FATHER DEPRIVED OF HIS STATUTORY RIGHT TO ASSIGNED COUNSEL, REVERSAL REQUIRED.

The First Department, reversing Family Court, determined, inter alia, father had been deprived of his right to counsel:

Reversal is required because the father was deprived of his statutory right to assigned counsel … . The record shows that after Family Court dismissed the father’s assigned counsel, it conducted several hearings in this custody matter, and granted a final order of custody to the mother, without the father’s presence and without reassigning him counsel. Matter of Melinda M. v Anthony J.H., 2016 NY Slip Op 06978, 1st Dept 10-25-16

FAMILY LAW (FATHER DEPRIVED OF HIS STATUTORY RIGHT TO ASSIGNED COUNSEL, REVERSAL REQUIRED)/ATTORNEYS (FAMILY LAW, FATHER DEPRIVED OF HIS STATUTORY RIGHT TO ASSIGNED COUNSEL, REVERSAL REQUIRED)