Discovery Reform in New York

In January 2020, New York State put into effect an overhaul of its criminal discovery laws, requiring prosecutors to disclose their evidence to the defense earlier in case proceedings.

Discovery reform introduced automatic evidence sharing (without formal requests), deadlines, and clearer guidelines on what must be disclosed. Prosecutors must also submit a “certificate of compliance” affirming they’ve met their obligations before being deemed “ready” for trial, linking discovery compliance to speedy trial protections.

The initial discovery reforms were amended three times, respectively in 2020, 2022, and most recently in 2025. This document, originally published in 2019 and updated twice previously, incorporates the most recent changes. Compared to the pre-reform era, accelerated discovery timelines remain in force, even after the 2025 amendments.

The impact of discovery reform, regardless of amendments, rests on how well it is implemented and enforced. While implementation is an ongoing process, a separate DCJ research report analyzed prosecutors’ adherence to new legal deadlines and traced speedy trial-related dismissal rates from 2019 (pre-reform) through 2024 (post-reform) across all regions and counties of New York State.

Read the Report