Court establishes standards for releasing confidential juvenile care and protection records in related criminal proceedings, holding the requestor bears burden of showing good cause and that such disclosure does not waive Fifth Amendment or psychotherapist privileges.
Father seeks relief from care and protection proceeding denial; late appeal motion denied. Affirmed, finding no abuse of discretion.
Supreme Judicial Court clarifies when the Department of Children and Families must make reasonable efforts to prevent child removal from parents, rejecting exigent circumstances as an excuse where statutory exceptions do not apply.
Grandmother unfit to parent adopted grandson who lived in hoarded, unsanitary home with inadequate food and supervision while engaging in escalating destructive behavior.
Massachusetts court enforces Illinois class action settlement on insurance reimbursement rates, holding settlement binds non-opting-out defendants under Full Faith and Credit Clause.
Court denied healthcare network's motion to assert counterclaims against departing physician group and to sue hospital for tortious interference, finding proposed claims legally insufficient and untimely joinder unfair.
Physician network's motion to assert counterclaims and add third-party defendant denied where counterclaims lack legal merit and joinder of defendant comes too late in litigation.
Affirmed mother's unfitness determination based on deplorable home conditions, refusal to cooperate with child services, and poor judgment regarding child's welfare and needs.
Psychotherapist-patient privilege does not bar testimony in involuntary commitment proceedings when treating psychiatrist discloses statements revealing patient's imminent danger to himself.
Cognitive disability and parenting impairment alone do not establish unfitness absent clear and convincing evidence of serious risk of harm to the child.
