Last year, Health Impact News covered the story of Alex and Anna Nikolaev in Sacramento California, who had their infant child seized by force and removed from their home, simply because they took their child out of a hospital, and brought him to a second hospital for a second opinion. They did not think they were getting good care at the first hospital. The doctor called the police, who arrived at the second hospital, where the child was being well cared for, so the police did nothing further.
The doctor at the first hospital, however, was not satisfied, and issued a complaint to CPS who arrived at the Nikolaev home the next day with armed police officers and literally grabbed the child out of the arms of the mother, while holding down the father outside at gunpoint, and then returned the child to the first hospital. (
Story here.)
The local media caught wind of this story, and it caused a huge public outcry. When Alex and Anna arrived at court a few days later to appear before a judge and try to get their baby back, quite a few supporters had arrived at the court house.
In an impromptu interview with the father’s attorney at the court house, this attorney experienced in handling CPS cases in family court stated the following:
The chances they will get their baby back today are (slim). In my 21 years of experience, between me and my colleagues, we have seen maybe 3 cases where the child was returned the first day. Now think about that, can they really be right that much of the time?
The attorney goes on to explain that family court basically only gives you six months (in California) to prove your case, and then they award the children to a foster home. Here is the interview:
Since Alex, the father, is a Russian national, and the Russian press had picked up the story, Russia made a formal protest of human rights abuse. Not surprisingly, the judge wanted no part of this case, and allowed the baby to return to the hospital of the parents’ choice.
But most other families are not so fortunate.