An article in the New York Times, “Family Courts Say Keep Out, Despite Order,” (Nov. 18) describing a reporter’s experiences when visiting the city’s Family Courts, has generated attention in the Daily News and the blogosphere, as well as follow-up letters in the Times and discussion in the legal community. As result, the city’s Family Court judges have been told that administrators are considering the creation of protocols to assure that prior directives designed to permit media and public entry to the courts are honored. As president of the New York City Family Court Judges’ Association, I write to present a perspective with respect to the issue that has unfortunately been ignored in the news coverage.
There is no question that, as a general matter, both the law and public policy mandate that the Family Court generally be open to the press and public. To the extent that the Times’ reporter was treated in a disrespectful or discouraging manner by any judge or other court personnel as he sought to enter a courtroom, no excuses can be proffered. However, he and most of the commentators overlooked significant facts.
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