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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/5/2008 2:59:05 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Virginia--Calls Needed Immediately to Prevent Social Worker Court Abuse |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== Virginia--Calls Needed Immediately to Prevent Social Worker Court Abuse Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Calls are needed immediately to stop two bills that will allow non-attorney social workers to file court actions against parents. For 25 years, Home School Legal Defense Association has protected parents and children from social workers who brazenly--and wrongly--claimed that the 4th Amendment did not apply to them. But at least the social worker's attorney had to put his signature on the line before they could go to court and ask a judge to issue a warrant to take a child away from his parents, search a home, etc. There was always a chance that a more objective--and better educated--prosecuting attorney or social services attorney would put the brakes on an overzealous social worker, and thus protect the family from gross violation of their rights. This was an important layer of protection for families. H.B. 1382 and the Senate version, S.B. 788, would wipe out that layer of protection and let anyone working for the Department of Social Services ask a judge for a warrant to take a child away from his parents, or one of many other types of court actions that can be filed against parents. A vote is expected on both bills on Thursday morning. ACTION REQUESTED Please call your Virginia delegate and your Virginia senator immediately and ask them to oppose this bill. Your message to your delegate can be as simple as: "Please vote NO on H.B. 1382. Allowing people not educated in the law to file social services court actions will result in greater violation of the rights of parents and children." Your message to your senator can be as simple as: "Please vote NO on S.B. 788. Allowing people not educated in the law to file social services court actions will result in greater violation of the rights of parents and children." Use our Legislative Toolbox to find your delegate and senator: http://www.hslda.org/toolbox BACKGROUND Because lawyers have been educated in the law, they have a much more thorough understanding of the justice that is required in our constitutions and statutes. Although lawyers are advocates, they also have a broader duty to uphold justice. They can lose their license to practice law if they fall short. Prosecutors are held to a higher standard than a layman when they initiate a prosecution. Mere social workers are held to a lower standard because they do not have this education. Since social workers are held to a lower standard, it is inevitable they will cause more violations of the rights of parents and children. It is the citizens who will suffer. In many cases, there is no way to redress an injustice. As important as policemen are, we don't let policemen take citizens to court. We want that function performed by someone trained in the law--a commonwealth's attorney. These bills are tantamount to letting policemen take citizens to court. Thank you for standing with us for freedom. Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> You can only do so much... No one can be everywhere at once. And you can't be at home, teaching your children, while monitoring your state's legislature. Through electronic legislative services, HSLDA is monitoring state legislation for you -- watching and listening carefully for any proposed laws that could erode your right to homeschool. Join HSLDA today-we'll watch out for your future. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1942 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
