JUDGE

Role in the System

Judges are presented as neutral decision-makers, but in CPS court they are enforcers of federal timelines and agency narratives. Their rulings rarely come from independent investigation, they come from paperwork fed through caseworkers, CASA/GAL reports, and agency attorneys. The judge’s job is not to protect your rights, but to keep the docket moving and to hit federally funded “performance outcome” targets.

Core Functions

Enforce the 12-month reunification and 15-month termination of parental rights (TPR) clocks.

Rely almost entirely on agency reports instead of independent evidence.

Deny motions or discovery requests that could expose CPS misconduct.

Use judicial discretion to silence parents, restrict testimony, or block evidence.

Issue orders that mirror the agency’s requests, removal, services, restrictions, and TPR.

Education

Law degrees and judicial appointments, but with little to no training in child psychology, family trauma, or systemic bias.

Most have backgrounds as prosecutors, government attorneys, or civil lawyers, not defenders of parental rights.

Average Salary

$150,000 – $220,000 per year (U.S. averages, 2025).

Funded through state budgets and incentivized by federal IV-E and court performance grants tied to “timely permanency.”

Impact on Families

Judges are the final stamp of the system. They give legitimacy to agency misconduct by wrapping it in “court orders.” Families believe they are getting a fair trial, but in reality, the outcome is often predetermined by timelines and funding streams. When a judge validates a removal or a TPR, it isn’t justice — it’s compliance with federal quotas. The robe disguises the truth: they are not neutral referees, they are the system’s controllers, coding your family’s fate into legal permanence while calling it “the best interest of the child.”