State lawmakers passed a flurry of bills as they wrapped up the annual legislative session in Albany, greenlighting measures that would add new judicial seats and curb court officials' ability to force out older state judges. Those measures were part of a swirl of end-of-session legislative activity at the Capitol, which has been closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In an apparent pushback to Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and other high-level judges, state lawmakers passed legislation that would limit the court system's power over the process known as certification, which allows state judges to serve past the age of 70.