Chautauqua County Public Defender Office

07/18/2022

The New York State Bar Association Virtual Career Fair connects members – from wherever you are – with employers seeking to network with and hire diverse candidates. Whether you’re a recent law school graduate, newly admitted attorney, or have been a practicing attorney for years, this career ...

04/11/2021

We're ready with the right care.

07/07/2020

Starting today, all visitors to New York courts will be required to submit to temperature checks and COVID-19 screening questions as the courts gradually resume in-person operations. Anyone entering the courthouse will be required to wear a mask; all staff who interact with court visitors must wear a mask. www.nycourts.gov

The official home page of the New York State Unified Court System. We hear more than three million cases a year involving almost every type of endeavor. We hear family matters, personal injury claims, commercial disputes, trust and estates issues, criminal cases, and landlord-tenant cases.

07/07/2020

New York’s state court system says people planning to visit their courthouses should expect a temperature check and coronavirus screening questions.

Chief Judge Janet DiFiore said temperature screenings were “strongly recommended” by their epidemiologist and many stakeholders.

07/02/2020

Court System Begins Phase Four, Temperature Checks for All Visitors

The New York State Unified Court System has announced that on Monday, July 6, courts in the Eighth Judicial District (western New York) will begin phase four.

During phase four, the following types of proceedings will be heard in-person:

- Child support proceedings
- Child permanency hearings
- Essential Family Court matters
- Plea and sentencing proceedings for defendants at liberty
- Preliminary hearings in criminal cases for defendants being held in jail on felony complaints
- Superior civil court appearances where at least one party is self-represented
- Arraignments of defendants issued desk appearance tickets
- A limited number of bench trials in civil and criminal matters
- Small claims filed prior to April 1, 2020
- Grand jury proceedings will commence on July 13, 2020

Judges will continue to expand their use of virtual proceedings whenever legally permissible and logistically possible. Where an in-person proceeding involves an incarcerated individual, that individual shall appear virtually via electronic means unless otherwise ordered by the assigned judge.

Matters that will continue to be held virtually and heard by the assigned judge include: non-essential matters; criminal proceedings (except as noted); juvenile delinquency proceedings; adoptions; eviction matters in which all parties are represented by counsel; mental hygiene law proceedings pertaining to a hospitalized adult; and mediation/alternative dispute resolution.

During phase four, non-judicial staffing levels will continue to increase – but not exceed 80 percent – to support necessary administrative court functions as well as to provide support for the increase in foot traffic in the courthouse. Non-reporting court staff will continue to work virtually.

Judges and clerks will coordinate to ensure that court space is used to optimize safety and efficiency. There will be staggered scheduling of court appearances, court calendars and courtroom usage to limit the number of people in courthouses and ensure that no more than half of the courtrooms are being used at any given time.

Temperature Checks

The Office of Court Administration issued a memorandum announcing that all visitors of state courthouses will be required to submit to temperature screening and questioning upon entry and prior to going through the usual security screening. This requirement includes all lawyers, parties, witnesses, spectators, law enforcement officers, prisoners, vendors and all other non-court system staff.

A uniformed officer will take the visitor’s temperature with an infrared thermometer without physical contact with the visitor. The officer will ask whether in the last 14 days you have had a fever, cough, shortness of breath or any flu-like symptoms; have tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19; or if you’ve returned from travel abroad or from a state covered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s travel quarantine order.

If the visitor’s temperature is under 100 and answers no to the questions, they may then proceed to the standard security check. If the visitor’s temperature is over 100 or answers yes to any of the questions, additional information will be taken and then they will be asked to leave immediately. A log of these yes screenings will be maintained by the court.

Personnel administering the COVID-19 screenings will be wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, including a face mask, face shield and disposable gloves.

(*) Information adapted from the New York State Bar Association newsletter.

06/13/2020

the Supreme Court decided Miranda v. Arizona, which gave us our Miranda Rights as interpreted from the Fifth Amendment. This is how it came to be the right we have to remain silent while in police custody.

in 1966, decided Miranda v. Arizona.

📷: MPI / Stringer via Getty Images

04/24/2020

How Chautauqua County has adapted to provide criminal defense.

The Public Defender’s Office maintains hours in both locations, Mayville and Jamestown, from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone numbers are (716) 753-4376 (Mayville) and (716) 661-8880 (Jamestown). Contact our office to arrange a phone conference. We are committed to serving our community, even in difficult times, adapting strategic measures to defend the rights of all individuals best.

