My wife, who is doing a great job as a volunteer with CASA (which provides volunteer advocates for kids in foster care, who troubleshoot the system for the kids), has her first court hearing as a CASA today.
/1
/2 I considered hazing her like we used to do to the rookie federal prosecutors by telling her before her first hearing “the most important thing with a judge is not showing fear, you have to get in their face and tell them they’re wrong.”
/3 I rejected it because (1) Iove and also fear her and (2) she’s smarter than the Gibson and O’Melveny and Latham associates whom I supervised as rookie federal prosecutors and wouldn’t fall for it like they did.
When I was young, I had my first car and an absolute faith that what my father was telling me was true. My father decided to tell me that before I drove my car, I needed to make sure that I changed the air in all my tires.
I used to be a CASA supervisor, had 25 vols I was supervising. It is important work, but, and a big but, it can be wonderful, or gut wrenching or a combination of both. Some times there are no easy paths, sometimes the DSS worker is great, sometimes burnt out, but it's always rewarding.
Thank you wife for me. My son and his wife have fostered for years and recently adopted one great foster kid. I have opinions on meth-head mothers who learn how to game the system. I admire your wife for taking on such an emotionally demanding service for children.
Brava for her in being a CASA. I did this for a number of years in the district court. Luckily, she hands in a written report, which, if she's eloquent and factual, will be all the judge needs. 😀
As I vaguely recall the CD Cal bench circa 1995, there were some judges before whom such advice might have been hazardous to the AUSA's health. I hope you feel remorse.
God bless her. One of the grimmest stats I ever heard was when a California university official told me that kids who age out of the foster care system were less likely to get a college degree than someone coming out of prison.
My sister just started doing this, and the first case they assigned her had five kids that she has to advocate for and that's a very hard way to get going I think. Props to both of them.
