Chapter 10 - BEVERLY ASKS FOR THE CHILDREN
The emergency guardianship hearing lasted forty-seven minutes.
Beverly did not ask for permanent custody.
That mattered.
She asked for temporary third-party supervision until the prosecutor resolved Marissa's threat case.
Her attorney argued:
A parent who activates what she believes may be a bomb while holding two children requires assessment.
Fair concern.
Marissa's attorney did not call it ridiculous.
She presented:
The actual device report.
Home video.
CPS safety assessment.
Paige's temporary residency.
Medical records showing Marissa's mobility disability did not impair cognition.
That last point annoyed Marissa.
It was necessary because Beverly's petition repeatedly mentioned the crutch.
The judge noticed.
“Physical disability is not evidence of parental unfitness.”
Beverly's attorney corrected course immediately.
Good.
Then the judge viewed the living-room footage.
Not all of it.
Enough.
Walter? No. Beverly.
The kick.
The paddle.
The medication.
The crutch.
Marissa lifting the black device.
Threatening.
Pressing.
Three children? Two children clinging to her.
The judge looked at Marissa.
“You understand that was reckless.”
“Yes.”
“Even though the device was later determined nonexplosive.”
“Yes.”
“Would you do it again?”
“No.”
No speech.
Then Beverly.
“You struck both children.”
Beverly's attorney said charges were pending.
The judge nodded.
“Which makes placing them with her an unusual safety proposal.”
Temporary guardianship denied.
Marissa retained custody.
Beverly remained no-contact.
The judge did order a parenting-safety assessment for Marissa because of the threat.
Marissa accepted it.
The court also ordered immediate independent management of the Bennett Family Security Trust pending civil review.
Beverly stopped.
“That is not before the court.”
The judge looked at the pleadings.
“Your own petition relies heavily on your financial control as evidence of household stability. The opposing papers raise substantial questions about that control.”
The family court could not rewrite the trust permanently.
But it could refer and restrict extraordinary distributions pending proper trust proceedings.
North Harbor Fiduciary Services stepped in as temporary administrator by agreement two days later.
First thing they did:
Paid the pharmacy.
Second:
Paid the overdue electric balance.
Third:
Scheduled an accessibility evaluation of the current house.
Not because the house would definitely stay.
Because nobody had actually produced a current professional assessment.
For four years, the family had been arguing about whether the house was suitable without asking anyone whose job involved knowing.
The evaluator's conclusion:
The house could be safely adapted.
Cost:
Approximately $38,000 to $52,000.
Cheaper than moving.
Beverly read the report.
Said nothing.
Marissa did not celebrate.
Jason might still have preferred moving.
Different people could make different reasonable choices.
May you like
The important part:
The choice was no longer being forced through an unpaid pharmacy bill.
