Secret Courts For CPS Article

http://www.rcfp.org/news/mag/25-1/sct-aresecre.html

This is a great article about whether it's really in the best interests of children for department workers to have zero oversight or accountability, when they know the records will be private and no one can look over their shoulder.

After what I have seen, I would argue that the interest of protecting a child's privacy is not greater than the right of that child and their parents to have a fair trial.

What I have witnessed, is extensive lying and disregard for court procedure when it is kept secret and no one outside can look in on what is going on. The media doesn't have access and other courts and lawyers do not have access.

As much as I feel it is the right of the child to be protected in privacy matters (which is why I didn't blog about visits with my son so long), the more secret and contained these workers can keep their cases, the more they and the AG get away with incredible injustices to the families. They can be assured no one will ever know.

The parents are usually poor or might have less education and sometimes don't have the means or ability to publicize what it happening. Some don't even tell their stories to others until they were pressured into signing away their rights.

The public defenders work with the AG and state workers in such a system where the only oversight is...them.

No one looks in. No one has any idea how aggregious the lies may be. And often the parents are too traumatized to be able to defend themselves or refute what corrupt public defenders are doing.

It is my opinion that if dependency cases were open and public record, that the state workers would feel more pressure to stick to facts. I also feel that while the lack of privacy is not good for families, when the main objective is to NOT traumatize kids, it is far better to have open court and the state under pressure and scrutiny for doing their job and returning kids, than it is to drag the process along and screw parents and kids over and then nothing is ever done about it.

More families would be reunited, and more quickly, if there were no secret proceedings.

These state workers do not only want the court cases to be secret, they don't want ANY objective documentation about visits to contradict lies written.

It would also put pressure on all parties to think twice before removing children without sufficient grounds as many could look in and see what is happening.

These workers leak information about my visits to the entire town and yet keep documentation restricted and private so it cannot be used against them.

Absolutely, Dependency Court should be open and should NOT be secret for the very fact that when things are hidden and made secret, it is unfortunately not protecting the children but harming them. It allows workers to get away with all kinds of abuses and false claims.

The media should also have access to Dependency hearings because some of the abuses that occur in these cases, by the so-called "authorities" or legal persons, are so incredible, they are the primary cause for damages and trauma to families. The media would have a hey-day if they only knew how many mothers and fathers were pressured and blackmailed into signing off on their parental rights.

If people could see what was happening, they could intervene more quickly, and save many families from being torn apart.

I believe it would prevent over 50% of the cases from occuring to begin with and that they would be handled in a more expedient and professional manner.

Imagine having "secret court" for criminal cases. The system is corrupt as it is, having open court. But imagine what kinds of things would be happening, if criminal and civil courts were "secret". The idea is that adults can handle invasion of privacy and children shouldn't be burdened with this, however, these children face greater harm if they are wrongfully taken and their cases steam-rolled through with zero oversight. They lose the parents they love and wish to be with.

"Secret Court" is for those who do not like the truth and who want to hide corruption under a rock.

There is no jury. So that is one strike. It is all up to a few state workers. They are all state workers. Every one of them, and each of these state workers has NO independent party that is looking in on things and challenging their actions.

I do not just believe Dependency should be open, I believe there should be juries for Juvenile Court just like any other kind of court, and for Dependency for parents as well.

There should be no deprivation of life, liberty, property, or happiness, and especially not family, without a jury and full and open court.

People would see for themselves, things that seem out of place, such as a total absence of any motions filed by public defenders, or lies written which any normal person could challenge.