The Heart of Bexar County

VI
T H E C H I L D R E N ’ S C O U R T
by Tracy Wolff
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Above: Special room created for
Children’s Court.
Right: Children’s court Judge
Peter Sakai.
A few days after Nelson’s first opening speech
as County Judge in May 2001, we toured the
courthouse with Betty Bueche. On the second
floor-hallway we saw people with children
crowded around the entrance to a very small
room. Walking through the crowd, we entered a
cramped courtroom where child abuse and
neglect cases were heard.
Families with their children, representatives of
social agencies, and officials with Child Protective
Services jammed the small space. Three lawyers sat
at a table—one representing the parents, another
the child, and a third from the Attorney General’s
office, representing the state. After hearing
testimony, Associate Judge Peter Sakai would
decide whether to terminate parental rights.
3 0 F T H E H E A R T O F B E X A R C O U N T Y