Q: Personal injury case has been in special trial part for a year and a half , it’s just adjourned for so long!
What is the STP part. Is that a settlement part it says special trial part , I thought this part was suppose to go to trial. Can someone explain. Thank you
A: STP is the last stop in the court process, and it is from there that cases are sent out for jury selection and trial. As I am sure you are aware, the Covid pandemic shut down the court system for months, and jury trials only very recently began again, and on a very limited basis. Unfortunately for you and every one of the many hundreds, if not thousands of other cases waiting to be sent out for trial, it will be months, if not another year or two for the backlog of trial ready cases like yours to be sent out for trial. Good luck to you.
Jonathan R. Ratchik and Tim Akpinar agree with this answer
A:
The delays you are seeing in the Special Trial Part are likely COVID related. You could double-check with your attorney if the delays are attributable to any other loose ends in your file, but given what other litigants across New York City and New York State are experiencing, COVID is the main culprit in these delays these days. If it's any consolation, I'm seeing similar delays outside the Bronx and in the federal courts as well, so you are not alone in your frustration. And it isn't only in the personal injury sector; it has delayed other types of cases as well. If anything, it's actually a meaningful thing that your case has reached this milestone. That's an accomplishment in itself and even reaching STP is taking longer since the impact of COVID on court systems statewide and nationwide. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
A: Yes, the STP is the Special Trial Part. As my colleagues have correctly advised, due to the COVID pandemic, almost every case that was "ready for trial" in March of last year has been adjourned. The Court system is just beginning to have jury trials again and, as you can well imagine, incredibly backlogged. Cases that were ready for trial last spring are likely not going to proceed to trial until this fall at the earliest, perhaps not even until next year. Best to speak with your attorney who can give you a better guesstimate as to when your case might come up for trial.
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