A conversation with arizona's Terry Goddard,Tucson, Arizona | Published:04.22.2007 by The Arizona Daily Star

A conversation with Terry Goddard, 04.22.2007 by The Arizona Daily Star

http://www.azstarnet.com/opinion/179315.php


STAR: Can we talk about Child Protective Services for a minute? There's
been a lot of activity in the Legislature, a lot of talk about what, if
anything, needs to be done about CPS.

The Legislature may want to conduct closed hearings on CPS because most
members of the Legislature don't really understand what CPS does.
GODDARD: I did an opinion. I am afraid it didn't get any attention
because it was issued the Friday before Easter.

We did a precomprehensive, which goes to the Brandon Williams (the
5-year-old autistic boy who died March 21) cases, which is the
obligation of health-care providers and others in the community under
current state law to report any incident of abuse.

It was a reply to a legislator. Clearly there was failure of a number of
different agencies to report what could have been, and actually was,
evidence of abuse, and they didn't do it.

STAR: What did they ask you to do?

GODDARD: I would refer you to the letter. It's on our Web site at
azag.gov under "opinions."

It does try to articulate what I think many people have misunderstood in
the past, which is exactly what the reporting obligations are. They're
very extensive under state law. Basically, if you had seen young Brandon
with bandages, that should have been reported.

I can't argue with somebody who wants to raise the Legislature's
understanding of what CPS does and what pressures they're under. If the
only question is getting a Legislature more up to speed, I would
certainly support it. I think that's a great idea.

STAR: Is there anybody who measures the success of CPS?

GODDARD: I tend to doubt it because the standard of success keeps changing.

I've heard the governor talk entirely in terms of child welfare. Some
legislators talk entirely of family unification.
And CPS is constantly in a pingpong match between those two separate
poles.

Right now — this has been my experience — they're leaning toward family
unification as the primary obligation. And child welfare is there, but
as a secondary objective.

We represent CPS in every case of dependency and severance. Right now,
there are 7,000 in the process that I'm aware of. The AG's office has
won 99 percent of the cases for both severance and dependency.

That is not normal in a contested legal situation. I mean, there's a
lawyer on the other side of every one of these cases, usually
state-appointed but nonetheless a competent lawyer is handing the
interest of the parents, the family.


We should not be winning 99 percent of anything.

We're good. We have some very dedicated attorneys; they're not that
good. I would be happy with a 70 percent or 80 percent win rate because
then it would mean that some of the close calls were coming through the
system.

STAR: So you're saying that's because you're only getting the worst cases?

GODDARD: We get the worst of the worst.


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FX's opinion...

it's obvious Arizona's public defenders are nothing more than public
pretenders, SEE The Phoenix New Times article:

Outrageous Fortune
Private lawyers in Maricopa County child-dependency cases are soaking us
for unbelievable bucks

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2007-...geous-fortune/

for more information!



CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPING PROGRAM....

BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...