Kings County Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Kings County cover all of Brooklyn. The Kings County Criminal Court at 120 Schermerhorn Street handles misdemeanors, violations, and initial felony proceedings. The Supreme Court at 320 Jay Street takes over for felony trials and appeals. Kings County is part of the Second Judicial District. With more than 2.5 million people, Brooklyn is the most populous borough in New York City and one of the busiest court systems in the state. The Office of Court Administration maintains criminal history records that you can search through the statewide CHRS system for $95 per name. WebCrims provides free online access to pending case information.

Kings County Criminal Court

The Kings County Criminal Court hears all criminal cases that start in Brooklyn. It has 17 arraignment parts and 7 all-purpose trial parts. The court also has specialized parts for domestic violence, human trafficking, treatment court, and alternative-to-incarceration programs. If a case involves a felony, the Criminal Court handles the arraignment and preliminary hearing. The case then moves to Supreme Court for trial.

The Supreme Court, Criminal Term, sits at 320 Jay Street. It handles felony trials, sentencing, and post-conviction motions. The County Clerk maintains the official record for Supreme Court cases. For misdemeanor and violation cases that stay in Criminal Court, the court clerk at 120 Schermerhorn Street keeps those files.

Kings County District Attorney

Eric Gonzalez is the Brooklyn District Attorney. His office is at 350 Jay Street. The DA prosecutes all felony and misdemeanor crimes in Kings County. The office has specialized bureaus for homicide, sex crimes, domestic violence, economic crimes, and cyber crimes. You can call the main line at (718) 250-2000 for case information.

The DA's office reviews every arrest made in Brooklyn and decides what charges to bring. It works with the NYPD and other law enforcement agencies. The office also runs victim services through the Victim Services Unit. If you are a victim or witness, you can get help with crisis intervention, court dates, and restitution. Visit brooklynda.org for more details on services and programs.

How to Search Kings County Criminal Court Records

You have several ways to look up criminal court records in Kings County. The method you choose depends on what you need and how fast you need it.

WebCrims is a free tool from the NYS Courts. It shows pending criminal cases from courts where electronic filing is in use. You can search by name or docket number. It will not show sealed cases or cases that have been fully resolved. For active Brooklyn cases, this is the quickest free option. Visit the WebCrims portal to start a search.

The OCA Criminal History Record Search covers all 62 counties. It costs $95. You submit a name and date of birth. Results include open and closed cases from County Court, Supreme Court, and city courts. Sealed records do not show up. Results come back the next business day. Apply at ww2.nycourts.gov.

For a Certificate of Disposition, go to the court where the case was heard. In Brooklyn, that means the Criminal Court at 120 Schermerhorn Street for misdemeanors or the Supreme Court at 320 Jay Street for felonies. The fee is $10. You need the defendant's name and case number or approximate date. Under CPL 160.50, sealed cases will not produce a certificate. CPL 160.55 covers sealing of non-criminal dispositions like violations.

Criminal Record Sealing in Kings County

New York does not have true expungement. Instead, the state uses record sealing. CPL 160.50 requires automatic sealing when a case ends in the defendant's favor. Dismissals, acquittals, and adjournments in contemplation of dismissal all trigger this rule. Once sealed, the record is hidden from public view.

CPL 160.58 lets courts seal certain drug convictions after a person finishes a treatment program. CPL 160.59 allows broader sealing for older convictions. A person can petition to seal up to two convictions, but only one can be a felony. The Brooklyn DA's office will weigh in on these motions. A judge makes the final call.

If you need help with sealing a Kings County criminal record, Brooklyn Defender Services and Legal Aid Society both serve the borough. They can file motions and represent you in court. Judiciary Law 255 gives the court wide authority over its own proceedings, including how records are managed and released.

Kings County Criminal Court Records Fees

The OCA statewide search costs $95 per name. Each alias or alternate date of birth counts as a separate search. A Certificate of Disposition from the court is $10. Plain copies of court documents have per-page charges.

For the CHRS search, you can pay by credit or debit card online. Corporate accounts can also pay by ACH. Mail-in requests should include a money order payable to the Office of Court Administration. Send mail requests to 25 Beaver Street, Room 940, New York, NY 10004.

Legal Help in Kings County

Brooklyn has many legal aid options. The Legal Aid Society has offices in Brooklyn and handles criminal defense for people who cannot pay for a lawyer. Brooklyn Defender Services is another public defense group. They also help with record sealing and re-entry services after conviction.

The New York State Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service at nysba.org. You can search for a criminal defense attorney in Brooklyn. The NYS Courts website at ww2.nycourts.gov has free court forms. The DCJS record review process at criminaljustice.ny.gov lets you check your own arrest record through fingerprints.

Cities in Kings County

Kings County is coextensive with the Borough of Brooklyn. All criminal cases in Brooklyn go through the Kings County court system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kings County. Criminal cases must be filed in the county where the crime took place.