Beyond the Bench

In this last episode, you’ll learn about permanent outcomes for the family and child, with a discussion of two opposite outcomes: a child’s reunification with his/her parents and the child’s adoption after a termination of parental rights. Find out what happens in our remaining court case!  

We’re back with Episode 5, “The Child’s Voice in Court: The Role of the Guardian ad Litem,” for our Beyond the Bench Season 2 podcast. In this episode, we take a break from our court cases to focus on the child. Find out how the child’s perspective is represented in court, through a guardian ad litem and the child him or herself.

At the end of our last episode, one of our two cases ended when the court dismissed it after concluding the child was not neglected. But in our other case, the case where the children were living with their parents in a van in the woods without adequate shelter, food, and hygiene and were exposed to their parent’s domestic violence, the children were adjudicated neglected and the court entered a dispositional order. That order placed the children with their grandmother, set a visitation schedule for the parents and children, and required the parents to cooperate with the department in case planning, complete certain assessments, and participate in domestic violence counseling. In today’s episode we’ll hear from county department social workers and attorney, a parent attorney, a child’s guardian ad litem, and district court judges to learn about  the next steps that happen in the case – both in court and out of court.  You’ll be introduced to five new terms: case planning, reasonable efforts, kinship and nonkinship placements, review hearing, and permanency planning.

In this episode, through interviews with district court judges, a county department of social services attorney and a parent attorney, we will talk about the hearing where the court decides if the child is neglected and what happens afterwards.

In today’s episode, through interviews with county department social workers and attorney, the state Guardian ad litem program, a parent attorney, and district court judges, we’ll discuss how the county department responds to a report of suspected neglect and when court action is needed. This area of the law has its own language, and you’ll learn about some new terms today, including screening in, screening out, assessment, filing a petition, and non-secure custody.

In today’s episode, through interviews with homeless shelter providers and district court judges, we’ll talk about what homelessness looks like, whether it’s neglect and whether you need to make a report to county department.  

Welcome to Season 2 of Beyond the Bench, a podcast by the NC Judicial College at the UNC School of Government. Season 2 tells the story of homelessness, neglect and the child welfare system in NC. During this Season, we’ll talk about what family homeless looks like, whether homelessness is child neglect, and if and when it is, how the child welfare system responds to families affected by homelessness. We’ll do this by following two court cases from the past year that addressed child neglect because of allegations related to homelessness.  Each episode represents a different stage in the child welfare process. You’ll hear from lots of different people who will share the various perspectives in a case, including shelter providers, county departments, a parent attorney, the children’s guardian ad litem, and the court. 

During the final episode of Season 1, faculty member Jamie Markham interviews the North Carolina Director of Community Corrections Anne Precythe. She talks about what is was like when she first started working in the area of probation, how it has changed, and what it looks like today. If you like what you hear, please rate us in your podcast app. If you have questions or topics for the show, please e-mail podcast@sog.unc.edu. You can also reach producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu or host Jeff Welty at welty@sog.unc.edu. Season 2 will be available in the coming weeks. We hope you’ll check back in the coming weeks to listen in.

Faculty member Shea Denning explores the procedures and punishments associated with impaired driving and ponders their effectiveness in addressing the DWI problem. In the second segment, host Jeff Welty talks with colleague Jamie Markham about the concept of absconding from probation. If you like what you hear, please rate us in your podcast app. If you have questions or topics for the show, please e-mail podcast@sog.unc.edu. You can also reach producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu or host Jeff Welty at welty@sog.unc.edu.

In this episode we talk with North Carolina Superior Court Judge Carl Fox. Before becoming a judge, Fox was the first African American district attorney in the state. We talk about his life, work, and views about current criminal justice issues. If you like what you hear, please rate us in your podcast app. If you have questions or topics for the show, please e-mail podcast@sog.unc.edu. You can also reach producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu or host Jeff Welty at welty@sog.unc.edu.

First, we talk with faculty member Chris McLaughlin and learn about the ethics rules that limit how lawyers and judges use social media. Next, faculty member Frayda Bluestein answers the question: do recordings made by body cameras worn by law enforcement officers qualify as public record under North Carolina law? If you like what you hear, please rate us in your podcast app. If you have questions or topics for the show, please e-mail podcast@sog.unc.edu. You can also reach producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu or host Jeff Welty at welty@sog.unc.edu.

Faculty member John Rubin interviews North Carolina Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Tally. Tally was one of the first public defenders in the state and had a long career in indigent defense before taking the bench. Next, faculty member Shea Denning answers questions about the law of distracted driving, such as, can you text while stopped at a red light? Or is it ok to look at your iWatch while you drive? If you like what you hear, please rate us in your podcast app. If you have questions or topics for the show, please e-mail podcast@sog.unc.edu. You can also reach producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu or host Jeff Welty at welty@sog.unc.edu.

If you like what you hear please rate us in your podcast app! If you have questions or topics for the show please email producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu.

This concludes Season 1 of Beyond the Bench. We're working hard on Season 2 and will be bringing those to you in the coming weeks.  If you like what you hear please rate us in your podcast app! If you have questions or topics for the show please email producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu.

This week we talk to Judge Carl Fox about his path to If you like what you hear please rate us in your podcast app! If you have questions or topics for the show please email producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu.

The UNC School of Government is excited to bring you “Beyond the Bench,” a podcast featuring interviews with people in and around the court system. We’ll be broadcasting episodes biweekly, so please listen in and tell us what you think. You can reach producer, Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu.

The UNC School of Government is excited to bring you "Beyond the Bench," a podcast featuring interviews with people in and around the court system. We'll be broadcasting episodes biweekly, so please listen in and tell us what you think. You can reach producer, Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu.

Professor John Rubin interviews Superior Court Judge Mary Ann Tally. Judge Tally was one of the first public defenders in the state and had a long career with indigent defense before taking the bench. Then, Shea Denning gives answers questions about the law of distracted driving like, can you text while stopped at a red light? Or is it ok to look at your iWatch while you drive? If you like what you hear please rate us in your podcast app! If you have questions or topics for the show please email producer Danielle Rivenbark at daniellp@sog.unc.edu.