Opinion ID: 148956
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Kathleen Collins (Ms.Collins), Next Friend to Caesar

Text: Ms. Collins was Caesar's school psychologist during the 2006-2007 school year. Ms. Collins testified that she worked with Caesar in the classroom setting as well as outside of class and was able to bond with Caesar during that year. She last saw Caesar towards the end of May 2007 and was unable to contact him despite attempts to do so. Collins testified that she has worked with a number of foster care children. She understands that a Next Friend appears before the court to represent the interests of [a] particular child in getting justice from the system, to assist ... and support him in seeking some sort of ... justice. Collins testified that she agreed to be Caesar's Next Friend because she believes this is an important case and the children deserve justice. She stated she was available to pursue the lawsuit and agreed she would be available to make decisions on Caesar's behalf. It is beyond question that Ms. Collins wishes to represent Caesar's interests in this lawsuit in order to protect his interests. Her suitability as a Next Friend is certainly enhanced by the fact that she knows Caesar and is familiar with his situation. Ms. Collins understands her role as Next Friend and is willing and able to litigate on Caesar's behalf. She is also familiar with the realities foster care children face and has shown an interest in helping Caesar. This is enough to show she is truly dedicated to Caesar's best interests. We believe that Ms. Collins is a suitable Next Friend to Caesar.