{"data":{"id":"us-ny/n.y.-domestic-relations-law-77-n","jurisdiction":"us-ny","citation":"N.Y. Domestic Relations Law § 77-n","heading":"Role of prosecutor or public official","body":"§ 77-n. Role of prosecutor or public official. 1. In a case arising\nunder this article or involving the Hague Convention on the Civil\nAspects of International Child Abduction, the prosecutor or other\nappropriate public official may take any lawful action, including resort\nto a proceeding under this title or any other available civil proceeding\nto locate a child, obtain the return of a child, or enforce a child\ncustody determination if there is:\n  (a) an existing child custody determination;\n  (b) a request to do so from a court in a pending child custody\nproceeding;\n  (c) a reasonable belief that a criminal statute has been violated; or\n  (d) a reasonable belief that the child has been wrongfully removed or\nretained in violation of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of\nInternational Child Abduction.\n  2. A prosecutor or appropriate public official acting under this\nsection acts on behalf of the state or local government entity and may\nnot represent any private party.","path":["Domestic Relations Law","Article 5-A. Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act","Title 3. Enforcement"],"source_url":"https://legislation.nysenate.gov/api/3/laws/DOM/77-N","current_through":"2026-09-11","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:32:44Z","sha256":"9a4df804c60ee01d5fbe6749b3808159f3b1697196682df437dc2c8809b9e7ab","source_id":"us-ny","stale":false,"prev":"us-ny/n.y.-domestic-relations-law-77-m","next":"us-ny/n.y.-domestic-relations-law-77-o"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}