Cassandra M. v. Super. Ct. CA2/5

INTRODUCTION

C.M. (mother) and R.D. (father) of C.D., Ra.D., and S.D., separately petition for extraordinary relief from the juvenile court’s jurisdictional and dispositional orders. Mother and father contend that there is insufficient evidence supporting the juvenile court’s orders to sustain jurisdictional allegations and to refuse to offer reunification services. We deny the petitions for extraordinary writ.

STATEMENT OF FACTS AND PROCEDURE

Mother and father have records with Child Protective Services (“CPS”) in more than one state. In March 1999, Florida CPS investigated a referral alleging physical abuse by father toward his son J.L. The records identify mother as father’s 22-year-old daughter. Mother was pregnant at the time, and father forced her to pretend she was 17 years old so he could collect economic assistance. The investigation showed that father hit his son with a fishing pole and a metal bat, that he was violent with others and with dogs, that he bragged about having killed people, that he was abusive toward mother, and that he threatened mother “if she called [illegible] he would blow them away, her and J[.L.].” The investigation also found that father had…