In 2020, New Jersey's Daniel's Law was enacted in response to the tragic death of Daniel Anderl, the son of a New Jersey judge. Daniel's Law established a new right for judges, law enforcement officers, certain other state...more
Could calling child protective services on another individual for abuse and neglect be considered harassment? This question was answered in a recent domestic violence trial in New Jersey when defense attorneys argued that it...more
It should come as no surprise that after the end of a relationship, people sometimes do bad things to the former love of their life. Really, it’s a tale as old as time. But what if, as an act of retaliation, a party makes a...more
Parents are made to be the natural custodian of a child upon his birth, and in cases where parents are not fit to take custody, it may be given to the close relatives of the child, or a person competent to be a custodian in...more
Municipal litigation counsel can continue to sleep soundly. Before the New Year, the New York Court of Appeals, once again, reaffirmed the “special duty” doctrine in Maldovan v. County of Erie. As any first-year law...more
Employers are facing increasing - and conflicting - pressures over health plan coverage of puberty-blocking medications used to treat some minors for gender dysphoria. Several states have restricted the use of...more
Marquardt v. Schaffhausen, 941 N.W.2d 715 (Minn. 2020), for example, is a medical malpractice action where Patricia Marquardt suffered a brain injury when she developed an untreated infection after undergoing a knee...more
Effective December 31, 2019, Pennsylvania amended section 6344(m) of the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL), which pertains to background checks for employees who have contact with children. Specifically, the amendment...more
In 2015, Pennsylvania amended the state Child Protective Services Law to require that employees who have direct contact with minors submit a Pennsylvania child abuse clearance, Pennsylvania State Police criminal background...more
My View from the Capitol - Today marks the 10th day of the 60 day Regular Legislative Session. The revenue estimates for the coming fiscal year are $108 million below last year. This is in part due to a decrease in the...more
In the recent West Virginia Supreme Court case of R.L.D. v. W.Va. Dep’t of Health & Human Res., 2018 WL 6040310 (November 19, 2018), the Court upheld summary judgment as a matter of law in favor of Child Protective Services...more
On September 14, 2016, child abuse allegations were raised against Hollywood heartthrob, Brad Pitt. The allegations were brought by Pitt’s now estranged wife, Angelina Jolie, the mother of his six children. ...more
Picture a bedroom–with little to no lighting, where all of the carpet has been removed, flies thrive upon the human feces covering the room, and the door leading from this dreadfulness is locked because the knob has been...more
In my previous post on Adopting a Stepchild, I explained the steps to go through for an uncontested adoption. Many adoptions are very simple and straightforward. However, in situations where there are disagreements about what...more
Carlton Fields Jorden Burt’s Government Law and Consulting Practice Group released its 2015 Florida Legislative Post-Session Report detailing significant bills that passed during the 2015 Regular Session of the Florida...more
The Pennsylvania Legislature has passed – and Gov. Tom Wolf has signed – House Bill 1276 to amend the state’s Child Protective Services Law. The amended law contains a number of clarifying revisions to the mandated reporting...more
The Minnesota legislature concluded its business last evening with Governor Mark Dayton threatening to veto a $17 billion public education funding bill – a threat he carried through with earlier today. The governor issued the...more
In a recent March 19, 2015 decision, the Illinois Supreme Court refused to acknowledge the self-critical analysis privilege. This recent discussion underscores the need to understand the different standards for the privilege...more