Grants peace officer status to employees of the town court of the town of Montgomery serving as uniformed court officers at such town court.
Summary
A02020 would amend the Criminal Procedure Law to add employees of the Town Court of the Town of Montgomery who serve as uniformed court officers to the list of peace officers in New York State. The bill is narrowly tailored to one local court and does not create a broad statewide category; it specifically identifies the covered personnel by position and employer.
The measure also makes clear that peace officer status does not itself authorize the carrying, possession, repair, or disposal of a firearm. Any firearm authority would still depend on obtaining the appropriate license under Penal Law section 400.00. The bill would take effect immediately upon enactment.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend CPL section 2.10 to include a new subdivision covering Town of Montgomery uniformed court officers, thereby extending peace officer powers and related legal status to those employees. This could affect their authority in performing court security and law-enforcement-related duties, while leaving firearm licensing rules unchanged. The practical impact is limited to the Town of Montgomery town court and its uniformed court officers, rather than the state court system generally.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the Assembly Codes Committee unanimously, advanced through Rules with only one dissenting vote, and then passed the Assembly floor by a wide margin. No committee transcripts are available, but the recorded votes indicate the measure was generally viewed favorably and as noncontroversial overall.
Contention
The main point of legal caution in the bill is the explicit limitation on firearms: supporters appear to want peace officer status for court officers without automatically expanding gun authority. Because the bill is local and specific to one town court, any contention would likely center on whether those employees need peace officer powers for security and operational reasons, and whether granting that status is appropriate for a small municipal court. The vote totals, however, show little organized opposition in the Assembly.