2010 New York Code
CVR - Civil Rights
Article 7 - (70 - 79-N*2) MISCELLANEOUS RIGHTS AND IMMUNITIES
79-A - Consequence of sentence to imprisonment for life.

§ 79-a. Consequence of sentence to imprisonment for life. 1. Except as
  provided   in   subdivisions  two  and  three,  a  person  sentenced  to
  imprisonment for life is thereafter deemed civilly dead; provided,  that
  such a person may marry while on parole, or after he has been discharged
  from  parole,  if  otherwise  capable of contracting a valid marriage. A
  marriage contracted pursuant to this section by a person while he is  on
  parole,  without prior written approval of the board of parole, shall be
  ground for revocation of the parole. This section shall not be deemed to
  impair the  validity  of  a  marriage  between  a  person  sentenced  to
  imprisonment for life and his spouse.
    2.  A sentence to imprisonment for life shall not be deemed to suspend
  the right or capacity of any person so sentenced to commence,  prosecute
  or  defend  an  action  or  proceeding in any court within this state or
  before  a  body  or  officer  exercising  judicial,  quasi-judicial   or
  administrative  functions  within  this  state;  provided, however, that
  where at the time of the commencement  and  during  the  prosecution  or
  defense of such action or proceeding such person is an inmate of a state
  correctional  institution,  he  shall not appear at any place other than
  within the institution  for  any  purpose  related  to  such  action  or
  proceeding  unless  upon a subpoena issued by the court before whom such
  action or proceeding is pending or, where such action or  proceeding  is
  pending  before a body or officer, before a judge to whom a petition for
  habeas corpus could be made  under  subdivision  (b)  of  section  seven
  thousand  two  of  the  civil  practice law and rules upon motion of any
  party  and  upon  a  determination  that  such  person's  appearance  is
  essential   to  the  proper  and  just  disposition  of  the  action  or
  proceeding. Unless  the  court  orders  otherwise,  a  motion  for  such
  subpoena  shall be made on at least two days' notice to the commissioner
  of correctional services.
    3. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), the  state  shall  not  be
  liable  for  any expense of or related to any such action or proceeding,
  including but not limited to the expense of or related  to  transporting
  the  inmate  to, or lodging or guarding him at any place other than in a
  state correctional institution. The Department of Correctional  Services
  shall  not be required to perform any services related to such action or
  proceeding, including but not limited to transporting the inmate  to  or
  lodging  or  guarding  him  at any place other than a state correctional
  institution unless and until the Department  has  received  payment  for
  such services.
    (b)  Where the inmate is permitted in accordance with any other law to
  proceed with the action or proceeding as a poor person  the  expense  of
  transporting  the  inmate  to,  or  lodging or guarding him at any place
  other than in a state correctional  institution  or  any  other  expense
  relating  thereto shall be a state charge; provided, however, that where
  an inmate has been granted such permission and a recovery by judgment or
  by settlement is had in his favor, the court may direct him to  pay  out
  of the recovery all or part of any sum expended by the state.
    4.  This section shall not apply to a person sentenced to imprisonment
  for an indeterminate term, having a minimum of one day and a maximum  of
  his natural life.
    Nothing  in this section shall be deemed to preclude the issuance of a
  certificate of relief from disabilities or a certificate of good conduct
  pursuant to article twenty-three of the correction law to a  person  who
  previously has been sentenced to imprisonment for life.