STAYING IN ALBANY NOW, JACQUELINE FRANCHETTI LOST HER DAUGHTER KYRA ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO.

BEFORE THAT, SHE WAS FIGHTING FOR FULL CUSTODY OF KYRA, SAYING HER FATHER, WHO IS OUT OF THE PICTURE WAS VIOLENT AND DANGEROUS, BUT FAMILY COURT JUDGE DISAGREED AND ALLOWED JOINT CUSTODY OF KYRA, BETWEEN JACQUELINE AND THE FATHER.

THEN IN 2016, KYRA WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY THE FATHER WHO THEN TOOK HIS OWN LIFE, AND NOW JACQUELINE IS PUSHING A BILL CALLED, KYRA'S LAW, THAT SHE SAYS COULD PREVENT FUTURE TRAGEDIES.

ALEXIS YOUNG HAS THAT STORY.

[ THEME MUSIC ] (CHANTING) CROWD: PASS KYRA'S LAW!

PASS KYRA'S LAW!

OUGHT YOU'LL COLEMAN IS FOREVER 3 YEARS OLD.

DEVAUGHNTY WILL FOREVER BE 6 YEARS OLD.

GABRIEL WHITE WILL FOREVER BE 7 YEARS OLD.

18 THOMAS FAVA WILL FOREVER BE 8 YEARS OLD.

AVA WOOD WILL FOREVER BE 14 YEARS OLD.

MY TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, KYRA, 1 OF 23 CHILDREN TO BE MURDERED BY THEIR PARENT WHILE GOING THROUGH A CUSTODY CASE, DIVORCE, OR SEPARATION IN NEW YORK STATE SINCE 2016.

THIS NUMBER DOESN'T EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE STAGGERING NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO ARE COURT-ORDERED INTO THE HOME OF AN ABUSIVE PARENT.

JULIA'S GRANDMOTHER BACK THEN ORDERED JULIA BACK TO HER ABUSIVE MOTHER WHO HAD FIVE OTHER CHILDREN REMOVED FROM HER HOME.

AUTUMN'S MOTHER WENT TO QUEENS FAMILY COURT JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE HER DAUGHTER'S MURDER TO TRY AND PROTECT HER LITTLE GIRL FROM HER ABUSIVE FATHER.

IN EVERY COURTHOUSE IN EVERY COUNTY, CHILDREN ARE BEING COURT ORDERED INTO THE HOME OF A PARENT WHO IS BEATING THEM, RAPING THEM, EMOTIONALLY DESTROYING THEM AT STAGGERING RATES.

AND THE RESULTS ARE ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING.

WE NEED A JUDICIAL SYSTEM, A COURT SYSTEM THAT WILL PROTECT OUR CHILDREN THAT WILL PUT THEIR LIFE AND SAFETY FIRST.

WE NEED KYRA'S LAW.

I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH MY CUSTODY CASE BECAUSE LIKE MANY OF YOU, I WALKED INTO NASSAU COUNTY FAMILY COURT THE 19 FIRST DAY THINKING THAT THEY WOULD PROTECT KYRA.

FROM THE VERY FIRST MOMENT I WAS ON DEFENSE TRYING TO PROTECT MYSELF AND KYRA AND TO KEEP HER SAFE.

I TOLD THE JUDGE THAT I WAS BEING STALKED, THREATENED.

THAT I WAS A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND EVERYONE KNEW FROM DAY ONE THAT HE WAS SUICIDAL, AND THE JUDGE'S RESPONSE?

SHE YELLED AT ME TO GROW UP.

WE HAD CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES INVOLVED IN KYRA'S CASE.

THEY NOTED HE HAD EXTREME ANGER AND RAGE ISSUES AND AN INABILITY TO CARE FOR HER AT A YOUNG AGE.

(SIGHS) AND THEY LABELED IT LOW RISK.

WE HAD A FORENSIC EVALUATOR-- ACTUALLY THREE IN KYRA'S CASE.

THEY HEARD FROM EYEWITNESSES, SAW DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE OF THE ABUSE, AND IN HIS REPORT, HE RECOMMENDED JOINT CUSTODY BECAUSE HE SAID, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, A FATHER SHOULD ALWAYS PLAY A ROLE IN A CHILD'S LIFE.

IN A HEALTHY BREAK-UP, I AGREE WITH THAT.

IN AN ABUSIVE ONE, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

THIS WOULD BE A VERY EASY BILL FOR ME TO COME UP AND START YELLING AND SCREAMING AND START POINTING FINGERS AT JUDGES.

SIMPLE.

VERY EASY.

THE PUBLIC WOULD UNDERSTAND.

YOU HAVE 23 DEAD KIDS.

KYRA SHOULD BE ALIVE.

THERE ARE REASONS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT.

WE ARE NOW GOING TO BE AMENDING THE CURRENT BILL BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OFFICE OF COURT 20 ADMINISTRATION.

I DON'T WANT TO CAST DISPERSIONS ON THEM BUT THE SYSTEM IS GAPPED.

