Published March 14, 1991
Enterprise News, Pixley, California
Used by permission of the publisher and author.

by John R. Graham

There was a demonstration in front of the Tulare County courthouse in Visalia on Friday, March 8, in support of Elizabeth Harris, Stephanie Weaver and other victims of CPS.

Weaver's case was on appeal before judge Howard K. Broadman, who refused to stay the termination of her parental rights.

Harris appeared before judge Edward Kim who granted her unsupervised visitation with her sons.

People demonstrating against the CPS practice of taking children away from parents without any evidence, handed out informative papers inside copies of the Enterprise News because they were told by a representative of the sheriff's department that handing out leaflets was illegal but giving away newspapers was protected by the constitution.

The goal of the group is to "make CPS accountable to the law" and to "return justice to the juvenile justice system".

The problem with so-called juvenile justice, according to the group, is that there is no due process, no rules of evidence and no right to a jury trial.

"If the government wants to fine you $40 you can get a jury trial," said one man. "But, if they want to take away your children, you don't have that right. Is that fair? Since when are your children worth less than $40?"

"Juvenile court proceedings are not open to the public," said Linda Martin, co-ordinator of the protest. "For years the system has been built up behind closed doors where incredible atrocities called justice can, and do, take place."

The argument that children "might be in danger" has been used in Harris' case and others to tear children from their parents.

"Juvenile Court is where secret hearings are held," said Martin. "If the public isn't allowed in, the public will never know the travesty of justice that occurs there."

Martin lost her baby daughter to CPS for seven months.

She claims to know first hand that "it is no longer necessary for the parent to abuse or neglect a child for that child to be taken away and put in a foster home by Child Protective Services."