Queens, Ny Court System

Every borough in New York City has its own New York State courts. This article is a guide to the court system in the County of Queens.

The Queens Family Court is located at 151-20 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, NY 11432. If you are looking to find information about Courtroom activity, such as hearing and court orders, call (718) 298-0266. To speak to the clerk to file your petition, call (718) 298-0137.

Once you file the petition, you will get a court date. More often than not, it will be several weeks away unless your petition involves an emergency.

The types of petitions handled by the Queens Family Court involve child support, custody, visitation, orders of protection, child neglect and other family issues, as well as juvenile crimes for kids 15 and younger.

Divorce, however, is handled by the Matrimonial Part of the New York Supreme Court. Supreme Court in New York is not the highest court, but rather the court of general jurisdiction, similar to what the Superior Court would be in most states. It handles all types of cases, including personal injury, medical malpractice, commercial, and so on.

The Queens Supreme Court - Civil Term is located at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11435. There is also a satellite court at 25-10 Court Square in Long Island City, but you should go to the Jamaica court unless you are instructed otherwise to go to the Long Island City court. You can call the Queens Supreme Court in Jamaica at (718) 298-1000.

In the Supreme-Civil building you will also find the Surrogates Court, which can be reached at (718) 298-0400.

Right next to it is the Queens Civil Court at 89-17 Sutphin Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11435. The Civil Court handles many of the same types of cases, but the amount one can sue for is limited to $25,000. You can call the Civil Court at (718) 262-7100.

The Queens Housing Court and Small Claims Court is also located in the Civil Court building. To call the Housing court, dial (646) 386-5700. For Queens Small Court, call the general Queens Civil Court information line at (212) 791-6000.

The Queens Supreme Court - Criminal Term is located at 125-01 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens, NY 11415, the same building as the Queens Criminal Court and Queens Central Booking. You can call the Supreme-Criminal court at (212) 374-5880. For Queens Central Booking call 718-286-4523.

The Supreme Court - Criminal Term is on the upper floors, while the Criminal court is on the ground floor and the Central Booking is in the basement.

While the Criminal and Supreme-Criminal courts close at 5 pm and usually open only from Monday to Friday, you should be aware that Queens Central Booking is open on 1 am and is open 7 days a week.

Criminal court handles misdemeanors, as well as felonies until indictment. After indictment, the felony moves to the Supreme Court. Central booking is where a person is held upon arrest until arraignment when bail is set.

To reach the Arraignment part of the Criminal Court, call (718) 298-0736.

Regardless of the type of case you have, you should always have a qualified, experienced, knowledgeable attorney representing your rights and interests.

David Storobin, Esq. is a Criminal and Family Court attorney. If you or your loved one has a case in Queens Family Court or is being held in Queens Central Booking, call him at (212) 748-9243.