NY Senate Passes Bill for More Judges

New York State senate passes bill providing for additional family court judges in the state
Albany CPS and Family Court Examiner by Daniel Weaver - September 12, 2009

On Thursday, September 10, 2009, the New York State Senate passed Bill S5968 which provides for additional family court judges in the City of New York and certain counties throughout New York State. The bill was delivered to the Assembly the same day.
The bill was introduced at the request of the Chief Judge of the state. It amends the Family Court Act to establish 21 new Family court judgeships. These include seven in New York City beginning January 1, 2010. Each of the following fourteen counties will also receive a new judgeship: Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Schenectady, Suffolk and Westchester. An explanation for the need for new family court judges was presented in the bill. "While the past several decades have seen increasing legislative recognition of the needs of children and families in New York, in the form of landmark statutes promoting child permanency and enhancing family justice, these salutary efforts have not been matched by provision for a corps of Family Court judgeships sufficiently large to meet the greater caseloads and complexity of proceedings in our courts today. The consequences of this neglect, if not attended to soon, will be disturbing, indeed heartbreaking - and utterly unacceptable: justice delayed for children and families whose safety and welfare can require immediate intervention, children growing up in foster care instead of permanent homes, children graduating from Family Court to Criminal Court instead of high school and college, missed opportunities and spiraling inefficiency for juvenile justice and legal defense agencies. This measure will go a long way toward redressing this unintended and lamentable condition. If enacted, it would represent the first major infusion of new Family Court Judges in New York in over three decades and begin to provide the State's family justice system with the resources needed to protect the most vulnerable members of our community." The mayor of New York City appoints all family court judges in the city. Upstate New York family court judges are elected by the people. The bill provides for the new judgeships outside of New York City to be filled in the November 2009 general elections, although at this late date it is not known if that is still possible. The measure will take place immediately once passed by the assembly and signed by the governor. For more info: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE articles by Dan Weaver on family court.