2019 COD Network Conference

In 2018, New York State enacted its “Raise the Age” legislation, which amended outdated laws that had automatically prosecuted 16- and 17-year-olds as adults by raising the age of criminal responsibility for most charges to 18. The practical result has been that a great many adolescents are having their cases heard in both adult criminal court and family court. In response to this new statutory framework, New York County Defender Services created a “Juvenile Defense Unit” that provides its juvenile clients with unique and expert continuity of representation that persists throughout multiple jurisdictions and legal systems. This workshop will address the importance of having the same attorney and social work team represent juvenile clients whose cases traverse both adult criminal court and family court. We will examine the challenges these cases pose when the juvenile client is also entangled in the child welfare system, the resources needed to address those issues, and how that entanglement affects disposition. Finally, we will delve into the central role that education plays in the lives of court-involved youth by discussing the issues our clients face in accessing their education and how we can effectively advocate for their needs.