HOW ACS WEARS DOWN PARENTS IN COURT

The shock of having ACS accuse you of child abuse is often overwhelming to parents. Now they must deal with the NYC Family Court. To begin with, every county has its own Family Court. They are often crowded, loud and there is simply no order. Once a  parent actually enters the courtroom they will soon realize ALL of the power belongs to the judge. There are no juries in New York Family Court. This allows ACS to tailor their cases to a specific judge. Over the years ACS has learned how to intimidate and coerce judges into accepting their way of doing business. We often hear in conferences " This is how things are in Family Court." Because no juries ever get to hear a case, it is a very insular system that does not receive the scrutiny that it deserves. It is simply outrageous that if a person is injured in a car acciden, a jury decides if they receive money, but if the state tries to remove your child, only a judge decides that.
Next, the adjourn dates last over a year in most cases. During this time, the ACS worker will visit the family in hopes of intimidating the parents into a settlement. ACS does not have the required skills to actually go to trial, so they bully parents into taking "settlements."  If you cannot afford to hire your own attorney, a court appointed attorney will be assigned to you. These attorneys are paid $75 an hour to represent poor parents and are usually too busy to properly investigate a case. If you are a parent that has been contacted by ACS, call an attorney as soon as possible. Stand up for your rights.
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