Massachusetts
06-17-2014, 07:58 PM
A Massachusetts juvenile court judge has returned custody of Connecticut teenager Justina Pelletier to her parents, effective Wednesday, according to the judge’s ruling obtained by the Globe.
“I find that the parties have shown by credible evidence that circumstances have changed since the adjudication on Dec. 20, 2013, that Justina is a child in need of care and protection pursuant to G.L. c. 199, 24-26.,” Judge Joseph Johnston wrote in the ruling. “Effective Wednesday, June 18, 2014, this care and protection petition is dismissed and custody of Justina is returned to her parents, Lou and Linda Pelletier.”
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The teenager from West Hartford, Conn., had been at the center of a 16-month custody battle involving the Massachusetts child protection agency. This past weekend, Justina Pelletier was allowed to spend Father’s Day at home without any state supervision, the teen’s second such visit, according to Lou Pelletier.
In the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families since February 2013, Justina spent most of last year at Boston Children’s Hospital, and then about four months this year at a facility in Framingham.
Three months ago, in a sharply worded opinion highly critical of the parents’ conduct, the judge gave permanent custody of Justina to the Mass. DCF, and said he believed psychological issues explained much of the teenager’s ailments.
However, top officials at DCF earlier this month filed papers with the judge suggesting the parents had made significant progress and recommended that custody return to the parents.
Source: hxxp://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/17/judge-orders-custody-justina-pelletier-returned-parents/mDWtuGURNawSuObO0pDX4J/story.html
This is wonderful news for Justina Pelletier and her parents. It is also great news to all children and parents in the state of Massachusetts. A true grassroots campaign to #FreeJustina paid off.
“I find that the parties have shown by credible evidence that circumstances have changed since the adjudication on Dec. 20, 2013, that Justina is a child in need of care and protection pursuant to G.L. c. 199, 24-26.,” Judge Joseph Johnston wrote in the ruling. “Effective Wednesday, June 18, 2014, this care and protection petition is dismissed and custody of Justina is returned to her parents, Lou and Linda Pelletier.”
....
The teenager from West Hartford, Conn., had been at the center of a 16-month custody battle involving the Massachusetts child protection agency. This past weekend, Justina Pelletier was allowed to spend Father’s Day at home without any state supervision, the teen’s second such visit, according to Lou Pelletier.
In the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families since February 2013, Justina spent most of last year at Boston Children’s Hospital, and then about four months this year at a facility in Framingham.
Three months ago, in a sharply worded opinion highly critical of the parents’ conduct, the judge gave permanent custody of Justina to the Mass. DCF, and said he believed psychological issues explained much of the teenager’s ailments.
However, top officials at DCF earlier this month filed papers with the judge suggesting the parents had made significant progress and recommended that custody return to the parents.
Source: hxxp://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/17/judge-orders-custody-justina-pelletier-returned-parents/mDWtuGURNawSuObO0pDX4J/story.html
This is wonderful news for Justina Pelletier and her parents. It is also great news to all children and parents in the state of Massachusetts. A true grassroots campaign to #FreeJustina paid off.