N.Y. JUD Law § 89

§ 89. Disposition of records, books and papers; rules. 1.\nNotwithstanding any other provisions of law except as hereinafter\nprovided, the chief administrator of the courts, with the advice and\nconsent of the administrative board of the courts, shall adopt rules\nproviding for the retention and disposition of records in all courts and\nagencies of the unified court system, including records of commissioners\nof jurors. Such rules shall provide, among other things, that, unless a\npermanent record by microphotography or other method of microimaging\nfirst is made and permanently retained, judgment rolls and other\nrecords, books and papers that affect the mental illness or the sanity\nor competency of any person shall be retained for at least fifty years;\nand that the judgment rolls and other records, books and papers that\naffect the marital rights or status or the custody or lineage of any\nperson and judgment rolls regardless of their age that affect title to\nreal property shall be retained permanently.\n 2. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the justices of the\nappellate division of the supreme court in each judicial department may\non application of the district attorney of any county within its\njudicial department, direct, by order, that the district attorney\ndestroy, sell or otherwise dispose of or cause to be destroyed, sold or\notherwise disposed of any records, books or papers in the care, custody\nor control of the district attorney which are more than twenty-five\nyears old and are no longer in current use, the retention of which in\nthe opinion of the justices of the appellate division would serve no\nlegal, practical or useful purpose, except permanent records of criminal\ncases, printed and bound volumes of cases on appeal and original\nindictments. The justices of the appellate division as a condition of\nsuch disposition may require the written consent of any state or local\ndepartment or agency having an interest in such records, books or\npapers.\n