Legislators Introduce Bill to Return Custody of Justina Pelletier to Her Parents

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 8, 2014   |   10:28AM   |   Washington, DC

Massachusetts state legislators have filed a bill that would force state officials to return custody of Justina Pelletier to her parents.

Justina Pelletier’s medical condition has dramatically worsened since her wrongful imprisonment and mismanaged medical care by the Massachusetts’ Department of Children and Families. So supporters of her family are urging the legislature to act fast on the bill.

justinapelletier8“This past Friday, April 4, bill HD1412, written by MassResistance, was filed in the Massachusetts Legislature. It will free Justine Pelletier from state custody immediately and return her to her parents’ custody. It is a simple and unambiguous solution to a situation that has become a national nightmare,” the pro-life group MassResistance told LifeNews in an email.

“The goal is to have Justine back in Connecticut with her family for Easter — the end of next week. This could theoretically happen very quickly. But everyone’s help (even outside Massachusetts) is needed,” it said. “Passing a bill like this ought to be a “no-brainer.” But unfortunately in the Massachusetts State House it’s not. As usual, the politicians are full of fear and inertia. There is a disturbing reluctance to get involved, a stark contrast to the people across the country wringing their hands over this. Justina Pelletier’s shocking story has caused enormous outrage around the country and across the political spectrum. This nightmare needs to stop now”

“The Legislature has the ultimate authority to act on this. It has the constitutional power to free Justina. And it could get it done very quickly – if it chooses to,” the group said.

Rep. Lenny Mirra (R-West) agreed to file the bill. Mirra said he’d file it “by request” — which means that a constituent wants the bill filed but the rep is reluctant to file it as his own.

“Luckily, the constituent in this case is Lonnie Brennan, an outstanding pro-family activist and friend of MassResistance who runs the VoteCoreValues political website and was determined to see it through, or it might not have made it. Even then, it took two days to get the bill filed,” the group said.

Legislators have shown support for her family before.

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“Does DCF have a blank check in this case? It is time that we as legislators know how much money is being spent on the Pelletier matter.” Representative Marc Lombardo commented. “The administration has indicated that DCF lacks the resources necessary to carry out their duties. If this is true, why is DCF spending what appears to be endless amounts of money fighting to keep a loving family and their daughter apart? With over 130 children under DCF care currently missing, it might be time for DCF to reevaluate their priorities.”

Lou Pelletier, the father of 15-year-old Justina Pelletier, has denounced Justina’s abuse under the DCF’s supervision as nothing short of “torture” during her 14 months of imprisonment. Justina’s access to healthcare is practically non-existent, he says.

Massachusetts state representatives Jim Lyons (R-Andover) and Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) requested that the Chairman of the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight convene an investigation into the amount of taxpayer dollars that have been spent on the Justina Pelletier case since the state first intervened over fourteen months ago.