Research


Scope and Content Note

Entry for each civil case states the names of judgment debtor (usually defendant) and judgment creditor (usually plaintiff); amounts of debt and/or damages, and costs; date and time when judgment was filed and docketed; date and time when judgment was perfected (decided by the court); which court rendered the decision; name of filing attorney; and date of filing satisfaction of judgment (if any). Most of the entries are for money judgments docketed in the Supreme Court of Judicature (court clerk's office in New York City) and the Court of Chancery (First Circuit) (prior to July 1, 1847), the Supreme Court (New York County) (starting July 1, 1847), the Court of Common Pleas (New York City and County), and the Superior Court of New York City. Judgments in other courts in New York City and elsewhere in the state are listed only if a prevailing party had a transcript of the judgment filed in New York City. Also included are money fines imposed by the Court of General Sessions (County and City of New York) in criminal convictions.