When
to Come
The quick answer is:
WHENEVER THE JUDGE TELLS YOU TO BE THERE.
You are usually expected
to be in Court (not waiting on line or in the hall) at 9:30 AM.
That means that you must
leave time to find parking (if you are driving), to wait on line, and to
find the right Courtroom.
The line to get in the
Courthouse is unpredictable. Some days you might have no wait at all
before you get to walk through the metal detectors and others you might
have to stand on a line that stretches around the block.
Finally, if you haven't
been to the Courtroom before, plan on spending a few minutes figuring
out where you need to go. You might want to ask your lawyer before the
Court Date where to go. Or, refer to our on-line directory of Queens
County Criminal Courtrooms.
Different judges have
different attitudes about your presence at 9:30 precisely. Although it
is your responsibility to be in Court at the time directed by the Judge,
as a practical matter most judges understand that occasionally traffic
is bad, the lines are long, and things can happen. In many cases, judges
are so busy dealing with the cases of people who are already present
that your lateness may not even be noticed. Most judges do not take a
"roll call" at 9:30 AM.
Be aware however, that in
some degree, you are playing with fire by appearing later than 9:30 AM.
In theory, it could be noticed, and in theory a judge could decide to
set, raise, or eliminate bail on you for failing to come to Court
"on time." Judges have different attitudes about lateness and
the excuses they are willing to accept. One former Supreme Court Judge
in Queens was notorious for setting bail on just about anyone appearing
after 9:30 AM.
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Getting
There
Kew
Gardens - Most of the Criminal Courtrooms are now located at
125-01 Queens Blvd., next to Borough Hall. Queens Criminal Court
is easily accessible by subway, car, and bus.
By Subway
Go to the UNION TURNPIKE
subway station. The two main lines stopping at Union Turnpike
are the E and F lines.
Coming from the
direction of New York City, get out at the front of the train and exit
in the direction of the train, bearing to your left up the stairs to
Queens Blvd. Continue walking down Queens Blvd. away from the
direction of Manhattan. You will walk by Borough Hall.
Keep going until you get to the next big building across a small
street. In front of the building is a large sculpture with a top
that spins in the wind. This is Criminal Court.
Coming from the
direction of Jamaica, Queens, get out at the back of the train and
exit up and out back toward the direction of Jamaica. Bear left
up the stairs to Queens Blvd. Continue walking down Queens Blvd.
away from the direction of Manhattan. You will walk by Borough
Hall. Keep going until you get to the next big building across a
small street. In front of the building is a large sculpture with
a top that spins in the wind. This is Criminal Court.
For more information on
subway routes go to the
Official
New York City Subway Web Site.
By Car:
For a printable map of
the Courthouse area and door to door driving directions, please click
on the button below. (Return to our site by using the BACK
button on your web browser).
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Generally, by car the
Kew Gardens Courthouse can be easily reached off the Grand Central
Parkway (Eastbound, Queens Blvd. exit) or off the Van Wyck Expressway
(going toward Kennedy Airport take the Union Turnpike Exit, coming
from direction of Kennedy Airport take Queens Blvd. exit)
By Bus-- The Q60, Q37, Q74
and Q46 buses all have stops in close proximity to the Courthouse.
Long
Island City - The City still maintains this beautiful landmark
Courthouse for criminal trials. The address of the Courthouse is
25-10 Court Square, Long Island City. Under most circumstances,
cases are sent to this courthouse only when they are ready for trial.
By Subway:
The closest subway
station to the Long Island City Courthouse is the E train stop in the
Citicorp Building. The Courthouse is located across the street
from the Citicorp building on Court Square.
For more information on
subway routes go to the
Official
New York City Subway Web Site.
By Car:
For a printable map of
the Long Island City Courthouse area, and door to door driving
directions, click on the button below. (Then return to this site
using the BACK button on your web browser)
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Parking
Kew
Gardens
It is probably easiest to
park in the Municipal parking lot maintained between the Courthouse and
Borough Hall. You will always be able to find a place to park.
