Contacts — Coalition Co-Chairs:
Stephanie Gendell: (646) 232-6721 sgendell@cccnewyork.org
Denise Kronstadt: (845) 664-0200 justice@moderncourts.org
Senate and Assembly Introduce Bills
Adding 25 Family Court Judges
Coalition of Over 110 Organizations Hopeful This Deal Will
Soon Pass the Legislature
With time running out this legislative session, both the Senate and the Assembly introduced the same bill last night, adding 25 more Family Court Judges statewide. This gives the bill time to age and be voted on before session ends on Thursday. The over 110 members of the New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges are extremely grateful that this agreement was reached and look forward to seeing the bill pass this week and then be signed into law by Governor Cuomo.
The bill (S7883/A10139) adds 20 Family Court Judges starting January 2015: 9 in New York City (at least one per borough) and 1 Judge in the counties of Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Franklin, Nassau, Oneida, Oswego, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester. The bill adds 5 more Family Court Judges to begin January 1, 2016 with one additional Judge in Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe and Warren Counties.
“The most vulnerable children, women and families depend on Family Court Judges to make critical decisions about how to keep them safe, where they will live, and when they will have visits with their parents, siblings and children. Despite the best efforts made every day throughout the state, there are just not enough Judges to be able to make these decisions timely. Adding 25 additional Family Court Judges over the next 2 years will bring much-needed relief to families throughout New York State,” said Stephanie Gendell, Co-Chair of the New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges and Associate Executive Director for Policy and Government Relations at Citizens’ Committee for Children.
“New York’s families and children have waited far too long. The legislation to add 25 new Family Court Judges is essential to take on the serious challenge of addressing the current backlog that has led to long delays for families, victims of violence, and children– and has effectively closed the doors to justice for those who need the courts the most. The Coalition is grateful to the Legislature for agreeing to a bill to add 25 more Family Court Judges, and we look forward to the Legislature’s vote on the bill and the Governor’s support,” said Denise Kronstadt, Co-Chair of the New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges and Deputy Executive Director/Director of Advocacy at the Fund for Modern Courts.
The New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges thanks Judiciary Chairs Senator John Bonacic and Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, as well as leaders of the Senate and Assembly, for their leadership in securing the introduction of the same bill in both houses.
The New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges is a coalition of over 100 organizations from all across New York State that has come together to ensure that New York State provides for more resources for Family Courts, including at least 20 more Family Court Judges statewide to provide justice for families.
New York State Coalition for More Family Court Judges
- Vivian Fox, President, 1199 Child Care Corporation
- Assigned Counsel/Attorney for Children Panel, Kings County Family Court
- Association of the Assigned Counsel of Queens Family Court
- Bronx County Bar Association
- Bronx Defenders
- Bronx Family Court Bar Association
- Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Brooklyn Defender Services
- CASA of Rockland County, Inc.
- CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc.
- CASA-NYC
- CASA-NYS
- Center for Community Justice
- Center for Family Representation
- Child & Family Services
- Child and Family Services Haven House
- Children’s Defense Fund – New York
- The Children’s Law Center
- Child Welfare Organizing Project
- Child Welfare Services, Westchester Institute for Human Development
- The Children’s Agenda
- The Children’s Aid Society
- Children’s Rights
- Citizens’ Committee for Children
- Committee for Hispanic Children and Families
- The Committee for Modern Courts
- Correctional Association of New York
- Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies
- Courts in Crisis
- Day One
- The Door
- Empire Justice Center
- Episcopal Social Services of New York
- Equinox
- Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence
- Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
- Forestdale, Inc.
- Good Shepherd Services
- Graham Windham
- Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York, Inc. (HALANY)
- Her Justice
- Hiscock Legal Aid Society
- Hope’s Door
- Human Services Council
- Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services
- Jewish Child Care Association
- Korean American Lawyers Association of Greater New York
- Lawyers For Children
- League of Women Voters of Broome and Tioga Counties
- League of Women Voters of the City of New York
- League of Women Voters of New York State (LWVNYS)
- League of Women Voters of Schenectady County
- League of Women Voters of Smithtown (Suffolk County)
- Leake and Watts
- The Legal Aid Society of New York
- Legal Information for Families Today
- The Legal Project
- Legal Services for the Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of Western NY, Inc.
- The Lineage Project
- Long Islanders for Youth (LIFY)
- Mediation Matters
- MercyFirst
- MFY Legal Services
- National Center for Access to Justice
- The Network of Bar Leaders
- New York Asian Women’s Center
- New York Center for Juvenile Justice
- New York City Anti-Violence Project
- New York City Council General Welfare Chair, Stephen Levin
- New York Foundling
- New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
- New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV)
- New York State Court Officers Association
- New York State LGBTQ Domestic Violence Network
- New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children
- Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp.
- NYU Family Defense Clinic
- The Osborne Association
- Pace Women’s Justice Center
- Probono.net
- RISE – Broome County
- Safe Horizon
- Safe Space NYC
- St. Catherine’s Center for Children
- The Safe Center LI, Inc.
- Sanctuary for Families
- Sauti Yetu Center for African Women
- Schenectady Community Action Program, Inc.
- Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA)
- Sepa Mujer
- Staten Island Women’s Bar Association
- United Neighborhood Houses
- Unity House of Troy, Inc.
- Urban Justice Center, Domestic Violence Project
- Treat Me Right, Inc.
- Vanderheyden
- Vera House, Inc.
- VIBS Family Violence & Rape Crisis Center
- Violence Intervention Program, Inc.
- Voices of Women Organizing Project (VOW)
- Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County, Inc.
- Volunteer Legal Services Project of Monroe County, Inc.
- The Washbourne House
- Westchester Children’s Association
- Western New York Law Center
- Worker Justice Center of New York, Inc.
- You Gotta Believe!
- Youth Represent
- YWCA of Northeastern New York
Website: http://moderncourts.org/advocacy/family-court-reform/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NYSCoalitionformorefamilycourtjudges
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