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Pencil sketch by Mary Ann Barr 2021
The Town of Danby in New York
Town Hall, 1830 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Call the Town Court 607-277-0095
Town Court Hours Mon-Tue 8am-11am
Call the Town Clerk 607-277-4788
Town Clerk Appointments 11am–6pm Mon–Fri
Town Court is Open to the Public
Court Is In Session On Tuesdays at 9:00 AM
The Court Clerk is available Mondays and Tuesdays, from 8:00am until 11:00am.
Virtual Courtroom
Virtual Court is available for special circumstances and must be scheduled in advance.
Alternatively, you may call in to participate via audio only: +1-347-378-4143
Phone Conference ID: 515 068 988#
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Court Personnel
Court Jurisdiction
Court Schedule
Case Jurisdiction
Small Claims
Fines, Surcharges, & Fees
Court Jurisdiction
The Town of Danby Court serves the community by adjudicating a wide variety of cases. Most of the cases are Vehicle and Traffic Law infractions, but the court also handles DWI/DUI violations, DEC violations, New York State Park Police, as well as traditional criminal or civil matters.
Court Schedule
Court is held every Tuesday morning, beginning at 9am and continues until all cases have been heard, except the first Tuesday of each month. The first Tuesday of every month are Pretrial’s with the District Attorneys Office present, and begins at 9:00am. Court sessions begin with the Judge hearing from attorneys and their clients first, then followed by all other cases.
Trials and Small Claims are scheduled throughout the week, based on the schedules of the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Attorney availability, and State Mandated Time Schedules.
Case Jurisdiction
Generally, the court’s jurisdiction is limited to events occurring within the Town of Danby, including West Danby. There are exceptions; for example, either of the Danby Justices can arraign a defendant on criminal charges arising in surrounding communities, if the judge from the home jurisdiction is unavailable. The Danby Town Judges will do an arraignment, at any hour, if called upon.
Small Claims
Small claim proceedings are meant for individuals to present their case to the court, but either side may hire an attorney to represent them.
New York State small claim limit for justice courts is $3,000.
The Town Justices have jurisdiction over small claims, provided that the defendant(s) satisfy one of the following requirements:
- Resides in the Town
- Has/have an office for the transaction of business within the Town
- Is regularly employed within the Town.
A more complete description of the process is provided online by the Ithaca City Court. Anyone filing a small claim must visit the court clerk for a Small Guide Booklet and the required forms to fill out.
Fines, Surcharges, & Fees
Fines are assessed by the Judge, based on fine ranges recommended by New York State. Surcharges are mandated by the New York State, and vary per the degree of the offense.
| Small Claims Fees | |
|---|---|
| Claim Amount | Filing Fee |
| Up to $1,000 | $10 |
| $1,001–$3,000 | $14 |
| Summary Proceedings, Evictions, Civil Fees | |
| Filing Fee | $20 |
A monthly audit of reported cases is sent to the New York State Office of Court Administration.
All monies collected are given to the Ton of Danby’s Town Supervisor by the 11th of the month following every reporting month.
All bail money received by the court is retained in a non-interest bearing account until a case is disposed of or released by the judge.
The Town of Danby sits on the traditional & ancestral land of the Gayogoho:no’ (Cayuga Nation), one of the five nations to first form the Haudenosaunee. Indigenous peoples were largely forced out of Upstate New York by the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition in 1779. The land that would become the Town of Danby was a part of the Watkins and Flint Purchase, a 336,380 acre patent granted by New York State to numerous eastern investors in 1794.