Stefanie K. v. Superior Court CA1/4

I. BACKGROUND

The Sonoma County Human Services Department (Department) became involved with D.K. and M.K. in early 2013 due to ongoing incidents of domestic violence between their parents.2 First, on March 11, 2013, the police intervened after a loud verbal altercation between mother and father. When father disclosed that he had been diagnosed as bipolar and borderline schizophrenic and had not been taking his psychotropic medications, he was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold pursuant to section 5150 as a danger to himself and others.3 Then, on March 21, 2013, the police responded after mother and father got into an argument while driving in a car with M.K. Reportedly, father began to drive recklessly; made verbal threats, indicating that he was going to send mother through the windshield; prevented mother from calling 911 by throwing her phone against the car window; and, when mother opened the door in an attempt to escape, pushed her out of the slow-moving vehicle. Two hours later, the police were again called after father brandished a knife in mother’s face while holding M.K. and then dragged mother into their bedroom against her will. As a result of these incidents,…