At the Municipal Lot you will have your choice of a Muni-Meter on the
top level or parking with no preset time limit in the levels below.
Again it is easier to park below and pay when you leave. The
rates are not that much different than the Muni-Meter.
In the Courthouse area you
will find a few other garages, like one located in the Silver Towers
building across from Court, but they are generally more expensive than
the Municipal Lot.
Another option is to park
on the street somewhere in the area. You will spend a good deal of
time looking for a spot. The Kew Gardens area is also alive with
ticket officers waiting to write you a ticket. Good luck.
Long
Island City
By far the simplest
solution to the parking issue in Long Island City is to park in the
Municipal Lot next to the Courthouse itself. You may have to park
at the very top depending on when you get there, but the convenience of
parking right next door can't be beaten.
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Lunch
Kew
Gardens
The Courthouse lunch
period is from 1PM to 2PM.
Note: This is an
informal listing of some of the more popular places to eat within
walking distance of the Courthouse. These are not paid
advertisements or endorsements.
Sit Down
Dining
Pasta Lovers - Pasta
Lovers is an Italian restaurant located diagonally across the street
from the Criminal Courthouse. It is a popular spot for Court
personnel and gets quite busy during the Courthouse lunch period.
You may have a wait if you get there late.
National
Fast Food Chains
Wendy's - Across from the court.
Subway - Located down
Queens Blvd from the Courthouse across the street from Borough Hall.
Dunkin Donuts - Located a
couple of stores down from Subway, across from Borough Hall.
Independent
Pizza Stores
La Rondine - La Rondine serves a wide
variety of large slices and other dishes.
Little Italy - Located
across the street from the Courthouse further down Queens Blvd. than
Pizza Hut.
Long
Island City
The choices in Long Island
City are few. For a sit down meal there is always Brooks, a Long
Island City landmark, right next to the Courthouse. For
"faster" food, try the deli and lunch area across the street
in and around the CitiCorp building.
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Courtroom
Locator
Click
Here to see a listing of courtrooms and locations in Queens County.
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Courtroom
Rules
What to
wear to Court
If you are charged with a
crime and must appear in Court, dress decently. Once you are in front of a jury,
dress may become more important, but the same basic principle applies:
Dress decently.
You don't have to wear an
Armani suit. You don't have win a fashion contest. If you are a person
who goes to Church, wear what you wear when you go to Church. Show the
Court that you thought about where you were going.
How to Avoid Conflict with Court Officers
As a general rule you
don't want to cause conflict with the Court Officers while you are in
Court waiting for your case to be called. Conflict with the Court
Officers can actually lead to your arrest in extreme circumstances. In
less extreme circumstances you can be ordered out of the courtroom.
The following are a list
of activities that may cause conflict with Court Officers:
-
Reading newspapers,
books, or anything else
-
Sleeping
-
Slouching too much in
the bench
-
Talking with others
(an occasional whisper is not usually a problem, but no loud
talking)
-
Eating, drinking, or
chewing gum
-
Standing
-
Making noise
Avoiding the above list of
activities will go a long way toward avoiding conflict with the Court
Officers. Avoiding conflict with the Court Officers decreases the risk
that the judge will take an immediate dislike to you and therefore
increases the likelihood that the judge may treat your case more
favorably than otherwise.
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Missed
Appearances
It is always your
responsibility to come to Court when you are supposed to. If you
miss your scheduled Court date you must make every effort to return
yourself to Court as soon as physically possible. Call your
attorney and advise him about the reason for your failure to appear and
advise him as to when you are coming in to Court.
You are the only one
responsible for remembering your court dates. If the judge sets,
raises, or eliminates bail, you will be the one in jail. If you
have any doubt about your next appearance date, contact your lawyer.
Most judges will accept
reasonable excuses from those who voluntarily come back into Court soon
after failing to appear. But don't count on it. The better
course of action is simply to make sure you are there when you are
supposed to be there.
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