same jurisdiction and powers throughout the city of New York, under the name of the court of general sessions of the city of New York, as it now possesses within the county of New York. It shall consist of the judges then in office and the judges transferred thereto by this section, all of whom shall continue to be judges of the court of general sessions of the city of New York for the remainder of the terms for which they respectively were elected or appointed. The county courts of Kings, Queens, Richmond and Bronx are abolished from and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen. The judges of such courts then in office shall for the remainder of the terms for which they were elected or appointed, be judges of the court of general sessions of the city of New York. The successors to the judges who were elected or appointed as judges of the court of general sessions in and for the city and county of New York shall be elected by the electors within the county of New York, and the successors to the judges who were elected or appointed as judges of the county courts of Kings, Queens, Richmond and Bronx, respectively, shall be elected by the electors within each of such respective counties, so that the court of general sessions of the city of New York shall consist of seven judges resident in and elected by the electors within the county of New York, five judges resident in and elected by the electors in the county of Kings, and one judge resident in and elected by the electors in each of the counties of Queens, Richmond and Bronx. The legislature may in its discretion authorize the election of one additional judge to reside in and be chosen by the electors in the county of Bronx. The judges who were elected or appointed as judges of the court of general sessions in and for the city and county of New York, and the judges elected or appointed as judges of the county court of the counties of Kings, Queens, Richmond and Bronx, shall until the expiration of the term for which they were appointed or elected, be respectively paid by the city, the compensation now fixed by law. The successors of all of the judges of the court of general sessions of the city of New York shall be elected as hereinafter provided for a term of fourteen years, and their compensation shall be fixed by the legislature. The judges of the court of general sessions of the city of New York shall choose one of their own number to be the presiding judge thereof, who shall act as such for a period of five years or until the earlier expiration of his term of office, and who shall be charged with the general administration of the court, and assign the judges to hold the terms thereof, subject to such regulations as the presiding justices of the appellate divisions of the supreme court in the first and second departments shall from time to time prescribe. The judges shall have power to appoint and remove a clerk, who shall keep his office at a place to be designated by the court. All criminal prosecutions and proceedings on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, pending in such county courts shall thereupon be transferred to the court of general sessions of the city of New York for hearing and determination at terms held within the counties in which the same are pending. Until the legislature shall otherwise provide the clerk of the court of general sessions in and for the city and county of New York and the chief clerk of the county court in each of the counties of Kings, Queens, Richmond and Bronx, shall act within his county as clerk of the court of general sessions of the city of New York, and the presiding judge of such court shall make such rules and regulations respecting such clerks’ offices and the distribution of the business of the court in the said several counties as from time to time may be expedient.