Local Courts

The Albany County District Attorney is responsible for prosecuting all offenses which occur throughout the county.  Most of the cases originate in a local jurisdiction and are either processed in that court, or sent to Albany County Court.  The level of crime usually dictates where the case will be handled.  Felonies are prosecuted in County Court, while lower level misdemeanors and offenses are handled locally. 
Several experienced prosecutors handle local courts with varying case-loads. Some traffic matters and violations of ordinances are handled by town attorneys who are not employed by the district attorney, but are designated by him to prosecute those cases.

Process:
When a person is arrested for a crime, he/she is brought before a judge in local court in the town or village where the crime occurred.  Once counsel is retained or appointed, the accused is arraigned and the judge either remands, sets bail, or releases the accused.  If the crime charged is a felony, the judge may set a date for a preliminary hearing.  If the crime charged is a misdemeanor or violation, the case will be heard on the next court date.  In the case of a felony, following the date of the preliminary hearing (and sometimes earlier), the case will be sent to Albany County Court where it will be handled by a felony prosecutor.  The District Attorney also has the right to present the case to a Grand Jury at any time, whether the charge is a misdemeanor or a felony.

If you are the victim of a crime and would like to speak to the Assistant District Attorney handling your case, please call our main number at 518-487-5460 and ask for the ADA or a member of our Crime Victims Unit.

Need to find a local court in Albany County? Click here for a list of locations