The Buffalo City Court Bureau, led by Chief Cathleen M. Roemer and Assistant Chief Andres D. Ortiz, handles the highest volume of criminal cases in the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. Buffalo City Court is in session 365 days per year. Therefore, our prosecutors must be present for criminal proceedings every day, including all weekends and holidays.
Buffalo City Court is comprised of nine regular criminal parts and specialty parts, including Domestic Violence, Juvenile, Drug, Mental Health, Opioid Intervention, Human Trafficking and Veteran’s Court.
All cases, whether felonies or misdemeanors, must be reviewed for legal and factual sufficiency. Assistant District Attorneys assigned to the Buffalo City Court Bureau must handle the follow-up investigation, conduct legal research, respond to motions, obtain statements from witnesses, locate and secure evidence, conduct pre-trial hearings and continue to trial if the matter cannot be resolved by a plea agreement.