Provides for electronic court appearance in a criminal action, anywhere in the state, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction of the defendant; provides that the defendant must, after consultation with counsel, consent on the record; provides that the chief administrator of the courts must first approve the use of such electronic appearance.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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6656
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 19, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to electronic
court appearance statewide
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 182.20 of the criminal procedure
2 law, as separately amended by chapters 232, 279, and 285 of the laws of
3 2024, is amended to read as follows:
4 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as provided
5 in section 182.30 of this article, the court, in its discretion, may
6 dispense with the personal appearance of the defendant, except an
7 appearance at a hearing or trial, and conduct an electronic appearance
8 in connection with a criminal action [pending in Albany, Bronx, Broome,
9 Erie, Jefferson, Kings, Monroe, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga,
10 Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland,
11 Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Seneca, Steuben, Tompkins, Chautauqua, Cattarau-
12 gus, Clinton, Essex, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Sullivan, Warren, Westches-
13 ter, Suffolk, Herkimer, Franklin, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Delaware,
14 Otsego or Schoharie county], provided that the chief administrator of
15 the courts has authorized the use of electronic appearance and the
16 defendant, after consultation with counsel, consents on the record. Such
17 consent shall be required at the commencement of each electronic appear-
18 ance to such electronic appearance.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided, however, that
20 the amendment to subdivision 1 of section 182.20 of the criminal proce-
21 dure law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of
22 such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09903-01-5
