i spent the entire day in court, except lunch with my co-worker. i was first on the stand. both Mom and Dad are sitting in the courtroom. i am looking them both square in the face when i state with no equanamity that it is in their children's best interests that their parental rights be terminated. i am already overcome by sadness. it almost feels as if i have failed. there must have been something that i could have done that would have convinced this mother that drinking would only lead to her ruin. that the slippery sloppy slope of sloe gin and O'Douls would eventually mean that someone else was going to have to parent her children. but i was done testifying much more quickly than i ever have. the public defender barely had any questions of me. no, i have not seen his client intoxicated. no, i have no evidence that the beer she had would lead to a relapse.
Dad is recalled to the stand. he is discredited by 1) a review of his criminal history, which includes multiple assaults on mom, eventually resulting in a prison conviction; 2) the flawed testimony in which he recounts that he has not been given information about his case plan, although he signed the plan and acknowledged receipt of that plan almost one year ago. he is given one final opportunity to recant the statement that he shared with me and the FP about mom's drinking. he is reminded that perjury is a felony, that could result in the revocation of his parole (remember the domestic abuse prison conviction). he pauses much too long while he ponders the consequences for himself. he swears that he never shared that information with me. but it is too late. all the professionals, including the judge, have already noted the pregnant poignant moment.
we are not yet quite done. more in August.
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