NEW YORK CITY ACS DEFENSE LAWYER

NYC has what is known as the Child Advocacy Center. The most important things that are done there are child interviews that are video recorded. Present will be the ACS worker, a prosecutor, an ACS worker and an NYPD detective, These are usually done in cases where sexual abuse is suspected. As one can imagine, it is a very valuable piece of evidence. Because of this value, ACS will try to hide it or proceed to court without it. ACS lawyer would rather put an ACS worker on the stand then have the videotape played in court. The reason is simple. The ACS worker can claim that a child made statements they did not make and there is no ability for the judge to see the child's demeanor. If you are involved in a case where there was a Child Advocacy Center interview, you must obtain a copy of the tape. BROOKLYNACSLAWYER.COM

The first tools that an ACS worker learns to use against parents is threats and intimidation. This is a very effective strategy. ACS workers can remove a child from a home based on their opinion alone. It is with this threat, that parents are attacked with and demanded that they comply with ACS directives. There are two very important rights that ACS workers are most afraid of. First, in New York state, you , as an individual, have the right to record your conversations as long as you're part of the conversation. With the rise of cell phone cameras this is now easier then ever. As soon as an ACS worker begins to contact you, record all of the interactions. Let the ACS worker know you are recording all of the interactions. You will be threatened and attacked for doing so. Many of our clients have been told by ACS workers that it is illegal for them to be taped. This is simply not the law. State and federal police agencies record criminals on a daily basis.  Record, record, record!! ...

We are often asked how effective court appointed lawyers are in the  fight for parents rights in Family Court against ACS. To begin with, the vast majority of court appointed lawyers are very experienced. They have been plying their trade for a long time and understand how the courts work. Second, they are familiar with ACS policies and procedures and can guide a parent along this path. In the two areas that they fall short is in attention and stopping ACS abuses. Since their clients are indigent people who cannot afford an attorney, they have a very large caseload. This caseload does not allow them to give the necessary time that is required to properly defend an ACS case. Also, and most importantly, they are not aggressive enough in defending their client's rights against ACS. The biggest example is that they allow their clients to speak to ACS workers without them being present. This is simply unacceptable. ACS workers have a policy that they do not speak to attorneys. Why? b...