2017 New York Laws
CPL - Criminal Procedure
Part 2 - The Principal Proceedings
Title K - Prosecution of Informations in Local Criminal Courts-Plea to Sentence
Article 350 - Non-Jury Trials
350.20 - Trial by Judicial Hearing Officer.

350.20 Trial by judicial hearing officer.
1. Notwithstanding any provision of section 350.10 of this article, in
  any  case  where  a  single  judge  trial  of  an information in a local
  criminal court is authorized or required, the court may, upon  agreement
  of  the parties, assign a judicial hearing officer to conduct the trial.
  Where such assignment  is  made,  the  judicial  hearing  officer  shall
  entertain the case in the same manner as a court and shall:
(a) determine all questions of law;
(b) act as the exclusive trier of all issues of fact; and
(c) render a verdict.
2.  In  the  discharge  of  this  responsibility, the judicial hearing
  officer shall have the same powers as a judge of the court in which  the
  proceeding  is  pending.  The rules of evidence shall be applicable at a
  trial conducted by a judicial hearing officer.
3. Any action taken by a judicial hearing officer in the conduct of  a
  trial shall be deemed the action of the court in which the proceeding is
  pending.
4.  This section shall not apply where the single judge trial is of an
  information at least one count of which charges a class A misdemeanor.
* 5.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
  section,  for all proceedings before the district court of Nassau county
  the administrative judge of Nassau county may, and for  all  proceedings
  before the district court of Suffolk county, the administrative judge of
  Suffolk  county  may, without the consent of the parties, assign matters
  involving traffic and parking  infractions  except  those  described  in
  paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of subdivision two of section
  three  hundred  seventy-one  of  the general municipal law to a judicial
  hearing officer in accordance with the  provisions  of  section  sixteen
  hundred  ninety  of  the vehicle and traffic law and for all proceedings
  before the Buffalo city court the administrative  judge  of  the  eighth
  judicial  district  may,  without  the  consent  of  the parties, assign
  matters  involving  traffic  infractions  except  those   described   in
  paragraphs  (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of subdivision two-a of
  section three hundred seventy-one of the  general  municipal  law  to  a
  judicial  hearing  officer  in accordance with the provisions of section
  sixteen hundred ninety of the vehicle and traffic law.
* NB Effective until April 21, 2018
* 5.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  subdivision  one  of  this
  section,  for all proceedings before the district court of Nassau county
  the administrative judge of Nassau county may, and for  all  proceedings
  before the district court of Suffolk county, the administrative judge of
  Suffolk  county  may, without the consent of the parties, assign matters
  involving traffic and parking  infractions  except  those  described  in
  paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) of subdivision two of section
  three  hundred  seventy-one  of  the general municipal law to a judicial
  hearing officer in accordance with the  provisions  of  section  sixteen
  hundred  ninety  of  the vehicle and traffic law and for all proceedings
  before the Buffalo city court the administrative  judge  of  the  eighth
  judicial  district  may,  without  the  consent  of  the parties, assign
  matters  involving  traffic  infractions  except  those   described   in
  paragraphs  (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of subdivision two-a of
  section three hundred seventy-one of the  general  municipal  law  to  a
  judicial  hearing  officer  in accordance with the provisions of section
  sixteen hundred ninety of the  vehicle  and  traffic  law  and  for  all
  proceedings  before the Rochester city court the administrative judge of
  the seventh judicial district may, without the consent of  the  parties,
  assign  matters  involving traffic infractions except those described in
  paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of subdivision two-b  of

  section  three  hundred  seventy-one  of  the general municipal law to a
  judicial hearing officer in accordance with the  provisions  of  section
  sixteen hundred ninety of the vehicle and traffic law.
* NB Effective April 21, 2018