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24-564: District attorneys are legally permitted to delegate the prosecution of petty crimes or offenses. Prosecutors do not normally handle New York City Criminal Court summons court cases, and the Manhattan district attorney has a memorandum of understanding with the New York City Police Department allowing their legal bureau to selectively prosecute them. In the legislative act of February 12, 1796, New York State

48-408: A summary proceeding I mean principally such as is directed by several acts of parliament (for the common law is a stranger to it, unless in the case of contempts) for the conviction of offenders, and the inflicting of certain penalties created by those acts of parliament. In these there is no intervention of a jury, but the party accused is acquitted or condemned by the suffrage of such person only, as

72-457: A fine of $ 5,000 or both. As a matter of practical effect, some common differences between summary conviction and indictable offences are provided below. In Hong Kong, trials for summary offences are heard in one of the territory's Magistrates' Courts , unless the defendant is accused with other indictable offence (s). Typical examples for summary offences in Hong Kong include possession of

96-610: A jury trial. Some states, such as California , provide that all defendants are entitled to a jury trial (irrespective of the nature of their offenses). In any case, for summary criminal offenses in the United States, convictions can still show as such on a criminal record. Contempt of court is considered a prerogative of the court, as "the requirement of a jury does not apply to contempts committed in disobedience of any lawful writ, process, order, rule, decree, or command entered in any suit or action brought or prosecuted in

120-430: A jury". These can include criminal and civil citations, where a person may be charged with a criminal or non-criminal infraction without the need of a physical arrest, such as in cases of non-violent fineable violations, crimes that carry little incarceration time, or non-criminal acts such as speeding. Any crime that is punishable by the controlling law for more than six months of imprisonment must have some means for

144-488: A simulated bomb , drunkenness, taking photographs in courts, careless driving and pretending to be a public officer . Under New Zealand law , summary offences are covered by the Summary Offences Act 1981, and include offences that resemble forgery , fraud , nuisance , as well as offences against public order. It also covers some aspects of search , arrest and jurisdiction , as well as regulating

168-482: A special election is held for the remainder of the term. The Bronx (Bronx County) Darcel Clark Brooklyn (Kings County) Eric Gonzalez Manhattan (New York County) Alvin Bragg Queens (Queens County) Melinda Katz Staten Island (Richmond County) Michael McMahon Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan U.S. Attorney for

192-456: A summary conviction. A "summary offence" is one which, if charged to an adult, can only be tried by summary procedure. Similar procedures are also used in Scotland. Certain offences that may be tried in a Crown Court (by jury) may be required to be tried summarily if the value involved is small; such offences are still considered either way offences , so are not thereby "summary offences" in

216-562: Is an act that is illegal or immoral . Legal wrongs are usually quite clearly defined in the law of a state or jurisdiction . They can be divided into civil wrongs and crimes (or criminal offenses ) in common law countries, while civil law countries tend to have some additional categories, such as contraventions . Moral wrong is an underlying concept for legal wrong. Some moral wrongs are punishable by law, for example, rape or murder . Other moral wrongs have nothing to do with law but are related to unethical behaviours. On

240-433: Is any damage resulting from a violation of a legal right . A legal wrong can also imply being contrary to the principles of justice or law. It means that something is contrary to conscience or morality and results in treating others unjustly. If the loss caused by a wrong is minor enough, there is no compensation, which principle is known as de minimis non curat lex . Otherwise, damages apply. The law of England recognised

264-835: The Southern District of New York Damian Williams [REDACTED] U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace Petty crime A summary offence or petty offence is a violation in some common law jurisdictions that can be proceeded against summarily, without the right to a jury trial and/or indictment (required for an indictable offence ). In Canada , summary offences are referred to as summary conviction offences . As in other jurisdictions, summary conviction offences are considered less serious than indictable offences because they are punishable by shorter prison sentences and smaller fines. These offences appear both in

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288-707: The United Kingdom , trials for summary offences are heard in one of a number of types of lower court. For England and Wales this is the Magistrates' Court . In Scotland , it is the Sheriff Court or Justice of the peace court , depending on the offence (the latter being primarily for the most minor of offences). Northern Ireland has its own Magistrates' Court system . In United States federal and state law , "there are certain minor or petty offenses that may be proceeded against summarily, and without

