ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Monroe County introduced a new system called the Centralized Arraignment Part (CAP) to streamline the arraignment process. Starting Monday, all arrests in the county will be arraigned in a courtroom connected to the Monroe County Jail. This change ensures a prosecutor and defense lawyer are present at every arraignment.

“The fundamental reason for the CAP is to make the justice system work better,” Judge Bill Taylor, administrative judge for the 7th judicial district, said. “That is the shared goal of everyone who works in and supports the criminal justice system.”

The new system aims to provide immediate access to services for those charged, while allowing officers, deputies, and troopers to return to patrol quickly.

At the first CAP court session this morning, six arraignments took place. CAP court operates from 9:30 a.m. to noon, with a night court from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Every county in the area uses this system.

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