Overview

• Effective Thursday, revised discovery amendments narrow the scope of evidence prosecutors must share and curb automatic case dismissals for insignificant errors.
• Judges are now required to evaluate prosecutors’ overall efforts before ruling on dismissal motions for discovery mistakes.
• The rules mandate redaction of sensitive victim information, strengthening privacy safeguards in criminal proceedings.
• A dedicated $135 million in the FY 2026 budget will fund training and resources for prosecutors and defense lawyers to comply with the changes.
• The amendments represent a negotiated compromise that scales back parts of Governor Hochul’s initial proposal in response to concerns from defense attorney and civil rights advocacy groups.