NEW YORK CITY ACS DEFENSE LAWYER

Given the headlines that a dead child makes and the fact that the Mayor and the state have thrown millions of dollars at ACS, one would think that they could find a way to right the ship and actually protect children. This theory would apply to almost any agency, but not ACS. There is a structural reason for this and after 17 years of handling hundreds of cases and dealing intimately with ACS workers and lawyers, we have some answers. BLAME THE PARENT AT ALL COSTS The major reason that ACS fails and children die is that the focus is not on protecting the child. Once a report of child abuse comes in, the ACS worker will go to the home and immediately star t attacking the parent. The agenda of ACS workers is to make every parent a bad parent and demand that they enroll in services. This does not leave any time to actually focus on the children that are in true need. In fact, ACS workers, the majority of whom are poorly trained and lazy, would rather attack a healthy family then one w...

One of the most intrusive things that can happen to a parent in NYC is the surprise ACS home visit. This can be very startling for parents. ACS uses this tactic on a daily basis. The ACS worker had  a huge advantage when a parent is unaware that they are coming. They use this surprise to demand that the parent follow their orders. When a parent asks for an attorney, the ACS worker will reply that they do not need one because the case is not in court. There are some basic things you must do: 1. Demand photo ID and a business card. ACS workers do not like to give out their business cards because they don't want the parent knowing who they are. 2. Record the entire episode on your cell phone. This is legal and tell the worker you are recording her. 3. do not answer any questions without an ACS attorney. 4. Do not let them enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge. 5. Do not be bullied by ACS tactics. You have a right to counsel in New York, use it. BROOKLYNACS...

The ACS worker's main goal is to enroll parents into "services" These useless classes run by third party organizations do nothing expect allow ACS to make pretend that they are doing their jobs. In reality, these services are not effective and are only there to suck more funding out of city and state governments. The biggest of these services is a "parenting program." These are classes held throughout the city by social services organizations that rely on ACS to fund them . They teach nothing about parenting and are simply another box for acs to check off. Another big target for ACS workers is to send parents for drug treatment even if they do not have a drug problem. These programs last for years and a are a total waste of tax payer time. Lastly, the favorite service of ACS workers is the "mental health" services. This allows the ACS worker to claim that the parent is not well mentally and needs "treatment" If an ACS worker is trying t...

ACS has different schemes in order to entrap parents. One of their favorite tactics is to allege that the parent has mental health issues and demand that they do a mental health evaluation. They demand that the parents go to the ACS office and do a CSAC assessment. "There are many diagnoses that get used liberally to describe stress and poverty," says Jessica Marcus, a supervising attorney with the Brooklyn Family Defense Project of Legal Services NYC. "Somebody is angry and they are classified as hostile. Well, who wouldn't be angry or hostile if somebody had removed their child from them or threatened to remove their child? It's a way of basically taking someone's poverty and powerlessness and treating it like it's a diagnosis and a disease, when it's really a natural response to a difficult situation."  This is the problem. If a parent is upset at ACS, they will claim the parent has anger management problems. You you need a mental ...

The case against S.C was the most vindictive ACS has been in a long time.The client had a heart condition that was similar to being intoxicated. ACS lawyers and workers ignore medical records and charged the mother with neglect because she had passed out at her child's school. They accused her of being an alcoholic. " What is most shocking about this case is not only did ACS lawyers and workers ignore the medical records, but they actually asked the Judge to ignore them. Fortunately, the Court saw past this ploy and entered them into evidence. Judge Olshansky is a wonderful jurist." Mr. Discioarro said. During the case, ACS workers would harass the client at her home and demand to see the child even if the child was sleeping. " This case took a toll on our client." Mr. Discioarro said. NYCACSLAWYER.COM ACS is the New York City agency charged with protecting children. In fact, they fail the children of NYC every day. Dozens of children hav...

Many parents h=come to us with the same question. Given how important it is to protect children, why is ACS so inept and incapable of protecting children and at the same time harassing good parents? There are many reasons for this. First, ACS has no effective leadership. The commissioners come and go but ACS brass stays in place year after year. The top managers keep out of the public eye as children die and parents lives are turned upside down by incompetent and ruthless ACS workers. Second, ACS workers receive very little training and are thrown into the street without an understanding of what their proper role is. They learn from the older ACS workers. They are taught that they must blame a parent for something. And if a case is difficult, and a child is in real need, they are trained to close the case because they are paid the same either way. This was in fact what occurred in the Zymere Perkins case and many other cases. Third, ACS workers know that many parents will willin...

