One of the lessons that should have been learned, at least locally with the “Kids for Cash” scandal, was that We, the People, cannot and should not exhibit blind confidence in what is happening in our courts. Yes, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) issued a review following the Kids for Cash scandal, offering 51 recommendations concerning the family court/guardian ad litem (GAL) system in a glowing 112-page document, letting Us, the People, know that the errors of the courts were on their way to being remedied. It is a review that praised the efforts of one Judge Chester Harhut as well as Attorney Danielle Ross, the former Lackawanna County guardian ad litem (GAL) who pleaded guilty to federal tax charges and is currently serving jail time.

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