Manhattan Criminal Court

Manhattan Criminal Court: What Actually Happens From Arrest to Arraignment

If you have been arrested in Manhattan or have a case pending at 100 Centre Street, you probably have questions that go beyond what address to show up at. What actually happens after an arrest? How long will you wait in a cell before seeing a judge? Why do some people get released with a piece of paper while others spend a full day in custody? Understanding the reality of Manhattan Criminal Court before you find yourself inside it could be the difference between making smart decisions and making costly mistakes.

Manhattan Criminal Court processes thousands of cases every year, from minor violations to serious felonies awaiting grand jury action. The building at 100 Centre Street has been the center of criminal justice in New York County for decades, and its procedures and peculiarities have developed their own culture. Knowing how that system actually works gives defendants and their families a significant advantage in navigating what can otherwise feel like an overwhelming and confusing process.

This article will explain not just where the court is and when it opens, but what really happens from the moment of arrest through arraignment and beyond. We will cover the parts system, the difference between a desk appearance ticket and a regular arrest, how bail reform has changed outcomes, and why getting a lawyer involved early can dramatically improve your situation.

Where Is Manhattan Criminal Court Located

Manhattan Criminal Court is located at 100 Centre Street in lower Manhattan, aproximately three blocks south of Canal Street near Leonard and Franklin Streets. This is the main building were most criminal cases in New York County begin, including arraignments for both misdemeanors and felonies.

Theirs also a second location at 111 Centre Street, which is about a block away on the southwest corner of Centre and White Streets. After indictment, felony cases are generaly transferred to courtrooms at 111 Centre Street. So if your facing serious charges, you might end up appearing at both buildings over the course of your case.

Getting their is pretty straightforward by public transit. You can take the 4 or 5 train to Brooklyn Bridge station, the C, N, R, or 6 train to Canal Street, or the 1 train to Franklin Street. The 1, 6, and 15 bus lines also stop nearby. If your driving, parking is extremly difficult and expensive in this area, so public transportation is generaly the better option unless you absolutly need a car.

What Are the Court Hours

Manhattan Criminal Court operates on two different schedules depending on what your there for. Regular court business like scheduled appearances, motions, and trials runs Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm except holidays. But arraignments, which is what happens after an arrest, run much longer hours because the police dont stop arresting people at 5pm.

Arraignment hours are Monday through Wednesday from 8am to 1am, and Thursday through Sunday from 9am to 1am. Thats right, the arraignment courts run late into the night almost every day of the week. This is because New York law requires defendants to be arraigned within a certain timeframe after arrest, so the courts have to keep processing people.

Desk appearance tickets, or DATs, have there own schedule. DAT arraignments happen Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm except holidays. We’ll explain more about DATs later, but basicly if you got one, you show up during normal buisness hours on the date specified on your ticket rather then going through the overnight arrest process.

The 24-Hour Reality: What Happens After Arrest

OK so heres the part that most articles dont explain. When your arrested in Manhattan, you dont just get taken directly to a courtroom. Their is an entire process that happens first, and it typicaly takes around 24 hours from arrest to arraignment. Understanding this timeline helps you know what to expect and when to involve a lawyer.

After arrest, your taken to the local precinct were the arresting officers do there paperwork. This can take a few hours depending on how busy they are. Then your transported to Central Booking, which is the holding facility at 100 Centre Street. Alot of people dont realize that Central Booking is actualy connected to the courthouse, so the whole arrest-to-arraignment process happens in and around the same complex.

At Central Booking, your processed, fingerprinted, and photographed. Then you wait. And wait. And wait some more. The average is around 24 hours from arrest to arraignment, but it can be longer on busy weekends or if their are delays in your paperwork. During this time, your in a holding cell with other arrestees, you have limited access to phones, and the conditions are generaly unpleasent.

While your waiting, things are happening behind the scenes. The District Attorneys office is reviewing your case and preparing charges. A defense attorney, either one you hired or a public defender, is trying to find out whats happening and prepare for your arraignment. This is why getting a lawyer involved early matters so much, more on that later.

DATs vs Regular Arrests: Why Some People Wait and Others Dont

Heres something that confuses alot of people. Not everyone who gets arrested goes through the 24-hour Central Booking experience. Some people get whats called a Desk Appearance Ticket, or DAT, and are released at the precinct with instructions to show up in court on a future date. Others go through the full arrest process. Whats the difference?

