In re N.L., Juvenile

¶ 31. These cases are hard. Termination of parental rights may sever an established parent-child relationship that is both constitutionally protected and potentially vitally important to child and parent alike. But the failure to terminate when the evidence warrants it risks extending a period of uncertainty, with potential adverse impacts on the very children the laws seek to protect. I believe the best way to manage these difficulties is to rely on the system we have established-one in which a factfinder who can directly observe the witnesses and review the evidence in that context…