Sen. Joy San Buenaventura is considering writing a bill that would likely reduce the number of children taken from their parents without a court order.
Hawaii v. Parental Rights
Our ongoing series examines the state’s process for removing children from their parents, including why, in 85% of cases, it’s done without a court order.
Posted inHawaii v. Parental Rights
‘You Need A Warrant!’: Hawaii’s Dubious Practice Of Taking Children Without A Court Order
More than 80% of children taken into protective custody in Hawaii are removed from their families without a judge’s approval. That’s not how it works in many other jurisdictions.
Posted inHawaii v. Parental Rights
Government Workers Wrongly Seize A Child From Parents. Should They Be Made To Pay?
The principle of qualified immunity protects workers in their official actions. But as a recent Hawaii case shows, not always.
Posted inHawaii v. Parental Rights
She Took Her Fight For Her Grandson Public. A Hawaii Judge Said She Went Too Far
Big Island resident Deborah Goodwin says she had no choice but to speak to a reporter and file a lawsuit about her case because the confidential system had treated her unfairly. It backfired.
Posted inHawaii v. Parental Rights
A Judge Took Away These Kids For Good — Until A Higher Court Found A Mistake
An appeals court found that parents in three cases should have had court-appointed lawyers throughout. How many other parents were denied this right?
Posted inHawaii v. Parental Rights
‘Grab And Go’: How Officials Seized A Fifth Grader To Live With A Father She Barely Knew
The case provides a rare glimpse of Hawaii officials’ immense power to remove children from their households, even without a court order.