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Three Frightening Situations 1. You (and possibly your spouse or companion) are called to the school principal's office. There you are met by the principal, a school social worker, a DCF investigator, and a police officer or detective. You are told that your child has made statements indicating that he or she has been abused or neglected at home. The child is being held in another room, away from you. You are confused, bewildered and asked to answer questions and sign Service Agreements and releases. You are unsure what these are. You are given no Miranda rights or advised to call a lawyer. What Do You Do? 2. You are visited at home by a DCF investigator, and possibly a police detective. You are told that your child has made statements indicating that he or she was abused by your spouse or companion. You are asked to sign a "Service Agreement" stating that your spouse or companion will move out of the house, and that all of you will get certain counseling or other treatment. DCF implies that if you don't, they will remove all of your children. You are confused and bewildered. No one tells you what will actually happen if you do comply, or makes any promise on reunifying the family. You are given no Miranda rights, no advice to call a lawyer, and no advice on possible criminal charges. What Do You Do? 3. You are visited at your home by a DCF investigator. You are told that someone reported that your child had bruises. You say that these were made in the normal course of play and were nothing serious, but the investigator makes a noncommittal reply. You ask who reported you, but the investigator will not say. You are asked to sign a Service Agreement and releases. You are given no Miranda rights or advised to call a lawyer. You ask what the next step is, and you are told that someone will be in touch. You are bewildered, to say the least. What Do You Do? The answer in all cases is the same. Say nothing; sign nothing; and call a DCF defense lawyer. See What to Do When DCF Calls.
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©2008 The Law Offices of Michael
H. Agranoff
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