LAS VEGAS -- Attorneys for a California-based child advocacy law firm got a chilly reception in federal court in Nevada Tuesday morning.
The National Center for Youth Law is suing both Clark County and the State of Nevada in an effort to reform the child welfare system. The judge hearing the case made it clear he didn't appreciate the outsider's perspective.
This is the NCYL lawsuit part two. The group dismissed its first case, also heard by Judge Robert Jones, after a three year legal battle. They re-filed earlier this year on behalf of 13 foster children allegedly harmed by Nevada's child welfare system.
Tuesday morning, Judge Jones considered whether to dismiss the case, and in doing so, did not hide his displeasure with the persistent out-of-staters.
The class action lawsuit accuses the Clark County Department of Family Services and the state agency that oversees it of harming the children it's supposed to protect.
Among the allegations: the agencies consistently fail to provide stability, appropriate medical and mental health treatment, and even a minimal level of safety for the 3,600 children in their care at any given time.
The state and county insist the claims, in part, are vague and misplaced.
Judge Jones heard both sides and then made it clear he is not convinced the courts should oversee the system.
"He obviously is hostile to class action and injunctive relief. But the importance of that injunctive relief, he seems to keep missing. You can keep going to court, getting damages for individual children, that doesn't stop the problem of the system not working for the children that come in the future," said Bill Grimm with NCYL.
Judge Jones will issue his decision at a later date. His assignment to the second version of the case was random, according to the court.
A representative with the county says it would be inappropriate to say about the suit anything while the decision is pending.
