KINGSTON – Ulster County is going to develop a centralized arraignment court to handle the initial phase of the arrest process.
Sheriff Juan Figueroa told the county legislature’s Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee Thursday that it will streamline the process.
“We have 20 towns, three villages and one city and sometimes it’s tough to get judges to come out for arraignments and now because of the new law that was passed by the State of New York, you have to have a public defender present at the arraignment, so there has been an issue because sometimes there is a public defender that has to do to six or seven different townships, in one night. So, this will streamline that process,” he said.
The county public defender’s office is in full support of the centralized court.
The plan now goes to the full legislature for its approval.
