Chapter 4 Drop

[SpacedCowboy]

The thing is, Harry isn't abusing his daughter in any way... So the city/county/state isn't going to come between a father and his biological daughter in that case, they have too many real cases of abuse to deal with in an already over burdened system.  As it is, too many kids fall though those crack sometimes fatally.  Maggie isn't living under unhealthy conditions, she is living in a secure compound, technically since she is living on embassy grounds she doesn't fall under jurisdiction
of the state in the first place, that is sovereign territory of the country it belongs to.  Now is  Svartalven Embassy officially recognized? In short there is no reason for the state to remove Maggie from the home of her father, and I am not sure they can if they wanted to.

Yeah, that was pretty much my point; if someone phones into CFSA, they’re obliged to investigate - at least in some places, I’m not sure if it’s true everywhere. Even if they got past the svartelves, even if Harry was lacking in documentation, even if a full blown investigation was triggered... they’d take the view of happy child living with her father and move on to people who really need them.

Harry has a dangerous line of work, and I guess he has a police record or ten, but he’s not been convicted of anything that I can recall, and the kid is well looked-after, happy, and generally social workers have more important cases to worry about.

And if anyone did somehow manage to best Harry, the kid has Mab (!) as a fairy godmother, or at least as a sufficiently interested party that Christmas Presents (not even gifts, just presents) are involved. This is one safe kid.

[g33k]

... And to further complicate things (please correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a while since I've read Changes), but wasn't Maggie's adoptive family violently murdered?  And then the child missing from the murder scene shows up in the US a few days later with no records of crossing borders? ...

I've got a strong suspicion that li'l Maggie was mostly off-record.  I doubt she was even registered in whatever jurisdiction Susan placed her, let alone registered with enough info to link her to the little girl Harry calls his daughter, in the USA...

... Forget social workers, all someone would have to do is shine a light on how Maggie even got to the US in the first place, and Harry would be under immediate investigation from the FBI, CIA, and any other agency that investigates international crimes - for murder, kidnapping, and human trafficking at the least.

If they (whoever "they" are) could link the little girl from Latin America to the little girl in the USA, this could be a problem.  Mavra threatened Murphy with purely-mundane legal threats, so others might threaten Maggie similarly...

But then again:  Harry was in the USA when all this went down with Maggie's adopted family (the FBI interviewed him (repeatedly!); he probably has other alibis too).

Forthill has likely got a "true" birth cert -- true in the sense of listing Harry & Susan as parents (as they were; so she *IS* a citizen (and appropriately in Harry's care, no "kidnapping" or trafficking)).  Maggie has Harry's features & Susan's, we're told -- strong family resemblance.  If needs be, DNA proof could no doubt be arranged (despite the risks of spells).

So the link to a foreign crime-scene is dubious, and the proof that Maggie "belongs" in the USA (with her dad) is indisputable, despite any "irregularities" in her arrival.  I bet Lara Raith would even cover that part of the paper-trail, simply as a favor for Thomas (who's officially in good odor with the House).

These efforts could only be a temporary inconvenience to Harry, at most.  Still, a US District Court summons could undoubtedly be managed for a maximally-inconvenient-time for Harry...  And anything that even looked like a threat to his custody would put him straight into stress/anxiety/rage (and thus increase the likelihood of mistakes (but also thus fuelling his magic, so... not their best move!)).
 

[g33k]

... and I guess he has a police record or ten, but he’s not been convicted of anything that I can recall ...

Nothing major, and no patterns or repetitions that most courts would look askance at, AFAIK.

I think the worst is a "Drunk & Disorderly" from one of the short stories -- he was drenched in beer, and I don't think anyone offered to breathalyze him when he was brawling with two hot chicks in public, they just took him to jail!
 

[Dina]

I am pretty sure the WC has a department for faking lives for their members (I can't see Eb showing a social number of someone born 300 years ago). I suspect the same could be true for the Order Susan belonged too, who were probably those arranging the situation for Maggie. Yes, not very well, Susan still visited her and I believe she kept her surname, but ey, at least they did not "hide" her in the planet of his dad, with her step-uncle, without changing her family name 

I was pleased to see Harry call out Eb for leaving him in an orphanage.

Me too.

I got a bad feeling about Eb's chances.

Yep, we all do 

[Mira]

These efforts could only be a temporary inconvenience to Harry, at most.  Still, a US District Court summons could undoubtedly be managed for a maximally-inconvenient-time for Harry...  And anything that even looked like a threat to his custody would put him straight into stress/anxiety/rage (and thus increase the likelihood of mistakes (but also thus fuelling his magic, so... not their best move!)).
 

