DA’s office to contribute $120,000 over 4 years to state courtroom modernization; committee accepts aid-to-prosecution funds

Madeline Cataglia of the district attorney’s office told the Audit & Control Committee on Dec. 11 that New York State’s Unified Court System is moving to modernize courtroom audio‑visual and evidence presentation capabilities and that the DA’s office agreed to contribute $120,000 over four years toward upgrades in the county’s three courtrooms.

Cataglia said the DA’s office will use aid‑to‑prosecution grant funds to make four annual payments of $30,000. She told members the state will pay the remaining project costs and that the county’s $120,000 contribution is to be applied locally to the three Chautauqua County courtrooms; Cataglia said the DA’s office negotiated a comparatively modest local share compared with other jurisdictions.

Committee members asked whether the county would have input on equipment selection and whether the county could be left maintaining specialized equipment; Cataglia said the state’s courtroom modernization committee has visited and provided preliminary assessments and that the county should have input on purchases but that the bulk of implementation will be administered by the state. Members asked for the total project cost and were told that, while the DA had negotiated the local contribution, the full statewide project total was not available in the meeting.

Separately, Cataglia presented acceptance of aid-to-prosecution funds for the 2025–26 state fiscal year; the DA’s office was awarded $744,299 and sought a budget amendment to increase appropriations for equipment and contractual expenses by $155,135 to account for awards not included in the 2025 budget. The committee approved the resolutions by voice vote.