Judge Orders Couple Not to Conceive

**randall** · 05-08-2004, 07:16 PM

All yall's hear about this? absolutely unbelieveable what people will foist off on the rest of us, even more so when the ACLU is actually standing up for:

The drug addicted, careless, irresponsable parents!!!!!! The father didn't even BOTHER himself to show up in court!!!

Judge Orders Couple Not to Conceive
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (May 8) - A couple has been ordered not to conceive any more children until the ones they already have are no longer in foster care.

A civil liberties advocate said the court ruling unsealed Friday was ''blatantly unconstitutional.''
Monroe County Family Court Judge Marilyn O'Connor ruled March 31 that both parents ''should not have yet another child which must be cared for at public expense.''

''The facts of this case and the reality of parenthood cry out for family planning education,'' she ruled. ''This court believes the constitutional right to have children is overcome when society must bear the financial and everyday burden of care.''
"The facts of this case and the reality of parenthood cry out for family planning education."
-Judge Marilyn O'Connor

The judge is not forcing contraception on the couple nor is she requiring the mother to get an abortion should she become pregnant. The couple may choose to be sterilized at no cost to them, O'Connor ruled.
If the couple violates O'Connor's ruling, they could be jailed for contempt of court.

''I don't know of any precedent that would permit a judge to do this,'' Anna Schissel, staff attorney for the Reproductive Rights Project of the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester.

The mother was found to have neglected her four children, ages 1, 2, 4 and 5. All three children who were tested for cocaine tested positive, according to court papers. Both parents had a history of drug abuse.

A case worker testified that the parents ignored an order to get mental health treatment and attend parenting classes after the 1-year-old was born.
The mother was still in the hospital after giving birth to her fourth child in March 2003 when authorities took the infant, according to court papers. Investigators said the mother was unprepared to care for the infant.

Attorney Chris Affronti, who chairs the family law section of the Monroe County Bar Association, said he's not sure how the ruling could be enforced.
''I think what the judge is trying to do is kind of have a wake-up call for society,'' he said.

**jginalbany** · 05-08-2004, 08:49 PM

I saw that and in the past I would have thought it was terrible, but now I'm on the fence. I think it's questionable because it would set a terrible precedent, but I've seen this type of thing so many times. I worked on a project at the family court in my area and there was a lady that had 24 kids, the last 8 of which were born cocaine positive. I once had a male client that had over 30 kids by several women. I'm pretty understanding and try to excuse people for their hardships (however self-imposed), but my patience is wearing thin and I haven't hit 30 yet!

**sjc1989** · 05-08-2004, 09:24 PM

I'm pretty understanding and try to excuse people for their hardships (however self-imposed), but my patience is wearing thin and I haven't hit 30 yet!

I don't forgive 'em until the quit billing me for their "hardship".

Steve Cox

"I do what the voices in my decoy bag tell me to do!"

**randall** · 05-08-2004, 10:46 PM

Yeah a precident it would make, but somewhere a line has to be drawn or people like this just keep popping cocaine kids out every year and dumping them off on the State's foster care, welfare and health care systems to take care of.
If they tested positive for cocaine then how come "mommy" isnt in JAIL for drug offenses at the very least??

It's pretty obvious that particular couple didnt give a damn about anything, the father didn't even bother showing up for court appearance not to mention

"A case worker testified that the parents ignored an order to get mental health treatment and attend parenting classes after the 1-year-old was born"

Doesn't sound like they even cared enough to try! guess who pays for mom's health care and hospital, child care etc. hint: It isn't dad that's for sure.

**MorePowerMatt** · 05-09-2004, 01:03 AM

My hs government teacher had a discussion with a circle of friends outside of school. It went like this. (Oh, we'll call me teacher "Ken"):

"Hey, Ken. I can't believe how much my ex is getting out of my for my 4 stinkin' kids!!! Plus, my girlfriend's got 2 more!! How many kids do you have to take care of?"
"About 10,000."
"DAMM You must be some real man!!! How many did ya knock up?"
"None."
"Huh?"
"I'm a taxpayer."

Matt

Co-president of the Anti-Nanny Filter League.

**cavey35** · 05-09-2004, 04:58 PM

10,000?
Must have been a small state.

**MorePowerMatt** · 05-09-2004, 08:23 PM

That would be 10,000 per taxpayer at that time.

Matt

Co-president of the Anti-Nanny Filter League.

**Sawduster** · 05-10-2004, 07:10 AM

Well, I'm at least thankful that the kids are at in foster care as opposed to being left in the coke heads care. Be better if the system didn't cater to this type, too. Folks getting real leery of adoption because they hear of cases where momma finds out how much money she's missing out on and "cleans" up her act to get the kids back and idiot courts even bother to hear the cases. It is long past time for us and our courts to take the welfare of the child under real consideration and put a stop to the one more chance for momma to really screw up the kids or worse.

We have the technology for reverseable sterilization so that on the extremely off chance that one of these dope heads does come to Jesus and become a self sufficient, contributing citizen, the the process can be reversed.

It is time for some real tough decisions to be taken, but I doubt that todays politicians have the courage to make them.

**FireWrks7** · 05-10-2004, 07:36 AM

Yeah, it is funny how the ACLU will defend anybody, even Rush! I'm just waiting for someone to throw in the First Amendment to some of the remarks here. .. Truth be told, I wish they'd do what they do in some countries. E.g., if caught DUI the penalty isn't a slap on the wrist or some jail time, but instead death. Spit or drop gum on the floor in a public space you get a public a beating.(anybody know what happend to the American kid held in Singapore?) What would be even better is a death sentence to all our country's white collar criminals. How many billions did we have to cough up for the S&L crisis? How many people lost their retirement nest egg because of things like Enron? We don't even realize how that is forcing us taxpayers to support even more people!

Anthony