8/3/2019 Colorado Supreme Court Denies Abused and Neglected Children Meaningful Legal Representation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ma ry Beth Sea rlesChild ren s Law C ente r

303-302-9910

msearles@childlawcenter.org

Colorado Supreme Court Denies Abused and Neglec ted Children Meaningful Leg al

Representation

(Denver, CO) Oc tob er 24, 2011 Tod ay the C olorad o Suprem e C ourt relea sed an

op inion tha t d enies c hildren in the C olorado c hild p rotec tion system effec tive lega lrep resenta tion by d ep riving them of the op po rtunity to ha ve c onfide ntial c onversa tions

with the a ttorneys appointed to p rote c t their best interests.

We a re d ee p ly disappointed by this ruling , sa id Step hanie Villafuerte, exec utive

d irec tor of the Roc ky Mounta in Child ren s Law C ente r, a loc a l nonp rofit organiza tion

that p rovides leg al ad voc ac y for abused and neg lec ted c hild ren. The Colorad o

Supreme Court has de c ide d that a bused c hildren a re no t entitled to one o f the most

basic b ene fits of leg a l rep resenta tion, which is having a trusting, co nfidentia l

relationship w ith a n a ttorney.

The und erlying c ase, Peop le v. Ga briesheski, involved a ma n c ha rged c riminally with

ab using his step -daughte r. While tha t c ase w as pe nding, the d ep a rtment of huma n

servic es filed a c ase in juvenile c ourt, and an a ttorney wa s ap pointed as gua rdian ad

litem (GAL) to rep resent the c hild victim. During the c riminal c ase, the p rosec uto rs

atte mp ted to c a ll the GAL to testify ab out he r private c onversations with the victim.

Both lower courts held tha t the c onve rsa tions betw een the victim and her GAL we re

protec ted by a ttorney-client p rivileg e.

Tod ay the C olorad o Suprem e C ourt reve rsed , ruling tha t c onve rsa tions betw een

c hild ren in the c hild p rote c tion system and their GALs a re no t c onfidential.

In a strong ly worded d issent, Colorado Sup reme Co urt Justices Alex J. Martinez and

Micha el L. Bend er co nc luded tha t this ruling w ill have deva sta ting effec ts on the ab ilityof GALs to fully rep resent the best inte rests o f c hild ren.

Jeff Koy, the d irec tor of litiga tion o f the Child ren s Law Center, who has served as a

c ourt-appointed GAL for more than 12 yea rs, a rgued in this c ase tha t c onve rsa tions

be twee n GALs and c hildren should be protec ted .

8/3/2019 Colorado Supreme Court Denies Abused and Neglected Children Meaningful Legal Representation

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Children have a right to be in a sa fe hom e a nd rec eive the treatme nt service s they

nee d. GALs a re c ha rged with ensuring tha t c hild ren a re p rovide d these p rote c tions. To

do this effec tively, child ren m ust b e ab le to trust us, sa id Koy. They ha ve to b e a b le to

c onfide in us ab out where they fee l safe a nd w hat ha ppe ned to them w ithout fear of

having their c onfide nce s be trayed . Otherwise, the very peo ple who ab used them m ay

lea rn wha t the c hild sa id .

The c hild ren we represent ha ve ofte n be en through ho rrific abuse b efo re land ing in

sta te c are, Koy sa id. They nee d som eo ne to c onfide in. Until tod ay, tha t pe rson w as

their GAL.

About Roc ky Mountain Childrens Law Center

Child ren s Law Center, a 501(c)(3) nonp rofit orga niza tion found ed in 1981, p rovide s

leg a l advo c ac y for vic tims of c hild ab use a nd ne glec t with the goal of sec uring a

permanent, nurturing environm ent fo r eve ry child . Child ren s Law C ente r p rote c ts mo re

tha n 1,500 child victims ea c h yea r; many of these c hild ren a re g row ing up in foster

c a re. A rec og nized lea der in child a dvoc ac y for 30 yea rs, Child ren s Law Cente r has

bee n instrumenta l in imp roving the c hild we lfare system . www.childlawcenter.org