klmno
Active Member
I saw my therapist today. She said she used to work in the system and all these juvenile courts around here decide before court what the outcome is going to be. She said that is what was going on yesterday when everyone was in the courtroom except difficult child and me and they had to go over the PO's memo that she'd just put out. She said the GAL had obviously gone along with the idea that difficult child should be in state juvy.
She said what did not make sense was the gal trying to turn it into a trial against me. That it seemed absurd for her to put the message out there in court in front of difficult child that he needed to go to prison but it was his mother's fault. She said if gal had really thought that difficult child's issues were just a result of me, she would have advocated for difficult child to live somewhere else but that made no sense either b./c no mental health professional had even reported a concern that I had caused issues in difficult child. Also, they kept referring to "my issues" but never said what they thought those issues were.
She also seemed shocked about the GAL not concentrating more on the psychiatrist's recommendations for Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and that state juvy would be detrimental to difficult child. She also noted that it was obviously planned ahead because gal knew I was seeing a therapist but never brought it up or asked me about it under oath but told the judge after I was off the stand that I refused to deal with my own issues. She said it didn't add up because none of it had anything to do with difficult child's punishment and that people in the system knew there were a LOT worse parents than me and they repetitively would send kids back to them. I wish there was someone on this board who worked in the system who could explain the GAL's reasoning to me. LOL! I keep wondering why on earth the GAL could possibly think that trashing me in court, resulting in totally discrediting anything I try to say or do could possibly be in difficult child's best interest when the GAL knows that I have been his strongest advocate and difficult child has NO advocate if I'm discredited. He's 14yo-it's not like he doesn't need someone looking out for him at all.
She said she used to do assessments at the state juvy processing place and that unless things have changed in the past few years, difficult child would do hard time- no Residential Treatment Center (RTC)- and he would be there for well over a year- probably close to 2 or 3, unless they somehow focused more on mental health and an incentive for an early out. She told me the obvious- just try to accept it more a little each day and try to put my life back together. She didn't know if they could still order me into therapy or anything else now that difficult child has been transferred to state care. She said he is still under this jurisdiction in a way- that after a year or some time, the state would have to report to this court how difficult child was progressing and that that court would not be transferred even if I moved, however, if I moved awway from here, she doubted there would be any problem having probation/parole transferred to the new area. She said she didn't blame me for wanting to move, for several reasons. I swear, I sooo wish I had moved us out of this area last year.
I keep thinking there should be an appeal but I have nothing left to fight with. There are ways the courts could make sure I didn't pull difficult child from Residential Treatment Center (RTC) without consequences. His defense attnorney never once spoke to the psychiatrist or advocated for a mental health solution- he kept saying that was up to the gal. The gal wanted to keep the focus on me. If the PO made accusations, shouldn't someone have checked the validity? No one addressed anything when I was doing everything in my power to prevent things from getting to the point of the last arreest. Instead of taking any responsibility, they point the finger at me and sent difficult child to state juvy and completely ignore going to the next level of care. Of course, previously they kept saying that we couldn't jump to a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) level of care and they have to see if their way works first.
Well, difficult child's defense attny just called. He answered a WHOLE lot of these questions. For one, since difficult child was in court for an arrest, the judge could NOT order Residential Treatment Center (RTC). If the judge had the court on my motion in Jan, before this last arrest, the judge could have ordered Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Great. And the GAL- he said it was the way she advocated for a child, in so many words (but a little more direct- about ability), but if I filed a complaint against her or anything at all it would either fall on deaf ears or there would be nasty recourse from her that could include making sure difficult child never came back home after his release from state Department of Juvenile Justice. (That statement alone confirms my suspicions that some of these people make decisions based on the beefs with the parent, not what is in the best interest of the child. Doesn't the judge know that- or do judges not care, since judges were attny's before they were judges?) He said the GAL did not base her recommendation on what the PO wrote in her memo but has no idea what she wanted all along because they "do not communicate well". He said he understood why I was concerned over her advocating for Department of Juvenile Justice instead of what the psychiatrist recommended and the fact that she said the things about me and some other things. But he said it would make things worse for difficult child to fight this, appeal it, or complain about it. Sooo...he said when difficult child is close to being released, I could ask the court to appoint a different GAL but not get into reasons why- just act like I want a fresh pair of eyes.
