Criminal Defense
A CFR Home for Good Initiative:
Advocating Beyond Family Court
A Team Approach to Two Systems
About a third of CFR clients face a criminal case based on the same allegation that brought them to family court. CFR is one of few organizations in New York City with a dedicated practice for people facing a child welfare investigation and a criminal case. Our criminal defense team works closely with our family defense teams, offering expert advocacy and representation that serves the parents’ best interests in both cases.
When a client is assigned to CFR in family court and the family defense team is told that the City is prosecuting the client for the same allegation in criminal court, the team makes an immediate referral to CFR’s criminal defense practice. Our criminal defense attorneys understand the impact a criminal case can have on our clients’ family court cases so they work closely with the family defense team to make sure their advocacy in criminal court supports the goals of the advocacy being offered in family court. This could be on decisions as crucial as whether a judge requires bail in a criminal case. If parents can avoid jail, they can have visits with their children and participate in therapy and other services so that the family can be reunified sooner.