DATs are generaly issued for lower level offenses were the person isnt considered a flight risk or a danger. Misdemeanors like petty theft, minor drug possesion, or certain assault charges might qualify for a DAT, especialy if the person has no prior criminal record and has ties to the comunity. The arresting officers have discretion in weather to issue a DAT or process a full arrest.

If you get a DAT, your released within a few hours of arrest with a piece of paper telling you when to appear in court. Its a much better outcome then spending 24 hours in Central Booking waiting for arraignment. But dont make the mistake of treating a DAT casually. Its still a criminal charge that requires you to appear in court, and missing your DAT date will result in a warrant for your arrest.

Never ignore a Desk Appearance Ticket. People sometimes think because they werent held overnight that the charges arent serious. Thats wrong. A DAT is just a different way of getting to court, not an indication that your case is minor. You still need to take it seriusly and consider getting legal representation.

What Happens at Arraignment

Arraignment is your first appearance before a judge, and its usualy pretty brief. Maybe five or ten minutes. But alot of important things happen in those few minutes that can affect the rest of your case.

First, your formally told what your being charged with and given a copy of the complaint describing the allegations. The complaint is the prosecutors version of what happened, and this is often the first time you and your lawyer see exactly how there describing the incident.

Second, you enter a plea. In almost all cases at arraignment, you plead not guilty. Even if your eventually going to plead guilty as part of a deal, the arraignment is not the time to do it. For felonies, you actualy cant plead guilty at arraignment in criminal court, that has to happen later if the case is indicted.

Third, the judge decides what happens with bail. This is were New Yorks bail reform laws come in. Since 2020, most non-violent offenses result in release without bail. But for violent felonies and certain other charges, the judge can set bail or even remand you without bail if your considered too dangerous or too much of a flight risk.

Finally, the judge sets your next court date. Depending on the charges, this might be for further proceedings in criminal court or for transfer to Supreme Court if your facing felony indictment.

How Bail Reform Changed Everything

Lets talk about the 2020 bail reform because it dramaticaly changed outcomes at Manhattan Criminal Court. Before reform, judges could set cash bail on almost any case, which meant people who couldnt afford bail sat in jail awaiting trial even for minor charges. After reform, most non-violent offenses became non-bailable, meaning defendants are released on there own recognizance.

What this means practicaly is that if your arrested for a misdemeanor or non-violent felony, your probly walking out of arraignment without having to post any money. The judge might impose conditions like checking in with pretrial services or staying away from certain people or places, but you wont be sitting in Rikers Island because you couldnt come up with $500 bail.

However, bail reform didnt eliminate bail entirely. Violent felonies, weapons charges, and certain other offenses still allow judges to set bail or order defendants held without bail. Sex offenses, domestic violence felonies, and charges involving harm to children also remain bailable. If your facing one of these charges, bail is very much on the table at your arraignment.

The politics around bail reform are contentious and the laws have been amended several times since 2020. Judges now have slighty more discretion then they did imediatly after reform passed. Your lawyer should understand the current state of bail law and how it applies to your specific charges.

Understanding the Part System

After arraignment, your case is assigned to a courtroom called a “part.” The part system can be confusing because the names dont tell you much about what happens there. Heres a quick guide to what the main parts handle.

AR1, AR2, AR3, AR3A, AR4: These are the arraignment parts on the first floor. AR2 also handles DAT arraignments. This is were everyone starts, and were youll be after an arrest.

Part A, Part B, Part C: These are general all purpose criminal parts that handle misdemeanor cases after arraignment. Your case might be assigned to any of these for further proceedings.

Part E: This is the DWI part. If your facing drunk driving or intoxicated driving charges, your case will likely end up here.

Part F: This handles felony cases that havent yet been indicted. If your facing felony charges, your case starts in Part F while the DA decides weather to present it to a grand jury.

Part N: This is for drug felonies specificaly. New York has separate procedures for felony drug cases, and Part N handles those matters.

After indictment, felony cases get transferred to Supreme Court, which has its own part system. The Supreme Court felony parts are generaly located at 111 Centre Street, the other building we mentioned earlier.

Why Getting a Lawyer Early Matters

Heres something competitors dont emphasize enough. The time to get a lawyer is not after arraignment. Its before. If you know an arrest is coming or if you have a loved one whos been arrested, getting an attorney involved during the Central Booking period can make a real difference.

What can a lawyer do before arraignment? First, they can find out whats happening with your case while your sitting in a holding cell with no information. They can contact the DAs office, find out what charges are being prepared, and start advocating for you before you ever see a judge. Second, they can prepare arguments for arraignment, particularly around bail and release conditions. An attorney who shows up with information and arguments ready is in a much better position then one meeting the client for the first time in the courtroom.

