(Courthouses In New York City)
The Midtown Community Court building at 314 West 54th Street is located between 8th and 9th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan. The six-story building was originally constructed in 1894-96 as the Seventh District Police Court and Prison and the Eleventh Judicial District Courthouse. The prison facing 53rd Street was removed during a 1968 renovation, and an annex was added.
The courthouse is an example of the imposing small-scale civic buildings erected throughout New York City in the late 19th century. For the limestone and tan-colored brick structure, architect John H. Duncan employed Renaissance forms ornamented with terra-cotta detail incorporating symbols of justice.
In 1993, the New York State Unified Court System, the City of New York and the Fund for the City of New York established the Midtown Community Court. The Midtown Community Court, part of the Criminal Court of the City of New York, arraigns defendants who are arrested in Times Square, Clinton and Chelsea areas of the city and charged with any non-felony offense.
A key component of the Midtown Community Court is the alternative sentencing program. Here, the judge may sentence a defendant to enroll in a treatment program, attend a health education course or perform community service in the neighborhood surrounding the courthouse. These sentencing options allow the defendant to pay back the community for his or her criminal conduct as well as offer solutions to the personal problems which may cause the defendant to continue his or her involvement within the criminal justice system.
Address
314 West 54th Street (Map)
New York, NY 10019
