Here is the order in Belinda K. v. County of Alameda (N.D. Cal.):
DCT Order Dismissing Belinda K’s Complaint
Here is the first order.
Here is the order in Belinda K. v. County of Alameda (N.D. Cal.):
DCT Order Dismissing Belinda K’s Complaint
Here is the first order.
Here is the opinion in Belinda K. v. County of Alameda (N.D. Cal.):
Belinda K v County of Alameda.
Here is an excerpt:
Plaintiff’s Count Sixteen is a § 1983 claim based on her allegation that her ICWA right to competent counsel in the Superior Court dependency proceedings was violated. Plaintiff alleges that the defendants “conspired and agreed that appointed attorneys would not as a custom and practice produce any written pleadings for the defense of their clients, nor would they be paid for their time to consult with their appointed clients.” Compl. ¶ 212. Plaintiff alleges that appointed counsel appeared in court but provided no “substantive actual effort, no investigation of the facts or the law nor vigorous defense or responsive pleadings” on behalf of appointed clients. Compl. ¶ 214. Plaintiff is asserting a direct claim for violation of ICWA (on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel and on a number of other bases as well) in the related action, J.H. v. Baldovinos, pending before this Court. In Count Sixteen’s § 1983 claim, Plaintiff seeks to hold defendants liable for money damages and attorney’s fees based on this alleged violation. These remedies are not available to Plaintiff in her direct ICWA claim.