Hello Everyone,
Daryl went to court today and the judge declared him a ward of the state.  
The judge ruled that Daryl will remain in Juvenile Hall until his 
placement comes through (probably around the end of August).  He is being 
placed in either a group home or an institution for a minimum of 1 year, 
and possibly as long as 18 months so that he can get the emotional help
that he needs.  Daryl is a very talented long distance runner and he 
wanted to stay in a track program.  We felt that was essential for him so 
we requested that for him as well.  The court APPROVED, so Daryl will be 
placed somewhere with a track program.  He is quite happy about that and 
so are we.  Daryl has to go through some interviews with various group
homes or agencies in order to find the *right* place for him.  We don't
know exactly where he is going yet, but he is definately going!
Daryl is in great spirits.  He is relieved that he will finally get the
help he needs and that the court has made a decision in his case.  He is
getting along well at Juvenile Hall and likes the rigid structure that it 
provides.  He has been following the rules and finally advanced a level 
which allows him to have extra privileges - like being allowed to do work 
details (that's a privilege), staying up until 10:30 pm (rather than 9:30), 
being allowed to raid the refrigerator (that's a BIG plus for him), and 
extra free time.  As long as he stays out of trouble he will continue to 
have those privileges.  He wanted me to tell everyone that he is doing 
just fine. 
Needless to say, we are all very happy about the outcome.  Michelle is 
aware of the situation and when she found out that Daryl will have a
track program to participate in, she was happy about it.  I think she was
having a difficult time believing that Daryl was not being punished.  The 
track program convinced her that it would really be okay and that Daryl 
wasn't in trouble.  She seems to be okay with it now.  
That's all for now.  More on the other situation later in the week.
Val
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