By Ceylan Yeginsu
On one recent day at Kings County Family Court Maria Lopez stood out with her smile. She had ten minutes until she would appear in front of a judge who would determine the custodial rights of her daughter. “I know I’m going to get my baby back,” she said, leaning in to her sister before entering the courtroom.
Her parents had taken her to court, accusing her of neglecting her five-year- old daughter. Lopez was caught on more than one occasion leaving the child unsupervised at home overnight.
Lopez admitted to the charges saying she would sometimes forget about coming home to her daughter when she had been drinking. An order of protection was filed against her. She handed her daughter over to her parents for two and a half years.
During this time Lopez sought counseling for her alcoholism. “They didn’t let me see my baby for five months, I knew I had to get help,” she said. Lopez was eventually granted weekly access to her daughter. She started bringing her daughter to her house closely supervised by the Administration for Children’s Services and her parents.
Lopez looked confident walking into the courtroom with her head held high above the neck of her fluffy hooded coat. Her case took just five minutes. She told the judge that she felt fit to be mother again. At the slam of a hammer she was granted full custody of her daughter. Tears rolled down her face. “She’s going to be so happy knowing she can always stay with you now, her grandparents will be sad though,” said Lopez’s attorney Catherine Miller.
Lopez walked into the corridor, and into a squabble involving eight members of a Hasidic Jewish family and an attorney. The family was convinced that they had a hearing that day and blamed their attorney for the misunderstanding.
“Today was just a conference between you and me. There will be no follow up on your case for a while,” the attorney told them.
“Did you talk to my mother?” said a young woman, who spoke for her relatives. “She is non-verbal. That is not what was said to us there must be five minutes today where the judge will see us?”
Meanwhile two parents caught in a child support battle argued just before they were due in court. Anthony Burgos had been accused by his ex-wife of not contributing financially to his 15-year old daughter’s upbringing. He’d argued that he was afraid his money would be spent on cosmetic plastic surgery. His daughter had insisted that she needed the money to the surgery to correct a spinal problem that results in bad posture.
“Don’t look at me. Stop looking at me,” she shouted at her father.
“I was looking at how straight you were standing with your bent spine,” her father said sarcastically.
His ex-wife who remained silent throughout the exchange started crying and stormed away down the corridor. Despite Emilia Burgos’ efforts her mother did not return. She did not enter the courtroom. The hearing was postponed and it was suggested to Emilia Burgos that she came back with a doctor’s note. Emilia Burgos left abruptly.
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