Q: Where is the district attorney's office?

A: The Hauppauge office is Building # 77 in the North County Complex at the corner of Old Willets Path and Route 347 in Hauppauge.  The Riverhead office is on the fifth floor in the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex that is just south of the SuffolkCounty jail on Center Drive in the hamlet of Riverside. There are offices in the John P. Cohalan Jr. Courthouse at 400 Carleton Avenue in Central Islip, and on the east end.

Q: Where will a defendant be arraigned and when?

A: If the arraignment is the result of an arrest by the Suffolk County Police, the defendant is arraigned in First District Court, Central Islip -- in courtroom, D-11. Arraignments are in local village and town courts when an arrest is made in one of the five eastern Suffolk Towns by the local police. Those towns are: Riverhead, Southampton, East Hampton, Southold or Shelter Island. 

If a defendant is being arraigned on an indictment, the arraignment will be in Riverhead in Suffolk County Criminal Court.  The court opens at 9:30 AM and arraignments usually begin shortly thereafter. Each judge’s court calendar varies.

Q: Why is bail set on some defendants?

A: Bail is set to ensure a defendant's return to court. The court considers several factors when setting bail, including the seriousness of the alleged crime, the likelihood of flight, and the defendant’s roots in the community. 

Q: What is a court conference?

A: Court conferences are meetings between the judge, defense attorney and prosecutor concerning anything from scheduling to case disposition to trial issues