312-593: The Bronx . In 1813, Westchester County was apportioned to a new district with Rockland and Putnam counties, and in 1815, New York County became the Twelfth District—the only one at the time that was a single county. In 1818, each county in the state became its own district. From 1874 to 1895, New York County included the West Bronx , and from 1895 to 1913 it included all of what is now Bronx County, governing

336-399: The concept of a "wrong" before it recognised the distinction between civil wrongs (governed by civil law ) and crimes (defined by criminal law ), which distinction was developed during the thirteenth century. Civil law violations usually lead to civil penalties like fines , criminal offenses to more severe punishments . The severity of the punishment should reflect the severity of

360-481: The federal laws of Canada and in the legislation of Canada's provinces and territories. For summary conviction offences that fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government (including all criminal law ), section 787 of the Criminal Code specifies that, unless another punishment is provided for by law, the maximum penalty for a summary conviction offence is a sentence of 2 years less a day of imprisonment,

384-496: The meaning of that term defined by statute. Contrariwise, certain summary offences may in certain circumstances be tried on indictment along with other offences that are themselves indictable; they do not thereby become "indictable offences" or "either way offences" but remain "summary offences", though tried by jury. Sir William Blackstone , in his Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765–1769), described summary offences thus: By

408-441: The name of, or on behalf of, the United States". There have been criticisms over the practice. In particular, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black wrote in a 1964 dissent: "It is high time, in my judgment, to wipe out root and branch the judge-invented and judge-maintained notion that judges can try criminal contempt cases without a jury." Violation of law A wrong or wrength (from Old English wrang – 'crooked')

432-403: The other hand, some legal wrongs, such as many types of parking offences, could hardly be classified as moral wrongs. A violation of law is any act (or, less commonly, failure to act) that fails to abide by existing law . Violations generally include both crimes and civil wrongs . Some acts, such as fraud , can violate civil and criminal laws. In law, a wrong can be a legal injury , which

456-430: The sale of spray paint . In relation to England and Wales , the expression "summary trial" means a trial in the magistrates' court . In such proceedings there is no jury; the appointed judge, or a panel of three lay magistrates, decides the guilt or innocence of the accused. Each summary offence is specified by statute which describes the (usually minor) offence and the judge to hear it. A summary procedure can result in

480-608: The same area as does the present Borough of the Bronx. On January 1, 1914, the Bronx became a separate county with its own district attorney. Until 1822, the district attorney was appointed by the Council of Appointment , and held the office "during the Council's pleasure", meaning that there was no defined term of office. Under the provisions of the New York State Constitution of 1821 , the district attorney

504-434: The statute has appointed for his judge. An institution designed professedly for the greater ease of the subject, by doing him speedy justice, and by not harassing the freeholders with frequent and troublesome attendances to try every minute offence. But it has of late been so far extended, as, if a check be not timely given, to threaten the disuse of our admirable and truly English trial by jury, unless only in capital cases. In

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528-656: Was appointed to a three-year term by the County Court, and under the provisions of the Constitution of 1846 , the office became elective by popular ballot. The term was three years, beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. In case of a vacancy, an acting district attorney was appointed by the Court of General Sessions until the Governor of New York filled the vacancy with an interim appointment until an election

552-474: Was divided into seven districts, each with an Assistant Attorney General, except New York County where Attorney General Josiah Ogden Hoffman prosecuted personally until 1801. From 1801 to 1813, New York County was part of the First District, which included the counties of New York, Kings, Queens, Richmond, and Suffolk. At that time, Queens included current-day Nassau County and Westchester included

576-405: Was held for the remainder of the term. The Consolidation Charter of 1896 extended the term by a year of the incumbent John R. Fellows , who had been elected in 1893 to a three-year term (1894–1896). Since the city election of 1897, the district attorney's term has coincided with the mayor's term and has been four years long. In case of a vacancy, the governor can make an interim appointment until

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