The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the state court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State’s 62 counties,
The State Supreme Court handles large civil cases, and also handles felony criminal cases within the five boroughs that make up New York City. Outside New York City, the County Courts handle felony criminal cases.
Although the New York Supreme Court in theory has unlimited general original jurisdiction over civil litigation, in practice it does not normally hear cases with lower monetary claims that are within the powers of a New York state trial court of limited jurisdiction such as County Court or N.Y.C. Civil Court.
Appeals from Supreme Court decisions go to the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, which is New York’s intermediate appellate court divided into four appellate departments. Notwithstanding the departments, the Appellate Division is one court, and its decisions are binding on all lower courts unless there is a conflict among the appellate departments.
New York’s highest appellate court is the Court of Appeals; appeals are taken from the four departments to the Court of Appeals; decisions from the Court of Appeals are binding throughout the state.
They may appeal into the court of appeals, but,
it’s binding now on all the 62 supreme courts.
