On a recent morning, a man appeared before the judge presiding over the Midtown Community Court with a somewhat unusual charge for the court: speeding on a jet ski.

New York City Criminal Court Judge Charlotte Davidson, who has presided over the Midtown court since last year, said that the offender should get three days of community service, with adjournment in contemplation of dismissal—if he stays out of trouble for six months, the charge stays off his record.