Town of New Bremen Justice Court
Court is held at the Town Municipal Office Building, 8420 State Rte. 812, Lowville, NY 13367 every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
DA night is the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
Small Claims Court held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Court is held at the Town Municipal Office Building, 8420 State Rte. 812, Lowville, NY 13367 every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
DA night is the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
Small Claims Court held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
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Town Justices
Hon. Charles Stevens Term: 4 years - Term Ends 12/31/13 Hon. Errol A. Aucter Term: 4 years - Term Ends 12/31/15 Court Clerk Aimee L. Murphy Office Hours: Wednesday 10 am - 3:30 pm Phone: (315) 376-3752 Fax: (315) 376-2242 Email: nbcourt@frontiernet.net |
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TOWN JUSTICES
Presiding on a part-time basis, Town Justices are not required to be lawyers. Each Town Justice, while considered to
be part-time, however, is actually on-call 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. It is not unusual for a Town Justice to
be called upon for an arraignment during the middle of the night.
All Justices are required to keep accurate, legible records of all proceedings, and at least annually submit case
dockets for examination and audit to the Town Board. Justices must complete not only basic training, but also
12 hours of annual classroom training, which is followed by a written examination for non-attorney Justices.
The New Bremen Town Court is a part of the Unified Court System of the State of New York and has jurisdiction over
Vehicle & Traffic Law misdemeanors and Traffic Infractions, Criminal misdemeanors and violations as well as
conducting arraignments and preliminary hearings in felony matters. Town Justices also act as Family Court judges
when Family Court is not in session.
COURT CLERKS
Where caseloads warrant, it is appropriate to authorize one or more support staff under the title of Court Clerk.
While much of a Court Clerk’s responsibilities center on record keeping and the handling of monies taken in by the
Court through fines and fees, Court Clerks handle correspondence, prepare the court calendar and issue certain
case related processes. An experienced Court Clerk can lift the burden of clerical detail from the Justice, although
it is the Justice who is ultimately responsible for all the clerk’s activities and functions. The Court Clerk is there to
be as helpful as possible, but cannot give legal advice and has no authority to reduce, dismiss, change or alter fines
set by the justices.VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC TICKETS:For those individuals who have received a ticket for a violation of
the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and wish to know what their rights are regarding this violation, please view the following
document. Plea Information.
The Prosecutor for the Town of New Bremen Court is Lewis County District Attorney, Leanne K. Moser and Assistant
District Attorney, Caleb J. Petzoldt. For more information about contacting the DA's office click the above link.
CIVIL AND SMALL CLAIMS COURT
The Town Court hears civil and small claim actions seeking monetary awards up to $3,000.00. Small Claims
proceedings are intended to provide a low-cost, simplified and informal procedure for individuals to resolve disputes involving
limited monetary claims. Litigants are not required to use an attorney and often do not. If you wish to file a small claims
action, please contact the court clerk.
A Guide to Small Claims in Town & Village Courts is available from the Court Clerk or by clicking on the link.
The Court also handles landlord/tenant matters that may result in an eviction as well as a money judgment for past due rent.
Forms: The forms necessary for initiating a Landlord/Tenant Proceeding can be obtained from a stationary or office supply
store, obtained from an attorney or from other publications available at the Lewis County Law Library located in the Lewis
County Courthouse. Instructions and Sample Forms may also be found from the New York State Unified Court System by
the following links:
LANDLORD’S GUIDE TO NONPAYMENT SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS
TENANT’S SUMMARY PROCEEDINGS MANUAL
The Court does not supply these forms.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What if my license has been suspended by the Department of Motor Vehicles?
If you have been suspended for failure to appear, you must answer the charge by appearing in court on Wednesdays
at 7:00 P.M.
If you have been suspended for failure to pay your fine, please call the court to confirm the fine/surcharge amount. The
fine must be paid either in person or by sending a certified check or money order-NO PERSONAL CHECKS. MasterCard
and Visa are also accepted. Please call the court for instructions.
How long does it take to have the suspension lifted?
You must pay the fine/surcharge-and the court will lift the suspension immediately. The court will electronically transmit
this information to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Can I file a small claim in any court?
No, the small claim action must be filed in the court that has jurisdiction where the defendant lives or works, or has a
place of business.
What is the limit for a small claim?
To file a small claim in civil court it must involve no more than $3000 in damages.
What do I need to file a small claim?
You must appear in person during court office hours to file a claim. Please bring the $10 filing fee for claims in the amount
of $1-$1000 or a $15 filing fee for claims in the amount of $1001-$3000 along with the name and address of the person whom
you are serving.
