Thursday, July 14, 2011

In Re Mickel O. (Cal. Ct. App. - July 13, 2011)

It's easy to get jaded in dependency cases.  So many abused children.  So much abuse.  So few easy solutions.

But lest one think that the trial courts and Court of Appeal merely "process" these cases along, here's a good example of where the trial court and Court of Appeal demonstrably care about the outcome.  And, for that reason, spent a great amount of time and mental energy to try to get it right.

Which is not to say it's easy.  'Cause it's not.  This one's about warring sets of grandparents.  In a setting that is far from simple, and that's been horribly protracted to boot.

So it'd be easy, and perhaps understandable, to boot this one and rubber stamp the trial court's decision.  But the Court of Appeal doesn't do that.  Check out the lengthy opinion.  As well as the concurrences.  They demonstrate actual compassion and caring.  Not jaded at all; only realistic and with a keen sense of what goes on in these types of cases.

Good stuff.