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Trial Division

The lion's share of felony prosecutions undertaken by the District Attorney's Office involves crimes of opportunity like street robberies, auto thefts and burglaries.  The thousands of individual robberies, burglaries, car thefts, assaults and larcenies that occur every year are prosecuted by the assistant district attorneys assigned to the office’s two Supreme Court Trial Bureaus.

Upon promotion to Supreme Court, assistants receive intensive supervision and training regarding grand jury practice, motion practice and litigation technique for hearings and trial.

Assistants in the Supreme Court Trial Bureaus handle a large variety of cases that test their judgment, knowledge of the law and litigation skills on a daily basis. Cases are assigned to Supreme Court assistants immediately after arraignment.  Prior to indictment, the Assistant conducts all evaluations, investigations and enhancements of the case. This vertical method of prosecution allows defendants to negotiate a plea bargain on the case with the assistant who is not only more seasoned, but also more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the case. After indictment, the same assistant maintains responsibility for every aspect of the case, whether it is motion practice, conducting pre-trial hearings or trial, until the case is concluded.

The Supreme Court Trial Bureau Riding Program is based on the belief that much useful information can be gathered by an ADA who responds to the crime scene.  Additionally, in responding to the crime scene or to the station-house, in the event of an arrest, the ADA can provide the police with valuable assistance, take a statement from the suspect and any of the witnesses in a case, be present at any lineups that are necessary and draw up search warrant applications if they are needed.  ADA’s from the Queens County District Attorney’s Office attend every lineup in Queens County.

When an ADA rides a case, that case is often assigned to that assistant.  This further enhances the Office’s commitment to verticalized prosecution. 

Aside from the riding program, the Supreme Court Trial Bureau ADA's have responsibility for handling all of the pre-trial and trial litigation in a case.  Assistants in the Supreme Court Trial Bureaus handle motion practice, conduct hearings and try felony cases.  Trials are the essential work of a prosecutor's office and members of the Supreme Court Trial Bureaus prosecute the majority of cases that reach the trial stage. In the process, assistants gain invaluable experience and become seasoned litigators ready to move on to the more senior bureaus in the office.