N.Y. Const. art. VI, § 1: Unified court system for state established; organization; courts of record; service and execution of process

ARTICLE VI

Judiciary

Section 1. a. There shall be a unified court system for the state. The

state-wide courts shall consist of the court of appeals, the supreme

court including the appellate divisions thereof, the court of claims,

the county court, the surrogate's court and the family court, as

hereinafter provided. The legislature shall establish in and for the

city of New York, as part of the unified court system for the state, a

single, city-wide court of civil jurisdiction and a single, city-wide

court of criminal jurisdiction, as hereinafter provided, and may upon

the request of the mayor and the local legislative body of the city of

New York, merge the two courts into one city-wide court of both civil

and criminal jurisdiction. The unified court system for the state shall

also include the district, town, city and village courts outside the

city of New York, as hereinafter provided.

b. The court of appeals, the supreme court including the appellate

divisions thereof, the court of claims, the county court, the

surrogate's court, the family court, the courts or court of civil and

criminal jurisdiction of the city of New York, and such other courts as

the legislature may determine shall be courts of record.

c. All processes, warrants and other mandates of the court of appeals,

the supreme court including the appellate divisions thereof, the court

of claims, the county court, the surrogate's court and the family court

may be served and executed in any part of the state. All processes,

warrants and other mandates of the courts or court of civil and criminal

jurisdiction of the city of New York may, subject to such limitation as

may be prescribed by the legislature, be served and executed in any part

of the state. The legislature may provide that processes, warrants and

other mandates of the district court may be served and executed in any

part of the state and that processes, warrants and other mandates of

town, village and city courts outside the city of New York may be served

and executed in any part of the county in which such courts are located

or in any part of any adjoining county.