Trial Set for Boy Trying to Sever Ties to Father
A family court judge Tuesday granted 14-year-old Patrick Holland the right to go to trial in his effort to sever ties with his father.
Daniel Holland is serving a life sentence for the murder six years ago of Patrick’s mother, Elizabeth Holland. The boy was 8 years old when he found his mother dead in their Quincy, Mass., home -- shot eight times and beaten by his father.
Patrick was not in the courthouse Tuesday when Judge Robert Langlois ordered a trial for July 26 because social services authorities feared his father might be brought to the hearing. The eighth-grader has not seen his father -- who did not attend the hearing -- since before his mother died.
Patrick’s guardian, Ron Lazisky, said after the hearing that the judge’s action was a positive step that brought Patrick closer to his goal of ending Daniel Holland’s parental rights. Lazisky said when he telephoned Patrick to tell him about the ruling, the boy said: “That’s awesome.”
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.