Although not unique in this respect, Los Angelenos recognize that too many deaths of children from abandonment, abuse or neglect could have been – but weren’t – avoided, as a result of lack of communication between agencies.

Now, county officials are finally calling for sharing of information between county agencies, including potential red flags in criminal, domestic violence, educational, medical and psychological histories of family members.

Free availability of information is tempered by privacy concerns though.

While flags will be visible via computer, full data will not.

Social workers will have to request more detailed information directly from the agency in possession of the information sought. But they will at least know that there is something worth requesting and who has it.

The system is expected to take eighteen months to implement.

Read more in this Los Angeles Times article: Data-sharing system to curb child abuse is proposed by L.A. County supervisors.

Maryland recently added a second facility for children in foster care to have visitation with their biological parents and siblings – under supervision of social workers.

The facility is actually a house, minus televisions, computers and similar modern distractions found in most homes.

Visitation in this home-like setting aids in the assessment and facilitation of interactions to support eventual reunification of foster children with their biological families. That typically takes about eighteen months.

This facility is different from most supervised visitation centers, which simply try to keep the peace and maintain safety.

Much of the work to renovate and adapt the house to its new purpose was done with donated labor and funds.

Read more in this Maryland Gazette article: Home opens for foster children, biological parents.

Seven year old boy (Son) lives with his Grandmother in Alabama.

Massachusetts biological Father wants visitation with Son.

Father goes to court seeking visitation.

Father reportedly wants to build a relationship with Son.

It is unclear whether a court ever grants visitation or any custodial rights to Father.

But Father apparently convinces Grandmother that it has.

Father has Son with him on Father’s Day.

And Father allegedly beats Son on Father’s Day.

Into a coma.

Son dies.

There is no indication that Father has ever previously been convicted of domestic violence or child abuse, or even whether Father has ever been subject to an injunction for protection against domestic violence or order of protection.

Father is now charged with homicide in Son’s death.

Read more in this [Chattanooga, TN] WRCB TV 3 Eyewitness news article: Father accused in boy’s beating pleaded for visits and this [Montgomery, AL] WSFA 12 News article: Shocking revelation in boy’s beating death.

Tennessee has gone one better on a trend toward protecting custodial and visitation rights of parents deployed in the military.

Under a brand new law, a parent deployed for at least ninety days can assign his or her visitation rights to a relative, subject to the court’s authority to veto the surrogate’s visitation if it is not in the child’s best interests.

This is an interesting expansion of the widespread view that visitation is a fundamental personal privilege of a parent.

But for now, deployed parents can presumably transfer their visitation rights to, say, stepparents who are their new spouses.

Legal challenges will likely follow in short order.

Read more in this [Chattanooga, TN] WRCB 3 Eyewitness News TV article: Military visitation rights bill signed by governor.

Mentally disabled young Woman lives with her Mother.

Twenty year old Man pursues “relationship” with Woman.

Mother seeks and obtains an order of protection against Man for benefit of Woman.

That reportedly does not stop Man.

After being served with the domestic violence restraining order, Man allegedly lures Woman to his parents’ home and sexually assaults her.

He also reportedly takes her cell phone and threatens to hurt her if she notifies authorities of the assault.

Woman’s injuries from assault require medical treatment at hospital.

Man is charged with aggravated criminal sexual assaut, criminal sexual assault, intimidation, unlawful interference with the reporting of domestic violence and unlawful violation of an order of protection.

Man reportedly has a history of exposing himself in public and inappropriate conduct toward another mentally challenged young woman.

Man is confined pending posting of a $2 million bond. Should he be released, he will be required to wear an ankle bracelet to enforce restriction to his residence.

Read more in this [Suburban Chicago] Daily Herald article: $2 million bond for man accused of assaulting disabled woman.

Arizona Mother has sole custody of nine year old Son.

Father takes Son for a week of visitation as per court order.

In the past, Father has taken Son to Hawaii, a place that Father has said he would like to live.

At the end of the permitted weeklong visitation, Father and Son fail to return … even after a month.

Father’s home appears to be abandoned.

For now, both Father and Son are listed as missing

Authorities are seeking information as to their whereabouts.

Son is on daily prescription medication which Father has not always administered.

