New York District Courts

Courts

The New York District Courts are courts in New York located in Nassau County and five western towns of Suffolk County. They handle misdemeanor, lesser offenses and civil lawsuits under $15,000.^[1]

Courts and judges

Nassau County District Court

Suffolk County District Court

Former judges

See also

• Courts in New York
• New York counties
• Judicial selection in New York

External links

• New York State Unified Court System, "Suffolk County District Court Judges"
• New York State Unified Court System, "Nassau County District Court Judges"
• New York State Unified Court System, "New York Court Structure"

Footnotes

Elections

See also: New York judicial elections

New York is one of 43 states that hold elections for judicial positions. To learn more about judicial selection in New York, click here.

• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2025
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2024
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2023
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2022
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2021
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2020
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2019
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2018
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2017
• New York local trial court judicial elections, 2016
• New York judicial elections, 2015
• New York judicial elections, 2014
• New York judicial elections, 2013
• New York judicial elections, 2012
• New York judicial elections, 2011
• New York judicial elections, 2010

Selection method

See also: Partisan election of judges

The 324 justices of the New York Supreme Court are elected to 14-year terms in partisan elections. To appear on the ballot, candidates must be chosen at partisan nominating conventions. Sitting judges wishing to serve an additional term must run for re-election.^[1]

The chief judge of the court of appeals appoints two chief administrative judges of the supreme court, one to supervise trial courts within New York City and one to supervise trial courts outside of the city.^[1]

Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must:^[1]

• be a state resident;
• have had at least 10 years of in-state law practice;
• be at least 18 years old; and
• be under the age of 70 (retirement at 70 is mandatory).

Election rules

Primary election

Closed primary elections are held to allow members of political parties to select their respective candidates. The candidate who wins the Democratic primary, for example, will go on to be the Democratic nominee in the general election. Independent candidates may also run in the general election, bypassing the primary.^[2] If a candidate cross-files, he or she could run in the general election as a Democratic Party candidate, as well as a candidate for one or more other parties.

According to statute, candidates for the supreme courts are chosen indirectly through delegates. Voters elect convention delegates in the primary election, and the delegates choose the supreme court candidates who will be on the general election ballot.^[3][4]