To access to the full article, click the link below.

https://www.observertoday.com/news/local-region/2020/04/how-chautauqua-county-has-adapted-to-provide-criminal-defense/

MAYVILLE — The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced federal, state, and local governments to take immediate measures to prevent the virus’s spread. Gover

04/17/2020

Public Defender’s Offices remain operative during COVID-19

The Public Defender’s Office hours in both locations, Mayville and Jamestown, continue to be Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office is taking all necessary actions to ensure legal services will remain in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Th

04/09/2020

Chautauqua County Public Defender's Offices Remain Operative to Serve the Public During COVID-19

MAYVILLE, N.Y.:-- The Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office is taking all necessary actions to ensure legal services will remain in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Public Defender’s Office has reduced on-site staff following the official directives. However, its offices located in Mayville and Jamestown will remain operative to assist those in the community who need urgent legal representation under these extraordinary circumstances. Also, the Public Defender’s Office is implementing legal assistance by phone or video conference.

The Public Defender’s Office hours in both locations, Mayville and Jamestown, continue to be Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:

Mayville Public Defender's Main Office

Hall R. Clothier Bldg.
7 North Erie St., 1st Floor, Room 106
Mayville, NY 14757

Phone (716) 753-4376
Fax (716) 753-4751

Jamestown Public Defender's Office

Lynn Bldg. (The old Post Office)
300 E 3rd St. Suite #211
Jamestown, NY 14701

Phone (716) 661-8880
Fax (716) 753-4751

Please call to make arrangements for a telephone or video consultation of any urgent criminal matter. The Public Defender’s Office encourages the community to stay at home and avoid direct contact with others.

https://chqgov.com/public-defender/news/chautauqua-county-public-defenders-offices-remain-operative-serve-public

Submitted by gallagha on Tue, 04/07/2020 - 13:29   MAYVILLE, N.Y.:-- The Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office is taking all necessary actions to ensure legal services will remain in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Defender’s Office has reduced on-site staff following the of...

04/08/2020

An Essential Service: How Chautauqua County Has Adapted to Provide Criminal Defense Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

MAYVILLE, N.Y.:--The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced federal, state, and local governments to take immediate measures to prevent the virus's spread. Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order ordering the temporary closure of all “non-essential” businesses. Public Criminal Defense remains one of the operations deemed "essential" under the order.

Nevertheless, the day-to-day operations within the courts in New York State have changed dramatically. Following Governor Cuomo's executive order, the Office of Courts Administration (OCA) of New York State mandated all Courts within the state to postpone all non-essential matters for a term up to 90 days. For that reason, all courts located in New York and Chautauqua County are temporarily entertaining only emergency criminal, family, and subrogate appearances and procedures.

Under this new arrangement, many (if not all) local town, village, and city courts have adjourned the bulk of their criminal proceedings until at least early May 2020. Judges in County Court hear essential matters such as arraignments during regular hours. Off-hours, the Centralized Arraignment Program still functions to conduct arraignments during evenings and weekends. Attorneys from the Chautauqua County Public Defender Office continue to appear (these days, remotely) to the Centralized Arraignment Program to protect the rights of these individuals.

In addition to limited types of appearances, the measures have substantially changed how parties show up to court. The court appearance of today has rapidly departed from the traditional physical court appearance where all parties-- the judge, the defense attorney, the prosecution, and the accused-- would meet in the courthouse together. Now, accused persons and defense attorneys more frequently appear to the courthouse via Skype or phone. Accused persons now more frequently consult their attorneys by phone, rather than in person, before appearing remotely to court.

In response to the circumstances, the Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office has adopted different measures to continue providing effective representation to our community. Its offices located in Mayville and Jamestown will remain operative to assist those who need urgent legal representation under these extraordinary circumstances. Also, the Public Defender’s Office is implementing legal assistance by phone or video conference. An online version of its Application for Representation is under development. The Public Defender’s Office encourages the community to visit its webpage on the county website at https://chqgov.com/ or follow it on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chautauquapublicdefender/; Twitter at https://twitter.com/Chaut_Defender; or Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chaut_defender/ for updates.

The Public Defender’s Office maintains hours in both locations, Mayville and Jamestown, from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone numbers are (716) 753-4376 (Mayville) and (716) 661-8880 (Jamestown). Contact our office to arrange a phone conference. We are committed to serving our community, even in difficult times, adapting strategic measures to defend the rights of all individuals best.

https://chqgov.com/public-defender/news/essential-service-how-chautauqua-county-has-adapted-provide-criminal-defense

The Chautauqua County Public Defender’s Office represents individuals who are unable to afford an attorney. Our mission is to promote the fundamental rights of every person to equal justice under law.