City Court.— The City Court of the City of New York holds its sessions in the brown stone building, known as No. 32 Chambers street, borough of Manhattan, city of New York The jurisdiction, in general, of this court is limited to the sum of $2,000. Process of this court must be served within the boundaries of the old city of New York. Like the Supreme Court, it has a number of Trial and Special Terms. The court was formerly known as the Marine Court and still has jurisdiction in cer tain specified causes of action known as marine causes (Code, sec. 317).
The Municipal Court of the City of New York corresponds to a court of a Justice of the Peace in other sections of the State of New York; it has, however, no criminal jurisdiction. It has jurisdiction, with certain exceptions, of actions where the amount claimed in the sum mons does not exceed $1,000, exclusive of in terest and costs; also of summary proceedings authorized by the Code of Civil Procedure to recover the possession of real property situated wholly or partly within the district where the application is made. The city of New York, that is the Greater New York, is divided into 24 districts, in each of which a session of the court is held. Nine of the districts are within the borough of Manhattan, and in this borough the courts sit every court day during 10 months of the year; during the months of July and August the court is held only on such days as the justice presiding in each district designates.
The criminal courts in the borough of Man hattan, city of Nes'', York, are as follows: Trial Term, Part I, of the Supreme Court; the Court of General Sessions of the Peace; the Court of Special Sessions of the Peace; the Children's Court of the City of New York; and the City Magistrates' Court.
The first named court, namely, Trial Term, Part I, of the Supreme Court, has jurisdiction to try all crimes and misdemeanors triable within the county of New York and to deliver the jails of the county, according to law, of all prisoners therein. The court sits in the Crimi nal Court Building. It has, apparently, become the custom to send to this court for trial cases whirl; are considered of great importance or which are expected to take a long time for the trial.
The Court of General Sessions sits in the Criminal Courthouse; it is divided into six parts; there are seven judges, who sit in rota tion and who are called Judges of the Court of General Sessions. The six parts have co-or
dinate jurisdiction. Each part may be held each month and continue as long as the public interest may require. This court has power to hear, determine and punish all crimes which are triable in the county of New York, in cluding crimes punishable by death or impris onment for life. Every person convicted in this court of a capital offense has an absolute right of appeal.
The Court of Special Sessions holds its ses sions in the Criminal Court Building. There are six parts and 11 justices. Three justices sit in each part. There are no jury trials in this court. The accused, when he appears be fore the. committing magistrate, has the right to elect whether he shall be tried in this court or in the Court of General Sessions; if he elects to be tried in this court, his election must be in writing and jury trial must be expressly waived. Part VI of this court is known as the circuit part and sits in whatever county of the Greater New York city the press of business may require. The Court of Special Sessions has in the first instance exclusive jurisdiction of all misdemeanors committed within the county, except libel.
The Children's Court of the City of New This court is presided over by five judges, one sitting in each of the five counties or boroughs of the city of New York. In the borough of Manhattan the court is held every day in the week, with the exception of Sundays and legal holidays.
City Magistrates' These courts are presided over by 42 magistrates; they are di vided into two boards, one for the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, the other for the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Richmond. The magistrates are appointed by the mayor. Twenty-three reside in the boroughs of Man hattan and the Bronx. Twelve parts sit in the borough of Manhattan. These courts have ju risdiction to summarily punish those charged with petty offenses and to commit or hold oth ers to await the action of the grand jury. Parts of this court are known as the Women's Night Court, the Men's Night Court, the Domestic Relations Court, the Traffic Court and the Mu nicipal Term Court. Special matters are re ferred to the various parts.