Adult Survivors Act to deal New York courts with fresh spate of sex lawsuits
A new law giving victims of sexual assault a chance at justice will flood New York’s already deadlocked courts with even more cases.
The legal window for victims 18 and older to take their sexual assault and abuse claims to court, regardless of when the crime was committed, opens Thursday at the Empire State under the Adult Survivors Act. Typically, survivors have less than five years to assert such claims in civil court.
Hundreds of cases are already expected to be filed under the new law, with 750 women who claim to have been abused in state prisons expected to bring their allegations to court.
Writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused former President Trump of raping her in Manhattan in the 1990s, also plans to use the legal window to take her claims against Trump to court, her attorneys said last week .
A protester holds a sign in support of the Adult Survivors Act, which goes into effect Thursday.
gov. Hochul signs the Adult Survivors Act into effect.
Those who work with victims of sexual assault praised the new law.
“For those of us who have worked with victims, it is wonderful to finally get justice in court. We have a few people who have been in touch with us,” said Ann Oliveras. “Hopefully it will prompt other states to do the same.”
But the question is whether Big Apple’s courts, which are struggling to get more than 5,300 sex abuse lawsuits filed under the state’s Child Victims Act through the legal system, can handle it.
“Two people died with me,” attorney Thomas Giuffra said of two of his clients who filed suits with the CVA, which opened a legal window for child sexual abuse victims to assert their claims. “No one moved the ball across the field. … The Adult Survivors Act, how are they going to deal with that?”
A spokesman for the Regional Court Administration Office downplayed concerns.
“We do not anticipate any problems with these new cases being filed electronically,” said Lucian Chalfen. “We will track submissions and should there be an unexpected number in a particular county, we stand ready to adjust accordingly.”
https://nypost.com/2022/11/23/adult-survivors-act-to-bring-new-flood-of-sex-claims-to-new-york-courts/ Adult Survivors Act to deal New York courts with fresh spate of sex lawsuits
