Rockland County Court: Felony Defense Information for Defendants and Families

Rockland County Court is part of the Rockland Supreme and County Court complex located at 1 South Main Street in New City — the county seat of Rockland County. This is the court that handles all serious felony criminal cases arising anywhere in Rockland County, making it the most consequential courthouse in the county for criminal defendants. The complex also houses the Rockland County Clerk (Suite 100), Family Court (Suite 300), Surrogate's Court, and the Rockland County District Attorney's Office (Suite 500) — all under one roof. The court is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Criminal calendars run on weekday mornings. The main complex number is (845) 483-8300; the County Court direct line is (845) 483-8310. Yvonne Garbett's office at 3 Eberling Drive is directly across the street — steps from the courthouse entrance.

Rockland County Court has jurisdiction over all felony criminal charges arising in the County of Rockland — any offense punishable by more than one year in state prison. This includes violent felonies (assault, robbery, weapons charges), drug crimes (possession and distribution at the felony level), property crimes (burglary, grand larceny), sex offenses, DWI felony charges, and federal matters handled in partnership with federal prosecutors. The court also handles civil matters with claims between $25,000 and $100,000. All misdemeanor convictions appealed from justice courts are reviewed here.

Every felony case in Rockland County begins in the local justice or village court where the defendant is first arraigned. At that initial arraignment, bail is set, a not-guilty plea is entered, and the case is scheduled for preliminary proceedings. The case then goes to the Grand Jury — where a panel of citizens determines whether sufficient evidence exists to indict. If the Grand Jury returns an indictment, the case is transferred to Rockland County Court for arraignment on the indictment, pre-trial motions, and ultimately plea or trial. Alternatively, a defendant may waive the Grand Jury process and consent to a Superior Court Information (SCI), typically in exchange for a negotiated plea agreement. At no point in this process should a defendant navigate it without experienced legal counsel.

The Rockland County District Attorney's Office is located at Suite 500 in the same building as the court. The DA's Office prosecutes all felony cases in Rockland County Court and all criminal cases in the local justice courts. Yvonne Garbett worked in this office as an Assistant District Attorney before opening her own practice. She knows the office's culture, how cases are evaluated and charged, which factors lead to plea offers and which lead to trial preparation, and how negotiations are actually conducted. That institutional knowledge — gained from years inside the same office now on the opposite side of every case — is a meaningful strategic advantage for her clients.

Before a felony case goes to trial in Rockland County Court, there is typically a period of pre-trial litigation. Defense attorneys may file motions to suppress evidence — arguing that a search was unconstitutional, that a confession was obtained illegally, or that identification procedures were improper. These motions, if successful, can result in key evidence being excluded from trial, which often leads to reduced charges or outright dismissal. Discovery motions, bail applications, and speedy trial motions are also part of pre-trial practice. This phase of a case is where experienced trial counsel makes an enormous difference — knowing which motions to bring, how to argue them effectively, and how to use the results to build negotiating leverage.

For eligible defendants, Rockland County offers two important alternatives to traditional prosecution. Drug Court is a specialized court program that diverts non-violent, drug-dependent defendants into supervised treatment instead of incarceration. Successful completion can result in reduced charges or dismissal. The Veterans Alternative to Incarceration (VATI) program provides a similar diversion pathway for eligible veterans charged with non-violent offenses. A High School Intervention and Diversion program also exists for qualifying young defendants. None of these programs are guaranteed — eligibility depends on the nature of the charge, the defendant's criminal history, and the approval of the DA's Office. Yvonne Garbett can evaluate whether a client may qualify for any of these programs and advocate for their admission.

When you face felony charges in Rockland County Court, you are in the same building where the DA's Office works every day. The prosecutors who will handle your case built their careers in that office. Yvonne Garbett spent years as an ADA in Rockland County — she knows the prosecutors personally in many cases, understands the standards the office uses to evaluate plea offers and decide whether to take a case to trial, and has stood on both sides of the same negotiations that now shape your outcome. That experience does not simply inform her strategy — it defines it. She knows what a case looks like from the prosecution's perspective, and she uses that knowledge entirely in your defense.

The courthouse is located at 1 South Main Street in downtown New City. A municipal parking lot is adjacent to the building. Street parking is available on Main Street and the surrounding blocks. Yvonne Garbett's office at 3 Eberling Drive is directly across the intersection — at the corner of New Hempstead Road and Eberling Drive. From the New York State Thruway (I-87/I-287), take Exit 10N toward New City. Follow Route 304 north approximately two miles into downtown New City; the courthouse is on the right on South Main Street.