New York State Law
Civil Rights Law
Consolidated Laws of New York's CVR code
Article 3 - NY Civil Rights Law
PRIVILEGE FROM ARREST
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| 20 | No imprisonment for non-payment of costs in certain cases. |
| 21 | No imprisonment for non-payment of money pursuant to judgment or order requiring payment of money due upon contract. |
| 22 | Privilege of officers and prisoner from arrest while passing through another county. |
| 23 | No person to be arrested in civil proceedings without a statutory provision. |
| 24 | Privilege from arrest of officers of courts of record. |
| 25 | Witness exempt from arrest. |
| 26 | Action against officer making arrest of exempt person. |
| 27 | Discharge of exempt witness. |
S 20. No imprisonment for non-payment of costs in certain cases. A person shall not be arrested or imprisoned, for the non-payment of costs, awarded otherwise than by a final judgment, or a final order, made in a special proceeding instituted by state writ, except where an attorney, counselor, or other officer of the court, is ordered to pay costs for misconduct as such, or a witness is ordered to pay costs on an attachment for non-attendance. S 21. No imprisonment for non-payment of money pursuant to judgment or order requiring payment of money due upon contract. Except in a case where it is otherwise specially prescribed by law, a person shall not be arrested or imprisoned for disobedience to a judgment or order, requiring the payment of money due upon a contract, express or implied, or as damages for non-performance of a contract. S 22. Privilege of officers and prisoner from arrest while passing through another county. A prisoner conveyed to jail through another county by a sheriff or other officer pursuant to law, or the officer having him in custody, is not liable to arrest in any civil action or special proceeding, while passing through another county. S 23. No person to be arrested in civil proceedings without a statutory provision. A person shall not be arrested in a civil action or special proceeding, except as prescribed by statute. The writ of ne exeat is abolished. S 24. Privilege from arrest of officers of courts of record. An officer of a court of record, appointed or elected pursuant to law, is privileged from arrest, during the actual sitting, which he is required to attend, of a term of the court of which he is an officer, and no longer; but an attorney or counselor is not thus privileged, unless he is employed in a cause, to be heard at that term. S 25. Witness exempt from arrest. A person duly and in good faith subpoenaed or ordered to attend, for the purpose of being examined, in a case where his attendance may lawfully be enforced by attachment or by commitment, is privileged from arrest in a civil action or special proceeding, while going to, remaining at, and returning from, the place where he is required to attend. An arrest, made contrary to the provisions of this section, is absolutely void and is a contempt of the court, if any, from which the subpoena was issued, or by which the witness was directed to attend. S 26. Action against officer making arrest of exempt person. An action may be maintained, by the person arrested, against the officer or other person making an arrest contrary to the provisions of the last section, in which the plaintiff is entitled to recover treble damages. A similar action may also be maintained, in a like case, by the party in whose behalf the witness was subpoenaed, or the order procured, to recover the damages sustained by him, in consequence of the arrest. But a sheriff, or other officer, or person, is not so liable, unless the person claiming an exemption from arrest, makes, if required by the sheriff or officer, an affidavit, to the effect that he was legally subpoenaed or ordered to attend, and that he was not so subpoenaed or ordered by his own procurement, with the intent of avoiding arrest. In his affidavit he must specify the court or officer, the place of attendance, and the cause in which he was so subpoenaed or ordered. The affidavit may be taken before the officer arresting him, and exonerates the officer from liability for not making the arrest. S 27. Discharge of exempt witness. Where a person has been arrested in violation of section twenty-five, a justice of the supreme court, a county judge or the court, if any, from which the subpoena was issued or which ordered the witness to attend, or a judge thereof, shall order such person discharged from the arrest upon proof, by affidavit, of the facts. Top of Page
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