Steuben County Courts

Under New York law, each county outside New York City has a County Court, with one or more judges elected for ten-year terms. The County Court is authorized to hear all crimes and violations of law committed within the County, although many of the minor crimes are handled by the local justice courts. The Family Court hears a variety of cases involving children and families, including juvenile delinquency, child protection, adoptions, support, paternity, foster care placement, and others. The Surrogate Court handles matters involved in inheritance, such as the probate of wills and administration of estates. Also, some adoptions come under the jurisdiction of the Surrogate Court. Most civil cases such as negligence cases, divorces, contract and breach of warranty cases are heard in the New York State Supreme Court. Supreme Court cases are heard by Supreme Court justices elected from the Seventh Judicial District, of which Steuben County is a part, or by county judges who are designated to act as Supreme Court justices. The Court system is administered by the Unified Court System which is a New York State Agency. All Court employees are employed by the State of New York.