Harry qualified for jury duty.  To be summoned and actually seated one has to be a registered voter.  Not sure what the rules are for Illinois but if you have a record of felonies in a lot of places it is hard to get that right in the first place.  Second of all any good lawyer would have looked into him before he was seated, most of that would have come out.

[g33k]

Harry qualified for jury duty.  To be summoned and actually seated one has to be a registered voter.  Not sure what the rules are for Illinois but if you have a record of felonies in a lot of places it is hard to get that right in the first place.  Second of all any good lawyer would have looked into him before he was seated, most of that would have come out.

As I said in the very next post, I think the worst conviction he has is a "drunk & disorderly," AFAIK just a misdemeanor.  However, given Whamp involvement in the Jury Duty short, it's unclear how much the Illinois process would actually have been properly followed...

But AFAIK, the topic at hand isn't "Harry's generic legal credibility," but whether someone could "tactically deploy" DCFS (or other gov't agencies) against Harry/Maggie (alleging abuse, illegal entry, etc)...

[Avernite]

As I said in the very next post, I think the worst conviction he has is a "drunk & disorderly," AFAIK just a misdemeanor.  However, given Whamp involvement in the Jury Duty short, it's unclear how much the Illinois process would actually have been properly followed...

But AFAIK, the topic at hand isn't "Harry's generic legal credibility," but whether someone could "tactically deploy" DCFS (or other gov't agencies) against Harry/Maggie (alleging abuse, illegal entry, etc)...

I'm pretty sure Marcone and Lara could, yes. Probably others.

I am not sure they could without triggering Harry's style of roaring rampage of revenge, and as the act would be against Harry's daughter too I am pretty sure Mab would owe him support. I would not want to stand in the path of a Mab-supported rampage by Harry "oh wait was that the whole Red Court?" Dresden.

[Mira]

As I said in the very next post, I think the worst conviction he has is a "drunk & disorderly," AFAIK just a misdemeanor.  However, given Whamp involvement in the Jury Duty short, it's unclear how much the Illinois process would actually have been properly followed...

But AFAIK, the topic at hand isn't "Harry's generic legal credibility," but whether someone could "tactically deploy" DCFS (or other gov't agencies) against Harry/Maggie (alleging abuse, illegal entry, etc)...

However Harry is living on embassy land, which means he and little Maggie are not in the jurisdiction of any law enforcement.

[Arjan]

However Harry is living on embassy land, which means he and little Maggie are not in the jurisdiction of any law enforcement.

Since when are the svartalves recognised as a nation by the US? Is there any treaty between the svartalves and the US or any other member of the UN?

[SerScot]

However Harry is living on embassy land, which means he and little Maggie are not in the jurisdiction of any law enforcement.

I somehow doubt that the United States of America has received and accepted an Ambassador Plenipotentiary from the nation of the Svartalves.  As such while the Svartalve building may be recognized by the Unseille Accords I don’t think the US is a signatory to that pact.  Mollie’s apartment protects against supernatural threats, not real world legal threats.

[Mira]

Since when are the svartalves recognised as a nation by the US? Is there any treaty between the svartalves and the US or any other member of the UN?

Maybe not, but I bet it counts.  But again, there is no evidence that Harry has abused little Maggie in any way.  As far as endangerment goes, what law enforcement agency or welfare department is going to believe she is in danger from vampires, Outsiders, and warlocks?  Can you imagine the reaction you'd get if you called?  "Um I think you need to investigate the Dresden family, his little girl is real danger of getting killed by vampires.."

[SerScot]

Maybe not, but I bet it counts.  But again, there is no evidence that Harry has abused little Maggie in any way.  As far as endangerment goes, what law enforcement agency or welfare department is going to believe she is in danger from vampires, Outsiders, and warlocks?  Can you imagine the reaction you'd get if you called?  "Um I think you need to investigate the Dresden family, his little girl is real danger of getting killed by vampires.."

You think it is marked as a consulate for a real life nation?

[Mira]

You think it is marked as a consulate for a real life nation?

It is very possible.

[Dina]

Since when are the svartalves recognised as a nation by the US? Is there any treaty between the svartalves and the US or any other member of the UN?

It sounds so much as svalbard 

[g33k]

You think it is marked as a consulate for a real life nation?

That would provide a very-useful legal cover!  But I doubt it -- Harry would surely know, and he never mentions it.

In lieu of consular status, though, I have to wonder:  how WOULD the Svartalves (who are noted sticklers for formal protocols and "correctness") react when presented with a legal warrant/etc allowing mundane law-enforcement to legally enter the premises?

I kind of see them granting access... presuming that EVERY formality is correct, I kind of think they HAVE to...