NEW YORK CITY ACS DEFENSE LAWYER

  ACS has access to Child Advocacy Centers in every borough. The goal of these centers is to interview the child just one and record the interview for use in court or other proceedings.  A child forensic interview  is a process where a child is given the opportunity to make a statement about what happened in a private, safe, supportive environment. The child is questioned in a legally-sound, developmentally appropriate, and trauma-informed manner by a specially trained child interviewer. Members of the multidisciplinary team that have jurisdiction over the case observe the interview as it is taking place. Interviews are recorded, reducing the number of times children need to be interviewed, therefore reducing trauma to the child. Information gathered in the forensic interview is used to help make decisions about protection, prosecution and treatment. Conducting forensic interviews with child crime victims in a child advocacy center is considered best practice. ACS Worker ...