MY LAST MEMORY OF KYRA, SHE HAD JUST LEARNED TO ROLL DOWN A HILL.

SHE TOOK A COUPLE OF AWKWARD TUMBLES DOWN, AND SHE GOT UP AND SHE SAID, I DID IT, MAMA.

I DID IT.

SHE WAS SO PROUD OF HER LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT.

JUST A FEW DAYS LATER, SHE WAS ON A COURT-ORDERED VISIT WITH HER ABUSIVE FATHER.

HE SHOT HER NOT ONCE BUT TWICE IN THE BACK WHILE SHE SLEPT.

HE THEN POURED GASOLINE ALL OVER HIS HOME AND HE MURDERED HER IN A MURDER SUICIDE AND KYRA'S MURDER WAS ENTIRELY PREVENTIBLE.

SHE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN WITH HIM THAT DAY AND THE MURDER OF THESE 22 OTHER CHILDREN TOTALLY PREVENTIBLE.

WE CAN END THIS WITH KYRA'S LAW.

THERE'S A REAL CHANCE THAT BY THE END OF THE SESSION WE WILL HAVE A NEGOTIATED COMPROMISE WITH OCA MOSTLY ONBOARD.

THE FACT THAT EVEN NOW IN 2023 WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COURT HAVING TO LOOK AT THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO WRITE INTO THE LAW THAT THE FIRST THING IS LIFE AND SAFETY, IT'S SURPRISING THAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT.

KYRA'S LAW DOES THEE THINGS ESSENTIALLY.

FIRST, IT'S GOING TO MAKE THE LIFE AND THE SAFETY OF THE CHILD THE TOP PRIORITY IN A 21 CUSTODY CASE.

SO THAT IF THERE IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THAT HOUSEHOLD, IF THERE'S CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS IN THAT HOUSEHOLD, IT'S A HARD STOP.

THE JUDGE, THE COURT MUST STOP AND CONTEMPLATE WHAT TO DO WITH THAT.

NOT, OH, WELL, THERE ARE A BUNCH OF FACTORS HERE, YOU KNOW, AS THE HEARINGS PLAY OUT OVER THE NEXT MANY MONTHS, WE'LL CONSIDER THOSE ALLEGATIONS.

SECOND THING THAT THIS WILL DO IS IT WILL MANDATE JUDGE TRAINING.

YOU KNOW, THE COURT SYSTEM AND SOME JUDGES, THEY'RE RAISING CONCERNS THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME AND RESPECTFULLY, I WOULD ARGUE IF YOU WANT TO BE A JUDGE IN NEW YORK STATE, THIS ISSUE, THESE ISSUES ARE SO IMPORTANT, YOU CAN AFFORD TO SPEND A FEW MORE HOURS.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

NOT HUNDREDS OF HOURS.

A FEW MORE HOURS LEARNING HOW TO BEST RESPOND TO THESE TYPES OF CASES.

AND THE THIRD THING THAT KYRA'S LAW WILL DO IS IT STOPS COMMON PRACTICES THAT ALLOW ABUSERS TO GAIN CUSTODY AT THE STAGGERING EPIDEMIC RATES.

THE COURT WOULD HAVE A RISK ASSESSMENT FORM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEVELOP AND PUT A CUSTODY CASE THROUGH BECAUSE IF THEY'RE ON THE RECORD SAYING, OKAY, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS 22 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALLEGATION.

I DON'T BELIEVE THIS CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATION AND THEN THEY CONTINUE WITH JOINT CUSTODY OR UNSUPERVISED VISITATION AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THAT CHILD, YOU BETTER BELIEVE ALL THE FINGERS WILL BE POINTING BACK AT THAT JUDGE.

KYRA DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE IN NEW YORK'S FAMILY COURT SYSTEM.

SHE SHOULD BE 9 YEARS OLD IN APRIL.

AND I SEE SOME OF HER FRIENDS AND I'M, YOU KNOW, KYRA'S FROZEN IN TIME FOR ME AT TWO YEARS OLD.

I SEE HOW MUCH THEY'VE GROWN AND I'LL NEVER KNOW-- I'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT SHE WANTS TO BE.

WHEN SHE GROWS UP.

I WON'T KNOW WHO HER BEST FRIENDS ARE.

YOU KNOW, CHRISTMAS, PEOPLE ARE GATHERING TOGETHER.

I'M AT A GRAVE SITE.

KYRA DESERVED TO LIVE.

SHE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE AND SHE DESERVED A JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAT WOULD PROTECT HER.

NOT ONE THAT FAILED HER.

[ THEME MUSIC ] AND IN A STATEMENT, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE STATE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION SAID, QUOTE, UNTIL THERE IS A TIME VERSION OF THE BILL FOR US TO REVIEW, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OPINION ON IT AT THIS POINT.

THERE IS A VERSION OF THE BILL PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT IT WOULD LIKELY CHANGE AFTER NEGOTIATIONS.

WE'LL CHECK BACK IN WITH OCA IF THAT HAPPENS.