Every Time My Daughter Came Home Unresponsive, My Husband Told Me Not to Worry. The Recording in Her Backpack Revealed Why.

It simply made the human picture less tidy than a story with obvious villains and heroes.

There were procedural delays.

Lawyers challenged records, and experts disagreed about how some documents should be interpreted.

More than once I left a hearing certain nothing would ever reach a conclusion.

Teresa, our family liaison, helped me understand that slow procedure was not the same as indifference.

Each side had rights, and the court had to evaluate evidence rather than react to outrage.

I hated waiting, but I wanted the final result to be something that could withstand scrutiny.