New York statute
N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 170.70 — Release of defendant upon failure to replace misdemeanor complaint by information
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 170: Proceedings Upon Information, Simplified Traffic Information, Prosecutor's Information and Misdemeanor Complaint From Arraignment to Plea, New York Criminal Procedure Law.
Full text of N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 170.70
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
170.70 Release of defendant upon failure to replace misdemeanor
complaint by information.
Upon application of a defendant against whom a misdemeanor complaint
is pending in a local criminal court, and who, either at the time of his
arraignment thereon or subsequent thereto, has been committed to the
custody of the sheriff pending disposition of the action, and who has
been confined in such custody for a period of more than five days, not
including Sunday, without any information having been filed in
replacement of such misdemeanor complaint, the criminal court must
release the defendant on his own recognizance unless:
1. The defendant has waived prosecution by information and consented
to be prosecuted upon the misdemeanor complaint, pursuant to subdivision
three of section 170.65; or
2. The court is satisfied that there is good cause why such order of
release should not be issued. Such good cause must consist of some
compelling fact or circumstance which precluded replacement of the
misdemeanor complaint by an information or a prosecutor's information
within the prescribed period.
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This reference is informational and is not legal advice.