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County Attorney briefs committee on juvenile delinquency caseload, board rules and ethics local law timeline
Summary
The Allegany County Attorney told the Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 15 that the office filed petitions in about 45 juvenile delinquency cases last year and outlined how those matters proceed under Article 3 of the Family Court Act.
The Allegany County Attorney briefed the Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 15 about the office’s responsibilities and the county’s juvenile delinquency caseload. The attorney said the office filed petitions in approximately 45 juvenile delinquency cases last year and described the process under Article 3 of the Family Court Act.
The attorney told the committee the three main referral paths are: (1) probation referrals when adjustment services were not completed, (2) cases that do not qualify for probation because the offense would be a crime if committed by an adult, and (3) cases involving 16- and 17-year-olds referred under New York’s "raise the age" legislation. The attorney said the office works closely with the district attorney’s office, local law enforcement, probation, the sheriff’s office and social services to identify appropriate, least-restrictive placements when required.
On timelines, the attorney said statutory timelines apply and that, when the process runs according to plan, juvenile delinquency cases typically take about three to four months from filing to disposition. The attorney noted, however, that real-world delays are common and the office often faces scheduling and placement challenges.
Staffing and on-call work: The attorney said the office’s juvenile-delinquency work is primarily handled by the first assistant, Aaron Moore, and that the office currently has a full staff of five — including two assistant county attorneys and two support staff. The attorney also said that, occasionally, off-duty responses are required if law enforcement needs to consult after hours.
Board rules and ethics local law: The county attorney said the office has not yet completed updates to the board policy manual and that, because of a busy start to the year with contracts and resolutions, the board-rules revision needs to be rescheduled. The attorney said the office is working with the county administrator to finalize an ethics local law and expects to bring it to the committee for review in the first half of the year.
What the committee heard: Committee members thanked the attorney for the overview. One member asked whether the office was fully staffed; the attorney replied that the office is at full staff and that the newest assistant county attorney would be sworn into the bar that afternoon.
