In case you missed the exciting news, Massachusetts Juvenile Court Judge Joseph Johnston has signed the order for Justina to go home today.
After months of fighting this legal battle on behalf of the Pelletier family, we are thrilled that Justina is finally returning home.
Lou Pelletier said in a text message, “This battle has been finally won. The WAR will not be won until we stop this from happening to ALL CHILDREN!!”
Justina said, “I’m so happy. I’m so excited, oh, my gosh. It’s such big news.”
The Pelletier family looks forward to putting this 16-month nightmare behind them. Justina and her family now begins the process of healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
In a ruling that is long overdue, Judge Joseph Johnston is sending Justina home from being a ward of the State of Massachusetts. In his decision, he wrote…
“I find that the parties have shown by credible evidence that circumstances have changed since the adjudication on Dec. 20, 2013, that Justina is a child in need of care and protection pursuant to G.L. c. 199, 24-26. Effective Wednesday, June 18, 2014, this care and protection petition is dismissed and custody of Justina is returned to her parents, Lou and Linda Pelletier.”
As you might imagine, the Pelletier family is overjoyed and is getting ready for a wonderful homecoming for Justina!
Last week, in a dramatic reversal, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) filed a motion with the courts agreeing with our petition to have Justina returned home to her family.
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The motion for review of reconsideration and dismissal followed Liberty Counsel’s prior motion to return Justina home.
DCF’s concession completely undercut their argument and reasoning for performing a “parent-ectomy” and removing Justina from the care of the Pelletiers in the first place.
Justina has since received treatment from Tuft’s medical providers where she was receiving effective treatments before Boston Children’s Hospital intervened. This is what the Pelletiers fought for all along.
In the Judge’s ruling, he noted that “circumstances have changed since the adjudication on Dec. 20, 2013, that Justina is a child in need of care and protection pursuant to G.L. c. 199, 24-26.”
The “changed circumstances” include Justina’s deteriorating health and emotional state while in the custody of the DCF, effectively proving that Boston Children’s Hospital and the DCF were wrong in ever removing Justina from the care of the Pelletiers and Tufts Medical Center.
Now, she’ll begin the long road to recovery.
Justina has now lost sixteen months of her life with her family. The Pelletiers have spent untold hours and an enormous amount of resources fighting “Goliath” to get their daughter back from the misguided actions of an out-of-control state agency.
LifeNews Note: Mat Staver is the Chairman of Liberty Counsel Action and Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.
