N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 350.10: Conduct of single judge trial

§ 350.10 Conduct of single judge trial.

1. A single judge trial of an information in a local criminal court

must be conducted pursuant to this section.

2. The court, in addition to determining all questions of law, is the

exclusive trier of all issues of fact and must render a verdict.

3. The order of the trial must be as follows:

(a) The court may in its discretion permit the parties to deliver

opening addresses. If the court grants such permission to one party, it

must grant it to the other also. If both parties deliver opening

addresses, the people's address must be delivered first.

(b) The order in which evidence must or may be offered by the

respective parties is the same as that applicable to a jury trial of an

indictment as prescribed in subdivisions five, six and seven of section

260.30.

(c) The court may in its discretion permit the parties to deliver

summations. If the court grants such permission to one party, it must

grant permission to the other also. If both parties deliver summations,

the defendant's summation must be delivered first.

(d) The court must then consider the case and render a verdict.

4. The provisions governing motion practice and general procedure

with respect to a jury trial of an indictment are, wherever appropriate,

applicable to a non-jury trial of an information.

5. If the information contains more than one count, the court must

render a verdict upon each count not previously dismissed or must

otherwise state upon the record its disposition of each such count. A

verdict which does not so dispose of each count constitutes a verdict of

not guilty with respect to each undisposed of count.

6. In rendering a verdict of guilty upon a count charging a

misdemeanor, the court may find the defendant guilty of such misdemeanor

if it is established by legally sufficient trial evidence, or guilty of

any lesser included offense which is established by legally sufficient

trial evidence.