welfare
-
Colorado justices clarify threshold for accessing government files in child neglect cases
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday rebuffed Washington County’s request to apply a tougher standard for parents who seek to access government documents in child neglect cases, instead adopting the more lenient threshold for civil proceedings. The ruling makes it easier for a father and mother in an ongoing custody case to obtain records Washington…
-
Supreme Court modifies ruling in child neglect case, insists mother’s rights were honored
—
by
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday took the unusual step of modifying its recent ruling in a child neglect case, explicitly rejecting a mother’s claim that her procedural rights were violated in the welfare proceedings. In January, the court decided that when the government proves a child suffers a single serious bodily injury, even if…
-
Despite parents, child leaving state, Supreme Court rules Colorado kept jurisdiction in welfare case
—
by
Even though the parents and the child at the center of a welfare case had all left Colorado at the time of the decision, the state Supreme Court on Monday agreed that an El Paso County judge retained the ability to terminate the parents’ legal rights over their daughter. The justices concluded that based on…
-
A LOOK BACK | Aspinall rejects GOP’s socialism claims during election season
—
by
Fifty Years Ago This Week: U.S. Rep. Wayne Aspinall, D-CD4, was honored by the Mesa County Jane Jefferson Club in a special “Wayne Aspinall Night” meeting. Speaking to around 85 Mesa County Democratic women, Aspinall said that “Republican charges of increasing socialism in the federal government are unfounded.” Of the entire federal budget, he argued,…
-
Facts did not support Boulder County judge’s finding of child neglect, appeals court says
—
by
A Boulder County judge did not have sufficient facts to definitively conclude a man had neglected his child, Colorado’s second-highest court ruled last week in reversing the trial court’s decision. In child welfare proceedings, formally known as dependency and neglect cases, a judge’s finding of neglect can eventually lead to the termination of the legal…
-
10th Circuit strikes down portion of Colorado child welfare law, potentially imperiling other states
—
by
Despite the warnings from officials that striking down a portion of Colorado’s child welfare law would imperil federal funding and trigger a domino effect across nearly all states, the federal appeals court based in Denver has deemed unconstitutional Colorado’s prohibition on disclosing certain information about child abuse investigations. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court…
-
Denver judge violated law in rescinding jury trial after mother was late
—
by
A Denver juvenile court judge violated a mother’s right to a jury trial in her child welfare case by dismissing jurors after she was 10 minutes late without finding out why, the Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday. Although child welfare proceedings, formally known as dependency and neglect cases, are not criminal and have no…
-
A LOOK BACK | Hot debate over reapportionment process changes
—
by
Fifty Years Ago This Week: Mike Swift, executive director of Voters Organization to Effect Reapportionment (VOTER) told The Colorado Democrat that he hoped to get seventy thousand signatures on his proposed amendment, which called for a commission to reapportion state legislative seats based on population. VOTER was backed by the League of Women Voters, the…
-
Appeals court decision on Indian child case sets up split for Supreme Court
—
by
There are now two competing interpretations from the state’s second-highest court for how judges have “reason to know” that a child in a custody proceeding fits the legal definition of an American Indian child, setting up the Colorado Supreme Court to have the final say on the matter. Last week, a three-judge panel for the…
-
Despite wrong man on phone, appeals court upholds termination of father’s parental rights
—
by
The Court of Appeals upheld an Adams County judge’s termination of a man’s parental rights, even though the man was not present and a different person – with his same name – was on the phone during the parental rights hearing instead. The caseworker in a child welfare proceeding learned that the child’s father was incarcerated,…
