Hon. John J. Andrews. IAS Part 44 and Part 8.
Supreme Court, Suffolk County. Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex, 210 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901. Commercial Division and General Civil. Published Part Rules and practitioner intelligence from attorneys with direct experience in Parts 44 and 8.
Book an AppearanceQuick Reference
| Courthouse | Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex, 210 Center Drive, Riverhead |
| County | Suffolk |
| Specialty | Commercial Division |
| Also Assigned | Part 8 |
| Motions | Returnable Thursdays |
| Pre-Motion Conference | Required, with two exceptions |
| Chambers | 631-852-2781, sufandrews@nycourts.gov |
| Part Clerk | 631-852-2139 |
| Principal Law Clerk | James A. Saladino, Esq. |
Published Part Rules
Source: nycourts.gov, Part 44 Practices and Procedures, revision dated February 6, 2024 | Last verified: August 5, 2026
Correction: The Part Sits at the Cromarty Court Complex
An earlier version of this page placed Judge Andrews at 1 Court Street in Riverhead. That was wrong. The published Part 44 rules place the part at the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex, 210 Center Drive, Riverhead, New York 11901. We corrected the page on August 5, 2026. The Suffolk County Supreme Court justice listing confirms the assignment as IAS Part 8 and Part 44.
Commercial Division Rules Govern
Part 44 is a Commercial Division part, and the published rules direct counsel to abide by both the Part 44 rules and the Commercial Division Rules at 22 NYCRR 202.70.
Motion Practice
Motions in Part 44 are made returnable on Thursdays. A motion that does not comply is administratively adjourned to the next available Thursday, and every proposed adjournment date must also fall on a Thursday. A pre-motion conference is required before any motion is filed, with two exceptions: an order to show cause seeking emergency relief and a pre-answer motion to dismiss. The movant requests the pre-motion conference by email to the court on notice to all adversaries.
Orders to show cause are reserved for genuine urgency, for a required stay, or where a statute mandates that vehicle. Counsel contact chambers to schedule presentment of a proposed order to show cause, and reply papers are not submitted on an order to show cause without advance permission.
The court does not want a statement of material facts on a summary judgment motion unless all parties have agreed on a joint statement. Working copies of all motions, excluding exhibits, go to chambers within one week of filing on NYSCEF. Filing a dispositive motion does not stay discovery unless the court directs otherwise.
Court Communication
Communications with the court go by email to sufandrews@nycourts.gov, copying all parties, and should stay brief and limited to scheduling. Counsel must contact the adversary and attempt to resolve the problem before writing to chambers. If the issue still needs the court, counsel request permission by email to send a letter, which is limited to two pages, recites the efforts to resolve the dispute, contains no exhibits or substantive argument, and is e-filed. Neither Justice Andrews nor the court attorneys assigned to the part will speak with counsel or a litigant ex parte.
Conferences and Adjournments
Scheduling and adjournment questions go first to the Part Clerk at 631-852-2139. Counsel need court permission to adjourn a status conference, and a request made less than two business days before the appearance will not be entertained except in an emergency. Counsel must try to obtain the adversary's consent and must allow the adversary at least 24 hours to respond before contacting the court.
For a preliminary conference under Commercial Division Rule 11(a), the plaintiff and any counterclaimant email the court a statement of no more than five pages at least one week before the conference, setting out the issues, the elements of each cause of action, and the facts needed to establish the case. If a motion to dismiss knocks out some but not all causes of action, the prevailing party produces an updated statement on the same terms.
Discovery Disputes
Discovery motions are discouraged. Counsel are directed to meet and confer, preferably in person or by video or telephone. If the dispute survives multiple meetings, counsel notify the court by letter requesting an in-person discovery dispute conference at least two weeks before the next scheduled status conference. The letter must list the date, time, location, and duration of every conference the parties held, and counsel prepare a joint discovery dispute chart identifying each item sought, why it is material and necessary, and the legal basis for withholding it.
Appearances
Under Commercial Division Rule 1, only counsel fully familiar with the case and fully authorized to enter into substantive and procedural agreements may appear. A virtual appearance by Microsoft Teams is available only with the consent of all parties and at the discretion of the court, so a covering attorney should plan on appearing in person.
The copy of the Part 44 rules we retrieved carries a revision date of February 6, 2024. Confirm the current version with the Part Clerk before you appear.
Practitioner Intelligence
From attorneys who have appeared in this part. Last updated: May 2026.
Practical, Order-Focused Case Management
Justice Andrews handles his docket with a pragmatic bench. Substantive relief (contempt, accounting, disgorgement, sanctions) comes by motion, not by oral complaint at a status conference. Plan accordingly.
What You Need to Know
- Motions for substantive relief. When a receiver or party raises issues like missing revenue, improper deposits, or refund disputes, Justice Andrews will direct the parties to file the appropriate motion (for example, an accounting motion) rather than grant relief from the bench.
- Contempt is not a shortcut. Do not arrive expecting an oral contempt order. The court will route the issue to motion practice.
- Housekeeping directives on the record. Procedural issues (VRBO deposit friction, erroneous refund checks, receiver reporting) are addressed with clear on the record directives. Take notes, they travel with the case.
- Status conferences are real. Expect a next date certain. Calendar the return appearance the same day.
- Commercial Division rules apply in Part 44. Statewide Commercial Division Rules control, including expedited discovery and motion schedules. Part 44 is excluded from the general ADR Program.
Practice Notes from Recent Appearances
In an April 2026 status conference on a commercial foreclosure involving two Fire Island properties, the court addressed multiple receiver issues in a single session. The receiver reported approximately $78,000 in 2025 revenue paid to a defendant rather than the receiver and requested contempt. Justice Andrews directed the plaintiff to file a motion for accounting instead. He also directed the defendant to return a smaller inadvertent refund check (about $1,679.50) and set the next status conference for June 18, 2026 at 10:30 a.m., aligning the return date with the start of the summer rental season so any acceptable offer could be considered before the calendar tightened. The takeaway: prepared motion papers in hand, not expectations of summary bench rulings.
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Court rules and procedures change frequently. Information on this page is for general reference only and may not reflect the most current rules. Verify all information with the Part Clerk before your appearance.
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