Third, and this is importent, having private counsel can sometimes affect how prosecutors approach the case. When a private attorney shows up asking questions before arraignment, it signals that this defendant has resources and will be activly fighting the charges. That can influence early decisions about what charges to file and what bail to request.

If you cant afford a private attorney, dont worry. New York has one of the best public defender systems in the country through Legal Aid and other providers. You will be assigned an attorney for your arraignment and they will competantly represent you. But if you do have the resources for private counsel, engaging them early provides advantages that make a real difference.

What to Expect After Arraignment

Assuming your released at arraignment, you’ll leave with a date for your next court appearence. What happens next depends on whether your case is a misdemeanor or felony.

For misdemeanors, your case stays in criminal court and proceeds through motion practice, possible plea negociations, and potentialy trial. Most misdemeanor cases resolve through plea bargains rather then trials, but you have the absolute right to take your case to trial if you want to fight the charges.

For felonies, the DA has to decide weather to present your case to a grand jury for indictment. If indicted, your case moves to Supreme Court for further proceedings. If not indicted within the statutory time period, the felony charges get dismissed or reduced to misdemeanors. This is why Part F exists as a kind of waiting room for felony cases before indictment.

Throughout this process, youll have multiple court appearances. Missing a court date is a serius mistake that will result in a bench warrent for your arrest. Make sure you know your dates, put them in your calender, and plan to be there on time.

Security and Building Rules

Before entering Manhattan Criminal Court, everyones subject to security screening similar to what you’d experience at an airport. All bags, packages, and personal affects get searched. Youll go through a magnetometer and possibly a pat down. Leave anything valueable or problematic at home.

Prohibited items include weapons obviously, but also cameras, recording devices, and anything that could be disruptive. Still photography and video recording are strictly prohibited inside the courthouse without judicial permision. No smoking, no loud radios, no cell phone conversations in the courtrooms.

Arrive early and dressed respectfuly. Courts take there proceedings seriusly and judges notice when defendants show up late or dressed inapropriately. Business casual is the minimum, and showing respect to the process can only help your case.

Contact Information and Resources

Heres the key contact information for Manhattan Criminal Court:

Main Address: 100 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013

Main Phone Number: (646) 386-4500

General Information (Public): (646) 386-4545

General Information (Attorneys): (212) 374-3126

Central Clerks Office: (646) 386-4000

For information about a specific case or court date, you can search the New York Courts website or call the clerks office with your docket number.

Common Questions About Manhattan Criminal Court

How do I find out my court date? You can call the clerks office at (646) 386-4000 with your name and date of birth, or search online through the New York Courts website. If you have a DAT, the date is printed on the ticket itself. If you were arraigned, you should have been given paperwork with your next date.

What if I miss my court date? Missing a court date results in a bench warrant for your arrest. If you realize youve missed a date, contact a lawyer immediatly. Sometimes its possible to get the warrant recalled by showing up voluntarily before police find you, but dont try to handle this yourself.

Can I reschedule my court date? Sometimes, but not easily. Your lawyer needs to make a request to the court, and judges dont always grant adjornments. Medical emergencies and other serius conflicts can justify rescheduling, but convienence is not usually sufficient reason.

How long will my case take? This varies enormusly. Simple misdemeanors might resolve in a few weeks if a plea deal is offered and accepted. Complex felonies can take a year or more to reach trial. Your lawyer can give you a better estimate based on the specifics of your charges.

Will I have to come to court multiple times? Almost certainly yes. Criminal cases involve multiple appearences for arraignment, pretrial conferences, motions, and potentialy trial. Plan for several trips to 100 Centre Street over the course of your case.

What happens if I’m convicted? Sentencing depends on the charges, your criminal history, and the specific facts of your case. Outcomes can range from conditional discharge to years in state prison. Your lawyer should discuss possible outcomes with you before any plea or trial.

Getting Help With Your Manhattan Criminal Case

Facing criminal charges in Manhattan is stressful, but understanding how the system works helps you navigate it more effectivly. The courthouse at 100 Centre Street has its own procedures and rhythms, and knowing what to expect reduces some of the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with a criminal case.

If your facing charges or expecting to be arrested, the best thing you can do is talk to a criminal defense attorney as early as possible. They can explain your specific situation, represent you at arraignment, and guide you through the process from start to finish. Whether you hire private counsel or work with Legal Aid, having someone in your corner who understands Manhattan Criminal Court makes a real difference in how your case unfolds.