Geoff had an unstable home life since he was a young child. His father was murdered, and his mother was unable to adequately care for him, so he often had to fend for himself. Unfortunately, he began hanging out with the wrong crowd. The boys in the group, including Geoff, were ultimately arrested for stealing a cell phone.
While awaiting his sentencing and on probation, Geoff lived with his grandmother and began to turn his life around. He attended school more regularly and even played chess with his guidance counselor. The court continued to monitor him; he found a summer job, was playing competitive basketball, and did well in a local art program.
AFC aggressively worked with Geoff’s criminal defense attorney to persuade the prosecution not to sentence Geoff to jail, but rather to allow him to attend a specialized school. To facilitate this option, AFC identified and secured Geoff’s acceptance to a residential school that specializes in helping children with emotional needs in Westchester County. Working in tandem, AFC’s attorney and Geoff’s court-appointed attorney convinced the Court not to give Geoff jail time, but to enroll him in the residential program and give him the chance to have a future and to pursue his dreams.
Geoff is now attending his new school and is thriving. He is especially focused on maintaining good grades in order to stay on the basketball team. He has made new friends who are influencing him in a positive way, and his grandmother describes how a whole new world has opened up for him and that he talks of “things he never spoke of before.”
