Department of Social Services v. Armando S.

*1262 Opinion

Armando S. appeals from an order declaring his two daughters dependent children of the court pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (b) and (d). 1 We hold that the juvenile court had the inherent power to order use of one-way closed-circuit television to take the testimony of the minors outside the presence of their parents, in order to ensure its truthfulness, notwithstanding the absence of any express statutory authorization for the procedure in dependency proceedings.

Factual and Procedural Background

The Department of Social Services of the City and County of San Francisco (the Department) petitioned to have four-year-old Danielle S. and five-year-old Amber S. declared dependents under section 300, subdivisions (b) and (d). As amended, the petition alleged that appellant had sexually molested his children and that their mother (Lisa S.) had failed to protect them, in that she was unable to understand the danger of the ongoing molestation. It also alleged that, although the mother had initiated contact with the Child and Adolescent Sexual Abuse Resource Center (CASARC) concerning the most recent report of sexual abuse, she failed to…