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ALTHOUGH FATHER HAD THE RIGHT TO WAIVE COUNSEL AND PROCEED PRO SE IN THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDING, FAMILY COURT PROPERLY REFUSED HIS UNTIMELY REQUEST (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined Family Court properly refused father’s untimely request  to proceed pro se in this termination of parental rights proceeding:

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A parent in a proceeding pursuant to Social Services Law § 384-b to terminate parental rights has the right to the assistance of counsel (see Family Ct Act § 262[a][iv]). A parent, however, may waive the right to counsel and opt for self-representation … . However, the right to self-representation is “not . . . unfettered” … . In order to invoke the right to defend pro se, “(1) the request [must be] unequivocal and timely asserted, (2) there [must be] a knowing and intelligent waiver of the right to counsel, and (3) the defendant [must not have] engaged in conduct which would prevent the fair and orderly exposition of the issues”… . “An application is timely interposed when it is asserted before the trial commences'”… . “If the request is made thereafter, the right is severely constricted’ and the trial court must exercise its sound discretion and grant the request only under compelling circumstances”… .

Here, the Family Court providently exercised its discretion in denying the father’s request to represent himself since it was untimely, and the father proferred no compelling circumstances to justify the need to grant the application … . Matter of Sarah J. A. (Ramadan G. O.-A.), 2017 NY Slip Op 08661, Second Dept 12-13-17

 

FAMILY LAW (ALTHOUGH FATHER HAD THE RIGHT TO WAIVE COUNSEL AND PROCEED PRO SE IN THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDING, FAMILY COURT PROPERLY REFUSED HIS UNTIMELY REQUEST (SECOND DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (FAMILY LAW , ALTHOUGH FATHER HAD THE RIGHT TO WAIVE COUNSEL AND PROCEED PRO SE IN THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDING, FAMILY COURT PROPERLY REFUSED HIS UNTIMELY REQUEST (SECOND DEPT))/PARENTAL RIGHTS (FAMILY LAW , ALTHOUGH FATHER HAD THE RIGHT TO WAIVE COUNSEL AND PROCEED PRO SE IN THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDING, FAMILY COURT PROPERLY REFUSED HIS UNTIMELY REQUEST (SECOND DEPT))/PRO SE (FAMILY LAW , ALTHOUGH FATHER HAD THE RIGHT TO WAIVE COUNSEL AND PROCEED PRO SE IN THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS PROCEEDING, FAMILY COURT PROPERLY REFUSED HIS UNTIMELY REQUEST (SECOND DEPT))

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