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Beaumont council rejects civil-penalty ordinance for child-custody interference after judges and police warn of limits and burdens
Summary
Council members voted to deny an ordinance that would have created a municipal civil-penalty process for interference with child-custody orders, after municipal court judges and police leaders warned it could be legally flawed, create additional workloads and offer limited enforcement tools.
The Beaumont City Council voted to deny a proposed ordinance that would have created a civil-penalty path at municipal court for interference with child-custody orders. The item followed months of public comment from residents who urged local enforcement options.
Judge Lively and Police Department leaders told council members the municipal ordinance, as drafted, would create legal and practical problems. Judge Lively said the first interaction typically is with police and that family courts and the district attorney's office have long-standing processes for pursuing custody interference under state law. "The first interaction is gonna be with the police department," Lively said during council…
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