The right to counsel is a cherished and hard-won right in the United States. Many battles have been waged to assure that regular citizens have the right to an attorney. In New York, the courts guard that right very seriously. Here are some things that your ACS defense lawyer should do in our case: - Always appear in Court for you. -Never let you speak to the ACS worker alone. -Gather evidence -Make motions to dismiss you case -Be in constant communication with you If your attorney is not doing all of these things, document how he/she is failing you and present it to the judge. The right to counsel is a right that must be protected.

David Hansell to head NYC’s embattled child welfare agency Mayor de Blasio is set to name David Hansell to run his embattled child welfare agency. BY Greg B. Smith NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, February 20, 2017, 1:51 PM Mayor de Blasio is set to name a lawyer with management expertise to run his embattled child welfare agency, officials said Monday. David Hansell, a Yale Law School graduate who oversaw child welfare programs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will start at the city’s Administration for Children’s Services in the coming weeks, officials said. ACS has been without an appointed commissioner since Feb. 3, when Gladys Carrión left amidst growing concerns about the agency’s bungling of several cases involving child deaths. On Monday the Daily News revealed that caseloads for child protection specialists had grown beyond levels deemed acce...

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 ACS Commissioner Gladys Carrion resigned in disgrace. Mayor Deblasio still has not appointed a new Commissioner. Why not? The reason is because as soon as he does, the ACS dysfunction is back in the news. The Mayor wants to hide from ACS as much as possible. This Mayor is too much of a coward to truly address the problems of ACS. The children will keep dying and innocent families will continue to be torn apart. This is travesty of justice.

The NYPOST reported that ACS is so bloated with supervisors that its completely dysfunctional. Of the 1,932 upper-echelon workers employed by ACS, only 496 were “child protective specialist supervisors” dealing directly with cases of abuse and neglect, while the rest filled out the agency’s bureaucracy. These bosses never leave the office and rarely attend court. The lack of leadership  at the agency is amazing given how many "bosses" are available to supervise cases and make sure thinsg go right. The story of ACS dysfunction keeps growing larger. It is time for the entire leadership to be replaced so our children do not continue to suffer. FIGHTACS.COM

ACS cases usually begins in court by the parents being served. The law demands service in specific ways, but ACS workers usually call the parents on their cell phone and demand them to be in court on the very same day. This is designed to put as much pressure on the parents as possible. This also prevents the parents from speaking to a private lawyer about the case. This is exactly what ACS wants. On the fist appearance, ACS will file its petition and ask the judge for certain things. This can range from services for parents to removal of the children from a parents' custody. The first appearance is crucial in determining what happens with the case. It is at this point that parents need an effective attorney to challenge ACS . Too often, the ACS worker will simply lie about statements the parents have said and use that as a basis for the petition. If an ACS worker has contacted you, do NOT speak to them. Contact an attorney as soon as possible and let them speak for you.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cliches-no-answers-zymere-perkins-death-acs-chief-article-1.2818710 The Mayor and ACS chief Gladys Carrion still have not provided any answers in the death of Zymere Perkins. The strategy they are following is to lay low and hope that other news stories overtake this one. This is a classic tactic of political leaders when a case is too explosive to address. The answers are there to be found. The Commissioner and the Mayor can call all of the ACS workers and supervisors to their office and ask for an explanation. This will not happen because the Mayor does not want to find the answer. It is easier to say that the Manhattan DA is investigating and we can't do anything. Each day we see innocent parents accused of neglect by ACS. http://www.brooklynacslawyer.com Yet, when a child like Zemere needs help, they fail.  It is easy to accuse innocent parents of neglect. It is difficult o help a child in need. It is important to note that nearly...

EXCLUSIVE: ACS caseworker who had evidence of Zymere Perkins abuse closed his file because she got promoted Tweet email ACS caseworker Nitza Sutton closed the file on Zymere Perkins in April. Months later, he was found dead with bruises on his body. (YouTube) BY Ryan Sit Graham Rayman NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: Tuesday, October 11, 2016, 12:28 AM The caseworker assigned to probe abuse allegations involving little Zymere Perkins closed the case because she was more interested in getting a promotion, sources told the Daily News. Child protective specialist Nitza Sutton, 48, closed Zymere’s case after just 12 days this past April — even though she took photos of injuries on the child’s body, according to child welfare sources who saw the boy’s file, several sources said. “She (Sutton) went to the home,” an Administration for Children’s Services source told The News. ...

