ABSTRACT
Not long ago a judge in a small town in Minnesota found himself deciding a custody case in which the children involved picketed the courthouse. They were afraid the judge would decide to return them to one of their parents, whom they claimed was abusive. What began as a local story quickly mushroomed into a national one, and since family court matters are highly confidential, this fascinating story of adolescents taking on the system put the judge in a very difficult situation: What could he possibly say to shed light on the situation without violating the judicial code of conduct?
