New York Court Docket Search

A New York court docket search is a process or search, in which an individual or organization searches for information about court cases, proceedings, cases, or filings within the New York State court system or the Federal courts located in New York. A court docket is essentially a record of all the actions taken in a specific court case, including filings, hearings, and judgments. The court system maintains these records to be used for researching legal matters, checking the status of a case, or obtaining information about parties involved in a case. Per New York public record law, New York court record information is deemed public unless otherwise specified by law or judicial order.

What is a Court Docket in New York?

A court docket is an official record of a court case's legal proceedings and filings. It is typically an official document that holds information such as the names of the parties involved in a court case, the attorneys representing them, important dates in the case, and a list of documents and motions filed by each party in a court case.

Court dockets in New York are created and maintained by the court clerk where a court case was filed. When a case is filed in any New York court, the clerk of the court where the case is filed assigns the case a docket number and creates a docket sheet. The docket number, also known as the case number, is used to track or identify the case throughout the court process, while the docket sheet is a document that lists all the filings, names of the parties involved in the case, orders, and notes of events related to the case, like court appearances and court dates. The docket is updated as new documents are filed and hearings are held. With this, the docket essentially becomes a central repository for all documents and filings related to the case.

What is the Purpose of a Court Docket in New York?

Court dockets in New York serve several purposes, some of which include:

Case tracking: The court docket serves as an official record of all filings, events, and proceedings related to a particular court case, providing an avenue and means for courthouses in New York to track cases.
Case management tool: Since the court docket sheet is updated with new filings and events, court dockets serve as an effective case management tool that helps the court schedule hearings, track deadlines, and manage cases in an organized and efficient manner.
Public information: Court dockets in New York are sources of court case-related information for the public. When accessed by interested members of the public, court dockets are a source of information about ongoing and past cases, where information such as the names of parties, pleadings, motions, and court judgments can be viewed.
Appellate review of judgments: When a case is appealed at the appellate court, the judges can choose to rely on the docket to understand the proceedings in the trial courts. The docket sheet provides a comprehensive record of all the filings and events in the case, which could help the appellate court evaluate the trial court's decision

Are Court Dockets Public Record in New York?

In New York, pursuant to Section 255(b) of the New York Judiciary Law, court dockets are considered public records and are open to inspection by any person. However, under certain circumstances, court dockets in New York may be restricted from public access. For example, when court records are sealed, they are not available for public access. The sealing of court records may be done to protect a party's privacy or preserve the integrity of an ongoing investigation.

Additionally, public access may be restricted on certain court dockets categories, such as courts such as juvenile courts, delinquency proceedings or certain family court proceedings. In these cases, public access to the court docket may be restricted to protect the privacy of minors or preserve family confidentiality. These restrictions are designed to create a balance between the public's right to access court records and the need to protect the privacy of individuals involved in court cases.

What Do Court Dockets Contain in New York?

The docket provides a comprehensive record of information related to a court case and, therefore, typically contains the following:

Case information
Participants
Case Judge’s information
Case status
Documents filed in the case
Case Summary
Case history
Case Scheduling
Events timeline
Opinions

Case information: This includes the name of the court where the case is being heard, the case number, the type of case, and subject of case (civil, criminal, etc.), and the names of the parties involved in the case.

Participants: The docket lists the names of the parties involved in the case, including the plaintiff party, the defendant party, and any other parties, as well as their legal representatives.

Case judge's information: The docket may also include information about the judge assigned to the case, including their name and any other relevant details.
Case status: The docket provides information about the current status of the case, including any scheduled court dates, hearings, or deadlines.
Documents filed in the case: The docket lists all documents filed in the case, such as motions, pleadings, and orders.
Events Timeline: A timeline of all key events and filings in the case, including dates of filings, orders, and court appearances.
Case summary: The docket may include a brief summary of the case, outlining the nature of the dispute and the relief sought by the parties.
Case history: A chronological history of the case, including past court dates, rulings, and any appeals that have been filed.

Where to Find a Court Docket in New York

Court dockets are maintained by the clerk of the court where a case was filed or heard in New York. Therefore, individuals who wish to conduct a New York court docket lookup are expected to request a court docket in person at the courthouse where the case was filed. Depending on the courthouse and the nature of the case, there may be restrictions on public access to the court dockets, and individuals may be required to provide some form of identification or other necessary information to have public access to a New York court docket.

Alternatively, individuals who cannot visit the office of the court clerk may use the New York State Unified Court System (eCourts) portal, available online and accessible to anybody with an internet connection, to search and lookup court dockets for any court cases filed in New York. The eCourts system provides its users with access to court dockets for cases filed in the Supreme Court, Family Court, and other courts in New York State.

How to Conduct a New York Court Docket Search

Interested individuals who seek to conduct a New York court docket search have two other court docket search options available to them:

Online Court Docket Search: Remote and convenient access to court dockets maintained by all local civil courts, civil supreme courts, criminal courts, and family courts in New York State through the eCourts system, which is the online case search database of the New York State Unified Court System. Individuals can search for a court case by entering the case number, the attorney's name, the judge's name, or the name of a party involved in the case. The search results will display the docket sheet for the case, which provides a comprehensive record of all the events and filings related to the case. The eCourts system is free to use and available 24/7. Similar to the eCourt system, the New York State Court of Appeal’s court docket system can be used to find all undecided appeals, certified questions, and judicial conduct matters in New York. The docket can be searched using an appeal number (APL), certified question number (CTQ), judicial conduct review number (JCR), or case number.
In-Person Court Docket Search: Individuals can also conduct a court docket search in person at the courthouse where the case was filed. This involves visiting the courthouse clerk's office, providing identification or other information to access the docket, and requesting a copy of the docket from the court clerk.

What is a Court Docket Number in New York?

In New York, a court docket number is a unique identifier assigned to a court case once it is filed with the court. The docket number is used to track the case throughout the court system and to identify it in court records. This unique identifier is usually included in all documents submitted to the court regarding the case.

A New York docket number typically consists of a two-digit number indicating the year, followed by a two-letter code indicating the case type (such as Civ. for civil or Cr. for criminal), and finally, a four or five-digit case number. The judge's initials may also be included in parentheses at the end. For instance, 04 Civ. 2346 (CM) represents a civil case filed in 2004, with case number 2346, and assigned to Judge Caitlyn Martin.

Utilizing the docket number format, one can track a court case's progress online via the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts website or by reaching out to the clerk's office of the court overseeing the case.

How to Conduct a Court Docket Number Lookup in New York

In New York, interested individuals can find the court docket number of a court case by requesting it from the clerk's office of the court where the case was filed. However, one must first identify the court where the case was filed. This can be a county court, a district court, or a family court, among others, depending on the type of case. Next, the user must contact the court clerk's administrative office to request the case's docket number. This can typically be done in person at the courthouse’s administrative office or physical address, or in some cases, online access may be available via e-mail.

At the clerk's office, one will likely be asked to provide information about the case, with basic case information such as the names of the parties involved, the case type, and the date the case was filed. Note that, the more information an individual can provide, the easier it will be for the docket and case number to be quickly found. Once the docket number has been obtained, one can use it to track the case's progress, or look up the docket sheet online through the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts website, or visit the clerk's office of the court overseeing the case.