Read more in this [Chandler, AZ] ABC TV 15 article: Valley boy and dad remain missing after weeklong trip and this Chandler Police Department press release: Father and Child Missing For Over A Month.

Husband and Wife have one child together, Son.

In 1997, Husband, a police officer at the time, allegedly shot Wife in the hand while they were arguing.

In 2001, Wife obtained an injunction for protection against domestic violence, or order of protection, against Husband. Wife alleged that Husband dragged her by her legs, down stairs and out of a house, while threatening to kill her.

Wife dismissed her case a few weeks later.

Recently, Husband and Wife were in the process of divorcing.

Wife went missing.

Police found Wife’s body in the trunk of her car. On the day they had a hearing in divorce court. She had been shot to death.

Wife’s Sister has Son with her.

Sister and Son are reportedly terrified of Husband, with Son believing that Husband murdered Wife.

At the suggestion of police, Sister seeks an emergency injunction for protection against domestic violence, or order of protection, against Husband for the protection of Son and his half-siblings and Sister’s entire family.

Husband has not been named as a suspect at this time.

Husband’s whereabouts are unknown.

Read more in this Chicago Southtown Star article: Family of murdered mom fears husband.

South Carolina Man and Woman live together.

Woman has a Son.

Man acts like any good father would toward Son.

Drives him to school. Roots for him at his ball games. Attends parent-teacher conferences. Etc., etc.

One thing is missing …

A paternity test does not bear out a biological connection between Man and Son.

Man and Woman eventually break up.

But Man and Son do not want to break up with each other.

Man goes to court to obtain visitation, arguing that he is Son’s psychological parent, the father figure in Son’s life.

But the court rules against him, because Son knows that Man is not his biological father and that someone else is.

Man appeals. And the South Carolina Court of Appeals agrees with Man.

Court awards Man visitation with Son.

Shortly before Father’s Day, Man won full custody of Son by agreement with Woman after a six year court battle.

Read more in this [Charleston, SC] Post and Courier article: Helping set legal precedent, man gains custody of boy he helped raise.

Husband and Wife divorce.

Husband used to work for large software company.

Husband’s financial disclosure in divorce reveals two large payments and anticipates a further large payment from a so-called hedge fund.

Wife seeks a share of such monies. Husband impliedly disputes her right.

Further complication …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reportedly previously investigated suspicions of insider trading between Husband and the hedge fund in stock of Husband’s former employer.

SEC has reopened the investigation since certain information and evidence came to light in the divorce case.

Wife was supposedly in possession of Husband’s computer’s hard drive, which may have had evidence stored on it. The SEC subpoenaed the drive.

Family court judge ordered that $250,000 of past payments from the hedge fund to Husband be held in escrow pending outcome of the SEC investigation.

Read more in this Washington [DC] Examiner article: Conn. divorce judge puts $250K into escrow and this Washington [DC] Post article: SEC Reopens Insider-Trading Probe

In the criminal courts, the defendant can insist on speedy justice.

Not so the litigants in family court, which often operates in a virtual time warp.

Husband and Wife live in North Carolina. They have two children.

Wife files for divorce.

North Carolina Court grants permission for Wife to relocate to Rhode Island, but allows for visitation by Husband each month in both states.

The Wife reportedly tries to block Husband’s visitation and cut Husband out of the children’s lives by accusing Husband of everything from harsh discipline of the children to neglecting them to watch pornography on the internet.

Wife also obtains an injunction for protection against domestic violence, or order of protection, against Husband – in Rhode Island.

Not buying it, the North Carolina Court orders Wife to return with the children to live in North Carolina.

Unhappy with the North Carolina ruling, Wife tries to do an end run around the North Carolina courts and seeks emergency jurisdiction in Rhode Island.

Which Rhode Island’s family courts exercise … repeatedly.

Having apparently exhausted his remedies in North Carolina, Husband appeals in Rhode Island.

And Husband wins …

A mere seven years later.

The reasons Husband wins are because:

1. North Carolina validly exercised jurisdiction in the first place and
2. Emergency jurisdiction is inherently temporary in nature

.

Read more in this Providence Journal news blog post: R.I. Supreme Court: Mother, children must return to N.C.