Alameda County Social Services Agency v. Willis H.

Willis H. appeals from juvenile court orders removing three children from his custody and denying reunification services. He maintains: (1) the district attorney’s participation in the juvenile dependency proceedings was inappropriate and prejudicial, (2) his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance, and (3) the court erred in denying reunification. For the reasons discussed below, we affirm the juvenile court’s orders.

Background

Alameda County Social Services Agency (the Agency) filed a juvenile dependency petition alleging that 11-year-old Dennis, 7-year-old Jacob and 5-year-old Samantha came within the juvenile court’s jurisdiction under Welfare and Institutions Code section 300, subdivisions (b) (failure to protect), (d) (sexual abuse) and (j) (abuse of sibling). The petition alleged the father, Willis, had committed various acts of physical abuse against his sons and, in the children’s presence, their grandmother. It further alleged Willis had sexually molested his daughter, based on Samantha’s statements *97 that her father had touched her “privates” in the bath and touched the inside of her bottom, making it hurt, and that she had rolled around naked with…