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Bigoted Utah judge takes foster baby away from married lesbian couple

“They said Judge Johansen cited research that children do better when they are raised by heterosexual couples. Hoagland believes the judge actually imposed his religious beliefs.”

This photo provided by the Utah State Courts via The Deseret News shows 7th District Juvenile Court Judge Scott Johansen. Judge Johansen agreed to cut back community service time for a 13-year-old girl went to court for cutting a 3-year-old girl's hair into a bob if the mother of the teen chopped off her daughter's ponytail in court. The mother has since filed a formal complaint, saying the judge at the May 2012 hearing intimidated her into the eye-for-an-eye penalty. (AP Photo/Utah State Courts via The Deseret News)

Photos: Judge Johansen (above) and a 13-year-old defendant (right) getting her hair cut off in his courtroom.

A controversial Utah judge already facing a formal complaint for making a mother punish her daughter by cutting off her ponytail in court has provoked new criticism by taking a foster child away from a lesbian couple during what should have been a routine hearing yesterday.

The women, April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce, who are legally married, intended to adopt the baby girl with the support of the biological mother and state child welfare officials, who says the women have complied with all foster parenting requirements. But the judge apparently let his personal beliefs interfere.

The state child welfare agency is reviewing his ruling and exploring legal options with its attorneys. Read the story here and here.

unwantedhaircutSMSUpdate: On Monday, Nov. 16, 2015, Judge Johansen voluntarily removed himself from the foster baby case amid growing calls for his impeachment. Read story here.

 

 


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