NY Aims to Pass Child Victims Act

A bill that aims to allow survivors of sexual offenses committed against individuals when they were minors to bring legal action has been introduced to New York Senate. The Child Victims Act has gained a lot of support from the public as well as members in governing positions. Currently, the law only allows for victims of sexual abuse as minors to bring civil action until their 23rd birthday. This bill, if passed, would allow survivors to bring civil action against their abusers until their 50th birthday. In felony criminal cases, the victims would be permitted to bring legal action until the victim’s 28th birthday. In addition, the bill would allow individuals one year (as opposed to the current 90 days) to bring legal action if they were abused in a public setting such as a school.

Siena College recently released a poll that indicated 76 percent of New Yorkers believe the bill should be passed. Currently, the bill is only in committee and has a number of steps to pass before it is signed into law by the governor, if the bill gets that far.

Our firm is committed to keeping an awareness of new laws that may impact our clients.

Kevin T. Conway has over 30 years of experience as a Spring Valley criminal attorney handling DUI, DWI, traffic violations, violent crimes, sex crimes, illegal gun possession, shoplifting, and juvenile crimes. Attorney Conway is also experienced in commercial law matters, zoning law, and estate planning. If you need a Rockland County criminal lawyer, contact our Spring Valley office for a free consultation.