Restitution for Child Victims Returns to the Supreme Court

Last week, the Marsh Law Firm, along with co-counsel Paul G. Cassell and Carol L. Hepburn, filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. Almost 20 years ago, Congress enacted the Mandatory Restitution for Sexual Exploitation of Children Statute, 18 U.S.C. § 2259, to benefit victims of federal child pornography crimes, including petitioners like Amy and Vicky, whose child sex abuse images are traded and collected over the internet by countless individuals worldwide. The statute provides in part that a court “shall order restitution” for a victim of any child pornography crime in “the full amount of ...

United States Sentencing Commission Appoints James R. Marsh to the Victims Advisory Group

Earlier today, the United States Sentencing Commission appointed James R. Marsh as a member of the Victims Advisory Group (VAG) to a term ending December 1, 2015. The United States Sentencing Commission is an independent agency in the judicial branch of government. Its principal purposes are to: establish sentencing policies and practices for the federal courts, including guidelines to be consulted regarding the appropriate form and severity of punishment for offenders convicted of federal crimes; advise and assist Congress and the executive branch in the development of effective and efficient crime policy; and collect, analyze, research, and ...

Preparing Children to Testify in Court

Court preparation is beneficial for the children required to testify in a courtroom. The purpose of a child-witness court preparation program is to assist the child witness in her or his ability to testify truthfully and effectively in a courtroom. This is important because children are required to testify about serious allegations that hold potentially significant outcomes for them or those accused. Having an unprepared child take the witness stand and offer poor testimony is not only regrettable, but preventable. The National Child Protection Training Center has released to the public a previous issue of its newsletter, “CenterPiece,” ...

Sexting Associated With Sexual Risk Among Adolescents

From the Journal Pediatrics: OBJECTIVES: Sexting may be associated with sexual health consequences among adolescents. However, to date, no published data from a probability-based sample has examined associations between sexting and sexual activity. METHODS: A probability sample of 1839 students was collected alongside the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Los Angeles high schools. Logistic regressions were used to assess the correlates of sexting behavior and associations between sexting and sexual risk-taking. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of adolescents with cell phone access reported sexting, and 54% reported knowing someone who had sent a sext. ...

Be Careful when “Making Healthy Choices”

Attorneys who represent youths, parents, and foster parents have reason to be concerned about a pamphlet recently published by the federal government’s Children’s Bureau. The pamphlet, “Making Healthy Choices,” is intended to advise youth in foster care about psychotropic medications and is being distributed nationwide in English and Spanish. Unfortunately, the pamphlet encourages youths to fill out a checklist/questionnaire of crimes they may have committed and to list deficits in their personalities and character. The youths are encouraged to share the checklist/questionnaire information with people who have authority over ...

Texas Supreme Court reinstates judge who beat disabled daughter

Texas Supreme Court reinstates judge who beat disabled daughter (via Raw Story )

The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted the suspension of an Aransas County judge who was caught on video beating his 16-year-old disabled daughter. Judge William Adams was suspended with pay last year while the State Commission on Judicial Conduct investigated the allegations against him. In September…

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Severe Abuse of Adopted Children

In response to troubling issues identified by the Office of the Family and Children’s Ombudsman (OFCO) concerning cases of severe child abuse and neglect of adopted children, Washington state Governor Gregoire requested that Children’s Administration (CA) and OFCO convene a workgroup to examine these issues and make recommendations to improve the adoption process and protect children. Members of the workgroup represent various professions and organizations including: Children’s Administration; private child placing agencies who conduct domestic and international adoptions; the Office of the Attorney General; the court; public ...

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