Children's Rights

Judge who required jail visit for all arrested juveniles remains on bench after lawsuit payout

A tough-talking juvenile court judge in Rutherford County, Tennessee, established a policy requiring arrested elementary schoolchildren to be taken to the juvenile detention center for screening before charges were filed—even if the charges were minor.

Oct 13, 2021 1:36 PM CDT

Family law judge backtracks on visitation order for mom regarding COVID-19 vaccine

After entering an order sua sponte to suspend a parent’s visitation rights until she received the COVID-19 vaccine, an Illinois family law judge revisited the issue Monday with a new order striking the restriction. The Cook County, Illinois, action involves Rebecca Firlit and Matthew Duiven, who divorced seven years ago…

Aug 30, 2021 11:32 AM CDT

ABA House addresses treatment of children and youths in pair of resolutions

The ABA House of Delegates addressed the treatment of children and youths in two resolutions at the ABA Hybrid Annual Meeting on Tuesday.

Aug 10, 2021 12:22 PM CDT

School dress codes mandating skirts for girls may violate Title IX, 4th Circuit rules

Sex-specific school dress codes may violate federal education law, a federal appeals court has ruled in a challenge to a charter school’s skirts-only dress code for girls.

Aug 10, 2021 12:04 PM CDT

Troubling Treatment: Efforts are underway to reform teen behavioral programs

At age 15, Chelsea Filer tried to run away and live with her grandparents. A couple of weeks later, two large men, who worked with a transport company hired by her mother, woke her up in the middle of the night. The men took her across the border to a private residential school and treatment center in Mexico. “When children are legally kidnapped and trafficked across state or border lines, they lose their rights and any protections from the jurisdiction of their home state,” says Filer, who is now a youth rights advocate in Sacramento, California.

Aug 1, 2021 3:30 AM CDT

States drive a wave of bills affecting transgender youth

States have filed more than 250 bills affecting LGBTQ people this year—including more than 120 anti-trans bills. Opponents say the proposed legislation promotes discrimination and prejudice and could negatively impact trans youths’ mental health.

Aug 1, 2021 1:50 AM CDT

Probate lawyers are taking steps to secure LGBTQ+ families’ rights in case Supreme Court limits them

Family law could look very different in the near future, especially for nontraditional families, who are concerned that their protections may not be as secure. This is why many estate planners are advising that these clients create and make changes to their legal documents stat.

Aug 1, 2021 1:20 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: SCOTUS tosses child slavery case; DOJ drops suit and probe over Bolton book

SCOTUS tosses suit over child slavery in Ivory Coast The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Nestlé USA and Cargill can’t be sued here under the Alien Tort Statute for allegedly providing assistance to Ivory Coast cocoa farms that used child slaves. In an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, the…

Jun 17, 2021 3:48 PM CDT

Supreme Court rules for Catholic foster agency that refuses to place children with same-sex couples

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Philadelphia violated the free exercise clause when it refused to contract with a Catholic foster care agency that refuses to place children with same-sex couples.

Jun 17, 2021 10:01 AM CDT

In New York, a 7-year-old is arrested for rape; should the age for juvenile prosecutions be raised?

Children in New York can be charged as juvenile delinquents beginning at age 7, which explains why a boy of that age could be charged with rape in March in upstate Brasher Falls, New York.

Jun 4, 2021 12:24 PM CDT

ABA-backed Family Justice Initiative has improved access to counsel in child welfare cases

For parents and their children, the child welfare legal system can be confusing and intimidating. That’s where a good lawyer comes in.

Jun 1, 2021 12:20 AM CDT

If not removed, rock with Confederate flag should be factored into custody dispute, appeals court says

A mother in New York risks losing shared custody of her mixed-race child as a result of a small Confederate flag painted on a rock near her driveway.

May 11, 2021 2:36 PM CDT

Juvenile can get life without parole for murder without finding of permanent incorrigibility, Supreme Court rules

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a defendant can be sentenced to life without parole for a homicide committed as a juvenile without a separate finding of permanent incorrigibility.

Apr 22, 2021 11:43 AM CDT

Top Massachusetts court vacates 90-day contempt sentence for teen who called judge B-word

A 16-year-old girl who called a judge a “dumb, white b- - - -” was wrongly sentenced to 90 days in youth services for contempt of court by the judge she insulted, according to an April 12 decision by the top court in Massachusetts.

Apr 14, 2021 4:31 PM CDT

Secret camera recordings can be used against nanny at trial, state supreme court says

A divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Thursday that secretly recorded audio can be used against a nanny accused of assaulting three young children.

Mar 26, 2021 9:50 AM CDT