Oswego County DA’s Office Announces New Procedures For Court System And DA’s Office

OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County District Attorney Gregory S. Oakes today announced new procedures for the court system and DA’s Office made necessary by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The New York State Court System has adjourned all pending criminal cases until at least May 1, 2020. All town, village, and city courts are closed. The judges and court clerks are not present at the courthouses and are prohibited from returning calls or responding in writing during the adjournment per administrative order.  

The Office of Court Administration has established a single combined criminal court to hear all matters in Oswego County. However, it is only handling essential matters, such as arraignments on serious felonies, sex offenses, and domestic violence cases. All other appearances, including all vehicle and traffic matters, are adjourned.

When the courts resume, the court clerk will send a notice advising of the new appearance date. Any person who is represented by counsel should speak with their attorney to obtain their new court date. 

If a defendant moves and/or changes telephone numbers, they should advise their attorney or provide new contact information to the court in writing to avoid a warrant being issued.

The Oswego County District Attorney’s Office continues to operate, but consistent with the Governor Cuomo’s Executive Orders, most of the staff is working remotely. The DA’s Office will post contact information on its website at www.oswegocounty.com/districtattorney so that victims may contact the prosecutor assigned to their case. 

If you have an emergency that requires immediate assistance, please call 911.  

The District Attorney’s Office asks that everyone please comply with all executive orders and government-issued guidelines relating to the coronavirus to keep our families and communities safe.

For updates and current information regarding county government services, visit www.oswegocounty.com. For coronavirus information and daily updates, visit health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 or call the health department’s coronavirus hotline at 315-349-3330.

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