New Court Rules will accelerate cases toward trial

Effectively this month, all cases in which a Note of Issue has been filed will trigger a Settlement Conference in all civil cases that are in Supreme Court, Richmond County.  (The “Note of Issue” is the document that is submitted by the party who is suing – the plaintiff – that indicates the parties are ready to try the case).

Once the Note of Issue has been filed, a conference will be scheduled with the Law Department in order to attempt to resolve the case without having to present it to a jury.  That Settlement Conference will take place within 60 days of the filing of the Note of Issue.

If settlement does not take place then the matter will go directly to trial within 3 to 4 months of that conference.