CHILDREN AND THE LAW
...Evidentiary Issues
......Hearsay
7 Cards On This Topic:

Social worker's testimony at dispositional hearing, based on substance abuse counselor's hearsay voice mail message, properly admitted where evidence was relevant and otherwise reliable.

The right to confrontation is a trial right, and consideration by the delinquency court of a statement by counsel for the County Counsel Dept. does not implicate the right to confrontation.

Although witness statements in DCFS report were hearsay, they, together with other evidence, provided sufficient corroboration amounting to substantial evidence of mother's drug use and W&IC 300b findings.

Juvenile court had inherent authority to issue the injunction against mother to protect DCFS staff under W&IC 281 and Malinda S.; hearsay contained in SW's declaration was admissible.

Even if F's medical records were hearsay, they were admissible at jurisdictional hearing under W&IC 355 and corroborated by mother's testimony.

Hearsay evidence, inadmissible at jurisdiction hearing, may be considered at a dispositional hearing in delinquency case.

Child's hearsay declaration to witness not admissible for its truth where child lacked personal knowledge of truth of her statement.