N.Y. Civil Rights Law Section 72
Term of imprisonment of civil prisoner

No person shall be imprisoned within the prison walls of any jail for a longer period than three months under an execution or any other mandate against the person to enforce the recovery of a sum of money less than five hundred dollars in amount or under a commitment upon a fine for contempt of court in the nonpayment of alimony, maintenance, distributive awards or special relief in matrimonial actions or counsel fees in a divorce case where the amount so to be paid is less than the sum of five hundred dollars; and where the amount in either of said cases is five hundred dollars or over, such imprisonment shall not continue for a longer period than six months. It shall be the duty of the sheriff in whose custody any such person is held to discharge such person at the expiration of said respective periods without any formal application being made therefor. No person shall be imprisoned within the jail liberties of any jail for a longer period than six months upon any execution or other mandate against the person to enforce the recovery of a sum of five hundred dollars or over or for a longer period than three months where the amount is less than five hundred dollars, and no action shall be commenced against the sheriff upon a bond given for the jail liberties by such person. In computing the term of imprisonment time spent within the prison walls of any jail and time spent within the jail liberties shall be included. Notwithstanding such a discharge in either of the above cases, the judgment creditor in the execution, or the person at whose instance the said mandate was issued, has the same remedy against the property of the person imprisoned which he or she had before such execution or mandate was issued; but the prisoner shall not be again imprisoned upon a like process issued in the same action or arrested in any action upon any judgment under which the same may have been granted. Except in a case hereinbefore specified nothing in this section shall affect a commitment for contempt of court.

Source: Section 72 — Term of imprisonment of civil prisoner, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/CVR/72 (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Oct. 26, 2024).

70
Vexatious suits 70‑A
Actions involving public petition and participation 70‑B
Unlawful interference with protected rights 71
Damages in action for suing in name of another 72
Term of imprisonment of civil prisoner 73
Code of fair procedure for investigating agencies 74
Privileges in action for libel 75
Defamation by radio or television 76
Action for libel: evidence, separate verdicts 76‑A
Actions involving public petition and participation 77
Special damages in action for slander of a woman 78
Mitigating circumstances in action for libel or slander 79
Forfeiture of office and suspension of civil rights 79‑A
Consequence of sentence to imprisonment for life 79‑B
Forfeiture of property on conviction abolished 79‑C
Convict protected by law 79‑D
Creditor of convict 79‑E
Right to breast feed 79‑F
Liability for acts of persons assisting police officers 79‑G
Filing of certificates of honorable discharge with county clerks 79‑H
Special provisions relating to persons employed by, or connected with, news media 79‑I
Discrimination against person who refuses to perform certain act prohibited 79‑J
Confidentiality of records in multi-state information system 79‑K
Civil immunity for certain persons assisting in emergency situations 79‑L
Confidentiality of records of genetic tests 79‑M
Criminal interference with health care services, religious worship, funeral, burial or memorial service 79‑N
Bias-related violence or intimidation 79‑N*2
Funeral or bereavement leave 79‑O
Closed captioning in places of public accommodation, resort or amusement 79‑P
Recording certain activities 79‑P*2
Gender neutral single-occupancy bathroom facilities 79‑Q
Collection of gender or sex designation information by state agencies
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Accessed:
Oct. 26, 2024

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 72’s source at nysenate​.gov

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