Introduction

 Justice Bobbe J. Bridge, ret.1

Welcome to the complex, heart-wrenching, ever-evolving world of child welfare, “Becca kids,” and related proceedings—the nonoffender juvenile law in Washington.

Exercising judgment in these matters is among the most critically important tasks you will encounter as a judicial officer. The work is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those with ambiguity-phobia. It is often difficult and messy. It involves intrusion into the most intimate parts of a family’s life. The “answers” are rarely found with clarity in statutes, rules, regulations, or prior precedent (though all are involved). Solutions often appear only after multiple disappointments and failures. These cases offer complexity and challenge in areas of the law rarely brought together. Added to the case-types addressed in this bench book, aspects of social security, Medicare and health care, probate, education, and marital dissolution law, to name a few, are intertwined.

The methods you will employ in reaching your decisions in these cases require skills beyond legal analysis and reasoning. You will be required to supplement your legal acumen with an understanding of a myriad of nonlegal factors bearing on your determination, e.g., child development, the cycle of domestic violence, addiction, mental illness, racial and ethnic disparity, and what we have now come to learn of complex trauma/adverse childhood experiences (“ACEs”) . You will strive to ensure due process, to engage in neutral fact-finding, and to dispense fair and impartial justice but with a difference—new linkages, new technology, and new staffing to improve the effectiveness of court orders and sanctions.

Unlike many other areas of the law, judging in these matters presents an opportunity for the wise exercise of discretion and an opportunity for creativity. Unlike many of our legal structures, the structures established to resolve the issues that arise in these areas of law have been the subject of much change and experimentation in the search for best practices—practices that may vary from the typical adversarial process but which look to resolve problems often in a collaborative decision-making or problem-solving setting.

These are areas of the law that cry out judicial leadership. The “players” look to the judicial officer not only for good decisions and resolution of conflict but also for accountability. The courts are mandated by the legislature with an ever-broadening responsibility to ensure that all the “players” that intervene with children and families are doing so consistent with statutory mandates and good practice. The public demands, and the children and families deserve, effective outcomes and efficient use of resources.

Be critical; do not be satisfied with the status quo. You have the obligation to protect the safety and well-being of these children and to oversee the plans that will keep them on or return them to a path toward successful adulthood. Know the systems that are at work in these children’s lives and how they interact or fail to interact; know those resources reasonably available in your community that provide interventions proven to be effective and those that do not. These differences are crucial to meeting your obligations to the families who appear before you. As the presiding jurist you have the power to receive and compile information from the multitude of sources impacting the family’s life and making sense of it.

This compendium is an invaluable resource for judicial officers presiding over cases involving nonoffender children and youth. At the same time, it is only a start. Much more research and outreach is required to manage these cases well. But the satisfaction you will receive from developing the skills to work in this area are beyond those of any other judicial assignment—you will earn a sense that you are making a difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community and accepting an opportunity for leadership.

Bench Book: Introduction

ENDNOTES

[1] Justice Bobbe J. Bridge, ret., is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ) which she founded in 2006. She served on the Washington State Supreme Court from 2000 thru 2007 before retiring to lead CCYJ full-time in January 2008. She was a King County Superior Court judge from 1990 to 2000, served as Presiding Judge of the 51-member Superior Court for two years, and was the Chief Judge of King County Juvenile Court from 1994 to 1997. Before joining the bench, Justice Bridge was the first female partner at the Seattle law firm Garvey Schubert Barer. Recognized statewide and nationally as a leading advocate for foster care reform, domestic violence victims, truancy prevention, juvenile justice reform, and a host of other issues, Justice Bridge also serves the community as a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. She has been a member of the boards of many nonprofit organizations, including YouthCare and the YWCA. In 1999, she helped establish and fund the Pacific Northwest’s first court-based child care center at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, offering a safe place for parents and guardians with business before the court to leave young children. Among her many awards as both a judge and an advocate for Washington’s children are the Passing the Torch Award from Washington Women Lawyers, the Seattle Civil Rights Champion Award from Lambda Legal, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Washington School of Law, and the Judge of the Year Award from the King County Bar Association.

“Our kids deserve a fighting chance to become strong, self-sufficient and thriving members of the community,” Justice Bridge says. “More unified, better informed child welfare and juvenile justice systems will give them that chance.”

  1. Justice Bobbe J. Bridge, ret., is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ) which she founded in 2006. She served on the Washington State Supreme Court from 2000 thru 2007 before retiring to lead CCYJ full-time in January 2008. She was a King County Superior Court judge from 1990 to 2000, served as Presiding Judge of the 51-member Superior Court for two years, and was the Chief Judge of King County Juvenile Court from 1994 to 1997. Before joining the bench, Justice Bridge was the first female partner at the Seattle law firm Garvey Schubert Barer. Recognized statewide and nationally as a leading advocate for foster care reform, domestic violence victims, truancy prevention, juvenile justice reform, and a host of other issues, Justice Bridge also serves the community as a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. She has been a member of the boards of many nonprofit organizations, including YouthCare and the YWCA. In 1999, she helped establish and fund the Pacific Northwest’s first court-based child care center at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, offering a safe place for parents and guardians with business before the court to leave young children. Among her many awards as both a judge and an advocate for Washington’s children are the Passing the Torch Award from Washington Women Lawyers, the Seattle Civil Rights Champion Award from Lambda Legal, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Washington School of Law, and the Judge of the Year Award from the King County Bar Association.

    “Our kids deserve a fighting chance to become strong, self-sufficient and thriving members of the community,” Justice Bridge says. “More unified, better informed child welfare and juvenile justice systems will give them that chance.”