Archive for October, 2008

Heirlines Professional Genealogy Resources:

Historical Court System of New York State – Part 1: Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction

1. Director General/Council

a. DG Established 1623

1. Jurisdiction: All judicial cases, capital crimes,criminal appeals
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1653
3. Appeals From: Court of Burgomasters
4. Appeals To: Amsterdam Chamber of Dutch West India Co.

b. C Established 1653

1. Jurisdiction: All judicial cases, capital crimes, criminal appeals
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1664
3. Appeals From: Court of Burgomasters
4. Appeals To: Amsterdam Chamber of Dutch West India Co.

2. Court of Errors (Upper Chamber of Legislature)

a. C of E Established 1691

1. Jurisdiction: Impeachments, appeals on errors of law
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1846
3. Appeals From: Supreme Court of Judicature
4. Appeals To: King in Council

3. Supreme Court of Judicature

a. SC of J Established 1691

1. Jurisdiction: Same as English Courts of King’s Bench, Common Pleas,
Exchequer
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1846
3. Appeals From: County Courts, Mayor’s Court
4. Appeals To: Court of Errors

4. Court of Appeals

a. C of A Established 1846

1. Jurisdiction: Appeals only
2. Jurisdiction Abolished:
3. Appeals From: Supreme Court
4. Appeals To:

5. Supreme Court

a. SC Established 1846 (1895 established as only court of general
jurisdiction in New York.)

1. Jurisdiction: General Jurisdiction, criminal (Oyer & Terminer) Civil
(Circuit), Probate Appeals, Became only court of general jurisdiction
in New York in 1895
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1895 – Became only court of general
jurisdiction in New York in 1895
3. Appeals From: Inferior Courts, Surrogate’s Courts – same after became
only court of general jurisdiction in New York in 1895
4. Appeals To: Court of Appeals – same after became only court of general
jurisdiction in New York in 1895

6. General Term of Supreme Court/renamed Appellate Terms of Supreme Court in
1895

a. GT of SC Established 1869/ AT of SC Established 1895

1. Jurisdiction: Appeals only/same
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1895/GT of SC
3. Appeals From: Both – Circuit, Oyer & Terminer, County,
4. Appeals To: Both – Court of Appeals

7. Commission of Appeals

a. C of A Established 1869

1. Jurisdiction: Backlog of appellate cases before the Court of Appeals
2. Jurisdiction Abolished: 1872
3. Appeals From:
4. Appeals To:

Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)

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