CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Saying No to This Week’s Field Tests
Fred Smith |
Using a no-stakes test to evaluate questions for next year’s high-stakes exams? This author thinks it’s a bad idea.
Government
Blurred Lines Between Advocates and Adversaries
Helen Zelon |
All parties in Family Court are supposed to be fighting for the welfare of the child. But chapter 3 of our Family Court investigation finds that in the adversarial format of a courtroom, players sometimes take on conflicting roles.
News
Juvenile Justice System Excludes Many Youthful Wrongdoers
Helen Zelon |
New York’s juvenile justice system is the target of reform efforts. But to some critics, it’s the fact that New York State tries so many teens outside of juvenile court that most needs reform. Chapter 4 in our Family Court investigation.
Government
Q&A with Family Court’s Top Judge
Helen Zelon |
A conversation with Edwina Richardson-Mendelson a one-time lawyer and then a courtroom judge in Family Court who now oversees the city’s system.
Government
React, Reform, Repeat: A Round of Change Faces Family Court
Helen Zelon |
In chapter 5 of our investigation of New York City Family Court, we look at past reform efforts and survey judges, lawyers, advocates and parents on how they think the system could be improved.
Government
'Kinship' Approach Shows Promise
Helen Zelon |
New York recently began trying to get more children who were removed from their homes placed in guardianship relationships with other relatives. While there are potential pitfalls, the approach can save time and money.
Government
A Separate System With Special Rules
Helen Zelon |
A lower threshold for judgment, different standards of evidence, a shift in the burden of proof and no Fifth Amendment protection—these and other features of Family Court set it apart from the rest of the legal system.
Child Welfare
When Delays Dominate, Kids Lose
Helen Zelon |
Chapter two of our Family Court investigation focuses on the courtrooms that handle custody and child support, where many people try to navigate complex legal lingo without a lawyer, and where running out the clock can be a weapon in warfare between parents.
Child Welfare
From Mom to Not in Seven Minutes: Inside Family Court
Helen Zelon |
City Limits spent months observing Family Court and found an overburdened system where delays were endemic, legal help was scarce and the approach to solving family problems was divided. This is the first chapter in our report.