One of the hardest things for parents to deal with if when NYPD and ACS do a joint investigation. This means that parents will be questioned by NYPD detective and ACS workers. Often, they collude to trick the parents into giving up their right to counsel or accusing the parents of different things, so as to keep them off balance. The most important thing any parent can do when facing this sort of investigation is to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Most parents are not equipped to deal with police officers and ACS workers. Do not speak to them without an attorney.

ACS Commissioner Gladys Carrion could use a civics lesson. Under fire over the death of 6-year-old Zymere Perkins, Carrion snapped at a Daily News photographer Tuesday — for taking a picture of her on a public sidewalk. “How many more photos are you gonna take?” Carrion said as she left her Bronx home and stepped into a black Toyota SUV. “This is invasion of privacy, if you ask me.” The embattled Administration for Children’s Services chief has taken heat for refusing to address the tragic case of Zymere, a Harlem boy who police say died Sept. 26 after being brutalized by his troubled mother’s hulking beau. ACS commissioner to address Zymere Perkins case Wednesday City officials say Carrion will finally discuss Zymere’s death — and the problems it exposed within ACS — at a Wednesday press conference. It’s likely to be a challenging experience for Carrion who needed a City Hall escort to shield her from a reporter and photographer on Monday. Carrion is...

ACS in Brooklyn is located at: ACS 1274 Bedford Ave,  Brooklyn, NY 11216 Phone : (718) 623-4500   The cases against parents are filed with Brooklyn Family Court. This is the link for Court.  Brooklyn has gone through a fundamental transformation in the last 15 years. Real estate prices are soaring and many neighborhoods are being gentrified. However, central Brooklyn is still a low income are with many households headed by a single mom. These are the people most vulnerable to an attack by an ACS worker. ACS workers must justify their positions and salaries and that means accusing parents of neglect in any way they can. Luckily, we are fortunate to have many courageous judges in Brooklyn Family Court that will challenge ACS workers and hold them accountable. Many judges are very aware of the abuses that ACS is involved with and try very hard to listen to the parents' side of the story. If you have been targeted by an ACS worker, do NOT speak to them. Contact a ...

 in this series we will review each ACS office in every borough we begin with Staten Island. The Staten Island ACS office is located at: New York City Children Services      Staten Island Address : 350 St Marks Pl # 409, Staten Island, NY 10301 Phone : (718) 720-2765   Cases brought by this office are brought to Staten Island Family Court which is located at: Staten Island Family Court    City Courthouse · Staten Island Address : 100 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301 Phone : (718) 675-8800 Hours : Open today · 9AM–5PM   The State n Island ACS office is highly dysfunctional and has no leadership. They constantly bully parents into ACS cases and will manufacture cases against innocent parents if the parent does not comply with their demands. There are only a few family Court judges in Staten Island and they are mostly very pro-ACS. Thus a par...

The Family Court Act and the New York Civil Procedure Law spell out exactly how a parent should be notified to appear in court. These are legally mandated rules that must be followed by anyone in the court system. Well, here is how ACS attempts to serve parents of a legal notice. Our clients found this under their door. The name of the client is wrong, it does not give any information about the case and is absolutely not acceptable as a form of legal service. This is yet another example of the dysfunction at ACS. This agency has the power to remove children and cannot even properly serve a parent. It is a disgrace. brooklynacslawyer.com

Routinely, ACS lawyers need exert witnesses to testify in court against parents.  These experts need to be nurses or medical doctors. In order to advance their agenda, ACS has a few medical professionals on call for court testimony.  These are not doctors and nurses in the traditional sense. They are part of the ACS apparatus that accuses parents of child abuse. They do very little research in any of the cases and will gladly swear under oath that the child they have examined is being abused by their parents. In  the most outrageous cases, the child psychologist will testify about a child, without ever speaking with them. In our practice we routinely see ACS use the same "experts" over and over again. The ACS lawyers count on the fact that most parents in New York City accused of abuse cannot afford to hire their own experts. In one recent child abuse trial, the ACS experts were easily discredited and the client was found NOT GUILTY of all charges. Child abuse should not ...