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Appeals court reviews juvenile-court findings in DCF case; counsel debate whether judge addressed post-incident reports
Summary
Appellate argument focused on whether the juvenile-court judge made sufficiently specific written findings and whether post-incident family-assessment and progress reports altered the record on a mother's ability to safely parent her child.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court heard argument in an appeal by a mother whose child was placed with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Appellate counsel argued the juvenile-court judge failed to make the detailed findings that the Supreme Judicial Court requires, and therefore the appeals court should not give the usual deference to the trial court’s factfinding.
Attorney Daniel Katz told the panel that the juvenile court must make "specific and detailed" findings that show the judge considered both positive and negative evidence. Katz said three post-September-2022 documents — a family assessment (July 2023), a…
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