At eleventh hour, judge saves boy in foreclosure

aussiegran

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If you wanted a sympathetic ear for a hard-knock tale, the last place to turn might be the spectators in juvenile court -- estranged parents, criminal lawyers, social workers with enough troubles of their own to worry about. Let alone, somebody else's.

Still, when District Court Judge Susan Bray recited the boy's story Thursday in a small, stuffy Greensboro courtroom, as she prepared to enter an order in his favor, the restless chatter stopped, except for the occasional sigh or muttered "Damn."

Now, they had heard it all -- a story of uncommon cruelty, compounded by layer upon layer of bureaucratic incompetence. And finally, no remorse from the only parent the boy, at age 15, has left -- the Department of Social Services.

"This is very ugly," said Lewis Pitts, a Legal Aid attorney who represents the child in an impending foreclosure on his house. "All these people were supposed to look out for the welfare of this boy. Instead, they've been pocketing his money."

In a case that illustrates the daunting odds that face teens aging out of foster care, the story began when the boy was a baby and his father, soon after adopting him, died of cancer.

In his will, church custodian Tracy Studivent left young John a savings account, a monthly survivor benefit and a Habitat for Humanity house with a small monthly mortgage.
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/NEWSREC0101/512180313
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:dance: Well done to this judge. what a sad life this boy has had .:(
 
Well it is about time someone stood up for this child, especially after evertthing that he has been through. His adopted Dad wanted to make sure that this child was taken care of, and then everyone took advantage of this child because he had no adut who was willing to stand up for him.

Kudos to the Judge for doing the right thing in the interest of this child, not a pocketbook.
 
This is absolutely disgusting. I guess that the boy will not get any reimbursement of his monthly survivor benefits that did not go to him. His stepmother, his aunt and DSS should all be prosecuted.

I was delighted to hear that this boy is actually still in high school. I wish him the best of luck. He certainly deserves it.
 
I hope things turn around for this child... all he seems to want is to "belong" somewhere with someone who cares about him.
 
I think it is disgusting how everyone wants to dip into this boy's pocket rather than help him. God Bless the judge and the guardian ad litum.
 
Gosh, how this story reminds me of the boy I keep. His mother doesn't want him... can't be bothered! ohh, it's different because this child has nothing they can take from him except his pride, his self-esteem, his innocence, his trust in his "elder's"..

It literally makes me ILL the way people treat children. I have to remind myself several times a day "You can't take care of them all, Laura".

These children need us to love them... to care about what happens to them.

*Climbing offA' my soapBOX
Sorry
 
I would like to salute Judge Bray for her common sense and her caring where this boy is concerned. It's about time someone cared about him. Here is more on the judge:

http://www.judgebray.com/family.html#
 

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