Chief Defenders Association of New York
Statement on New Law to Increase Number of
Family Court and Civil Judges

(Albany, NY) – Clare J. Degnan, President of the Chief Defenders Association of New York (CDANY) released the following statement in response to Governor Kathy Hochul signing into law S.9839/A.10540, which will expand the number of family court and civil judges appointed and elected statewide:

“New York State’s family and civil courts handle matters that have tremendous impact on New York families. No family separated by the foster system should remain separated because of court delays and case backlogs. This legislation is a critical step towards relieving court delays and ensuring cases can be heard in a timely manner. We thank Senator Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Dais for sponsoring this bill and Governor Hochul for promptly signing it into law.  We urge Albany to take action next session to properly fund family court attorneys to ensure New York families get the high-quality representation they deserve.”