Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Page 4
Panel Recommends Settlement in Foster Child Attorney Fee Case
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A county Claims Board yesterday recommended paying the law firm of Horvits & Levy and its client, the Alliance for Children’s Rights, $250,000 to settle a legal fee claim sparked by the county’s fight over an order that foster children be visited monthly.
The matter goes to before the Board of Supervisors Dec. 3.
The board previously was the scene of several acrimonious debates over whether the county should fight then-Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Terry Friedman’s order that any waivers to the standard monthly visit by county child welfare workers be placed before judges for approval.
The county previously granted its own waivers.
The Alliance for Children’s Rights sued to defend the order and hired Horvitz & Levy to represent it in the Court of Appeal, where the order was upheld twice, and the state Supreme Court, where review was denied.
Copyright 2002, Metropolitan News Company