Texas: Judge Orders Children Returned To Their Families

"Parents and children should not be separated without the most compelling of justifications. Judge Walther's new order allows the children to return to their homes, their parents, and their siblings, while permitting the Department to continue investigation into any and all allegations of child abuse."

The following can be attributed to Lisa Graybill, Legal Director for the ACLU of Texas:

"We are pleased to see that the rule of law has prevailed in this case. We will continue to monitor this situation to ensure that the Department follows the law while protecting the children of the state of Texas."

The ACLU and the ACLU of Texas submitted a friend-of-the-court brief to the Texas Supreme Court arguing that the Department and Judge Walther's early actions failed to comply with Texas law and raised serious due process concerns under the Texas and U.S. Constitutions.