In re A.R. CA2/2

BACKGROUND

1. The Family Sons’ mother, A.R. (mother), and father had a contentious relationship that included domestic violence. Father had been convicted twice for physical violence against mother. The parents consistently violated protective orders. The older son was born during a prior dependency proceeding (involving a half sibling) and the younger son was conceived while a restraining order was in effect protecting mother from father. During the underlying proceedings here, mother and father again violated court orders

2 by continuing their relationship, resulting in mother becoming pregnant and giving birth to twin boys (twins).1 Mother has an older daughter, who is sons’ half sibling (half sister). When mother was pregnant with older son, half sister was the subject of a separate dependency case. In that case, the juvenile court sustained, among other things, allegations that mother and father engaged in physical altercations in the presence of half sister, and mother and father failed to abide by a criminal protective order. At the conclusion of that case, half sister’s father received sole physical custody of half sister. Mother’s own mother (maternal grandmother)…