Lawmakers are considering a proposal that would consolidate New York trial courts by amending the state constitution.
Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks says New York has the most “complicated, inefficient, outdated” trial court structure in the nation.
Marks made the comments Wednesday before lawmakers at a hearing in New York City.
Marks says it’s difficult to quickly move resources under the current system— a major cause in delaying cases.
He says those delays are bad for arrestees sitting on Rikers Island in pre-trial detention and small businesses that see attorney fees rise as a case languishes.
The court system says the plan would do away with the state’s 11 trial courts and replace them with a three-level structure.
