NEW YORK - Growing calls for family court reform in the state come on the heels of a sobering statistic: 20 children have been killed by a parent in the past five years during custody disputes in New York. Advocates and lawmakers say the system is failing the families it was designed to protect. Read more here. … [Read more...]
New York Teen Advocates On Behalf Of Late Toddler: Preventing Child Abuse in Custody Cases
14-year-old Shayna Blumenfeld of Port Washington, from home, appeared virtually in front of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Forensic Custody Evaluators, expressing the importance of making child safety the top priority in custody cases. Shayna is a youth ambassador for Kyra’s Champions, an organization that works to pass laws to protect children in child custody cases … [Read more...]
Federal Lawsuit Claims NY Judge Anthony McGinty Favors Abusive Men in Custody Cases
An upstate New York domestic violence survivor, author, and family child advocate Francesca Amato said Ulster County Family Court Judge Anthony McGinty violated her rights by awarding custody of her teen son to her abusive ex — and she claims other female litigants are facing similar fates, an explosive federal lawsuit alleges. Judge McGinty placed her 13-year-old son with a father, who has a … [Read more...]
7-Year-Old Julissia Batties Killed Inside Mom’s Bronx Apartment, Despite History of Abuse Detailed in Court Papers
The long and ultimately fatal custody battle lost by a devastated Bronx grandmother forced to return a 7-year-old girl to her mother and the apartment where the child was fatally beaten is detailed in court documents. Little Julissia Batties, removed from the custody of doting grandmother Yolanda Davis in April 2020, was punched eight times early Tuesday morning by a teenage half-brother, … [Read more...]
NY Assembly Passes Bill Mandating Ongoing Training of Forensic Evaluators of Child Abuse Cases
The advocacy efforts of protective mother, Jacqueline Franchetti, helped get a landmark bill passed related to child custody evaluations on Friday, June 11 in New York State. Bill A2375B creates new standards for those working in a profession that often holds significant influence in the outcomes of custody and visitation hearings. The legislation was accelerated by the tragic death of … [Read more...]