He said difficult child's case and commitment to state greatly disturbed him and that he'd probably spent 15 hours on it unpaid, just trying to figure out a better way. He said he would keep fighting but sees no way to win and it would just drag difficult child's time locked up out longer.
She said what did not make sense was the gal trying to turn it into a trial against me. That it seemed absurd for her to put the message out there in court in front of difficult child that he needed to go to prison but it was his mother's fault. She said if gal had really thought that difficult child's issues were just a result of me, she would have advocated for difficult child to live somewhere else but that made no sense either b./c no mental health professional had even reported a concern that I had caused issues in difficult child. Also, they kept referring to "my issues" but never said what they thought those issues were.
She also seemed shocked about the GAL not concentrating more on the psychiatrist's recommendations for Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and that state juvy would be detrimental to difficult child. She also noted that it was obviously planned ahead because gal knew I was seeing a therapist but never brought it up or asked me about it under oath but told the judge after I was off the stand that I refused to deal with my own issues. She said it didn't add up because none of it had anything to do with difficult child's punishment and that people in the system knew there were a LOT worse parents than me and they repetitively would send kids back to them. I wish there was someone on this board who worked in the system who could explain the GAL's reasoning to me. LOL! I keep wondering why on earth the GAL could possibly think that trashing me in court, resulting in totally discrediting anything I try to say or do could possibly be in difficult child's best interest when the GAL knows that I have been his strongest advocate and difficult child has NO advocate if I'm discredited. He's 14yo-it's not like he doesn't need someone looking out for him at all.
She said she used to do assessments at the state juvy processing place and that unless things have changed in the past few years, difficult child would do hard time- no Residential Treatment Center (RTC)- and he would be there for well over a year- probably close to 2 or 3, unless they somehow focused more on mental health and an incentive for an early out. She told me the obvious- just try to accept it more a little each day and try to put my life back together. She didn't know if they could still order me into therapy or anything else now that difficult child has been transferred to state care. She said he is still under this jurisdiction in a way- that after a year or some time, the state would have to report to this court how difficult child was progressing and that that court would not be transferred even if I moved, however, if I moved awway from here, she doubted there would be any problem having probation/parole transferred to the new area. She said she didn't blame me for wanting to move, for several reasons. I swear, I sooo wish I had moved us out of this area last year.
I keep thinking there should be an appeal but I have nothing left to fight with. There are ways the courts could make sure I didn't pull difficult child from Residential Treatment Center (RTC) without consequences. His defense attnorney never once spoke to the psychiatrist or advocated for a mental health solution- he kept saying that was up to the gal. The gal wanted to keep the focus on me. If the PO made accusations, shouldn't someone have checked the validity? No one addressed anything when I was doing everything in my power to prevent things from getting to the point of the last arreest. Instead of taking any responsibility, they point the finger at me and sent difficult child to state juvy and completely ignore going to the next level of care. Of course, previously they kept saying that we couldn't jump to a Residential Treatment Center (RTC) level of care and they have to see if their way works first.
Well, difficult child's defense attny just called. He answered a WHOLE lot of these questions. For one, since difficult child was in court for an arrest, the judge could NOT order Residential Treatment Center (RTC). If the judge had the court on my motion in Jan, before this last arrest, the judge could have ordered Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Great. And the GAL- he said it was the way she advocated for a child, in so many words (but a little more direct- about ability), but if I filed a complaint against her or anything at all it would either fall on deaf ears or there would be nasty recourse from her that could include making sure difficult child never came back home after his release from state Department of Juvenile Justice. (That statement alone confirms my suspicions that some of these people make decisions based on the beefs with the parent, not what is in the best interest of the child. Doesn't the judge know that- or do judges not care, since judges were attny's before they were judges?) He said the GAL did not base her recommendation on what the PO wrote in her memo but has no idea what she wanted all along because they "do not communicate well". He said he understood why I was concerned over her advocating for Department of Juvenile Justice instead of what the psychiatrist recommended and the fact that she said the things about me and some other things. But he said it would make things worse for difficult child to fight this, appeal it, or complain about it. Sooo...he said when difficult child is close to being released, I could ask the court to appoint a different GAL but not get into reasons why- just act like I want a fresh pair of eyes.
He said difficult child's case and commitment to state greatly disturbed him and that he'd probably spent 15 hours on it unpaid, just trying to figure out a better way. He said he would keep fighting but sees no way to win and it would just drag difficult child's time locked up out longer.
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