Child-Abuse Cases’ Shift Raises Fears

San Diego County supervisors today will consider the abrupt transfer of child-abuse and neglect cases from one county department to another, a move that has court and child-health officials worried about what will happen to the children involved.

The Board of Supervisors probably will give $1.4 million, the amount recommended by county administrators, to County Counsel Lloyd Harmon, who is slated to relieve Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller on July 1 of handling child-dependency cases.

Although the money would pay for about 17 attorneys, it represents just half of the $3.1 million (35 attorneys) Harmon requested, officials say. And that, along with the lack of time to hire and train the attorneys and organize the new office, is at the root of the problem.

Informed County 2 Years Ago

Estimates are that it may take months before the office is ready to handle its duties.

Miller informed county officials about two years ago that he planned to turn over the reins of child-dependency cases to Harmon, said Linda Miller, a spokeswoman for the district attorney. Such cases, according to the district attorney, were putting too much strain on an already burdened office, and in most counties child-abuse and neglect cases are handled by the county counsel.

“He has been giving them notice for a long time, and his feeling was that no one was really moving on it. Finally, he felt like he needed to set a deadline,” said Miller, who is not related to the district attorney.

Harmon has agreed to assume responsibility after July 1, a task that entails filing as many as 400 child-dependency cases a month and which often results in courts removing abused or neglected children from their homes.

But he and other county officials contend that, even with more funds and attorney manpower, the county counsel’s office will not be able to immediately handle that workload. The transition, then, could take months, raising questions about what will happen to the cases after Miller turns them away.

“With the short funding we have at the state level, we’re used to giving less money than (county departments) would like,” said Supervisor Brian Bilbray. “But we’re looking at a transition program here. He’ll get more attorneys as he takes on more responsibility.”

‘A Major Concern’

The board’s vote will offer some relief, officials say, but not nearly as much as Harmon has said is needed. And it will not hasten the transition of responsibility for child-dependency cases, which has some officials afraid abused or neglected children will pay the highest price: having to remain in their homes until the transition is completed.

“I think there would be a major concern,” said Michael Roddy, executive director of branch services for Superior Court, which handles all juvenile cases. “It would put a lot of kids at risk for further abuse, and would be very troublesome.”

Bilbray said he will be surprised if the district attorney does not assist with the child-dependency caseload after July 1, even though Miller told The San Diego Union last week that he was insisting that his office stop taking such cases. Miller was not available for comment Monday.

“The district attorney will help with the transition. I have no fear at all that Mr. Miller will be very cooperative,” Bilbray said. “In any case, I don’t see any services being cut off (at the end of June).”