Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services v. Edgar L.

Opinion

MOSK, J.

In In re Carmen O. (1994) 28 Cal.App.4th 908, 921 [33 Cal.Rptr.2d 848] (Carmen O.), the Court of Appeal created what it called a “child dependency hearsay exception” (sometimes the child dependency exception). This exception allows, under certain conditions, admission of out-of-court statements by alleged victims of child sexual abuse during a hearing to determine whether a child is a dependent of the juvenile court. (See Welf. & Inst. Code, § 300.)1 In the present case we are called upon to determine whether the child dependency exception is applicable when the court decides…