Cindy Lockett, at right, returns to her daughter, Rachel, who spent time with Eve Medina, a volunteer at a child care center in Bronx Family Court, while her mother was busy in the court.
Cheerful spirits are rare inside the Bronx Family Courthouse, a stone fortress at 900 Sheridan Avenue whose chambers brim with juvenile offenders, troubled spouses and abused children. But inside room 7-90, the weightiest matter is choosing between the toy blocks or the finger paints.
Room 7-90 is the Children’s Center, an oasis of calm in a building whose courtrooms are often filled with sadness, anger and trauma.
A typical line outside the Bronx Family Court last week.
At Bronx Court, Elevator Woes Slow Justice
There are many longstanding, seemingly intractable shortcomings in the city’s family court system that might delay a parent in getting a child back from foster care: unprepared lawyers, overcrowded dockets and long waiting lists for drug treatment and mental health services.
But Bronx Family Court has added a new obstacle: broken elevators.
For about a year, the elevators at the courthouse have been a disaster, people who work there say. Breakdowns have long been routine. This year, repair work has only added to the problem.
Lines to use a working elevator can stretch around the corner. People sometimes wait for hours to get to hearings, which are held on the seventh and eighth floors. Frequently, hearings have to be postponed because clients and witnesses cannot get to them.
Loading ...
Email This Post
