The state today released the results of a lengthy audit and focuses on family court personnel used in child custody disputes. Family courts are the sticky places where marriages are dissolved and questions about the guardianship of children are decided. For that reason, they’re often the subject of controversy, and have come under particular scrutiny for allegedly deferring to mediators and investigators. These mediators (unlike parents) are assumed to have the best interests of the child in mind at all times, and to represent that child’s interests in the battle over custody. Groups like the California Protective Parents Association and the Center for Judicial Excellence say that these mediators are ill-equipped to perform the complicated task of distinguishing between well-meaning, caring parents and abusive ones.
With those criticisms in mind, State Senator Mark Leno requested an audit of Sacramento and Marin County’s family courts back in 2009. And the results, prepared by State Auditor Elaine M. Howle, indicate some of those fears are justified: