Obtaining Records from The Court of General Sessions ..NYC






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From <a href="http://www.familysearch.org/">www.familysearch.org</a>
 
"Court of general sessions of the peace, New York 
A court in New York with countywide jurisdiction over criminal cases 
such as desertions, apprenticeship disputes, bastardy, and other 
violations of vice and immorality laws. 
These courts existed from 1665 to 1962, 
handling probate matters from 1665 to 1683 and then only criminal 
cases after 1691. Their jurisdiction was transferred to the county 
court in 1847, except in New York County, where they continued until 1962."
 
The Municipal Archives has records of 19th century criminal courts, including 
an index for the Court of General Sessions Indictment papers, 1880-1893. 
From <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/collections/collections_courtrecords.html">http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/collections/collections_courtrecords.html</a>
 

"The major series are New York County Court of General Sessions, 
Minutes of the Sessions, 1684-1920....

Collection status: Most court records are arranged chronologically. 
Each volume of the Minutes of the Court of General Sessions is self-indexed 
by name of defendant. The Municipal Archives created a database of General Sessions 
indictment files 1879-1893; it can be searched by name or crime.

 The New York County District Attorney Record of Cases, 1895-1966, is 
an alphabetical list of defendants that can be used to locate court records 
for that period (see District Attorney Records)....."


From <a href="http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/collections/indexOLD.html">http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/collections/indexOLD.html</a>
 John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in Manhattan:
 
"New York City Court of General Sessions. Records. (1883 - 1927). 
208 linear feet. 
425 reels microfilm

Stenographic and typewritten transcripts of the complete proceedings of 
about 2700 criminal trials. Printed indexes are available by case number, 
by charge, and by names of defendants, judges, and attorneys.

Included are Court of General Sessions of the Peace, 1886-1927; 
New York Supreme Court, 1896-1922; 
Oyer and Terminer, 1886-1895; 
District Police Courts, 1887-1894; 
Miscellaneous courts, 1883-1926; 
Grand Jury (Court of General Sessions, New York Supreme Court), 1883-1920.
Closed Special Collections. Unpublished guide with historical introduction."

 
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