Politics

Patrick on Pelletier: "I'm responsible for all decisions"

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Governor Deval Patrick called the return of Justina Pelletier to her parents' custody "a good step forward," and that he is "responsible for all decisions" made by members of his administration, while also saying he lets the "professionals make the decisions and make the recommendations."

Sixteen months ago it was the Department of Children and Families under the Patrick Administration that decided to take Pelletier away from her parents. It's the same administration who then filed the motion to have her returned to them. Did mounting public pressure have anything to do with it? FOX 25 Political Reporter Sharman Sacchetti asked the governor about how the case seemed to move rapidly once Patrick's Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz got involved. Patrick told us they "actually had a reunification plan months ago" and that "it was only a month ago that the family decided to cooperate."

Was Patrick involved in the decision to return her to her parents?

He said, "The judge has the authority to make the decision, a decision about what our position was going to be before the court, I was certainly involved."

Republican State Representative Jim Lyons of Andover, who has been vocal in this case, says Secretary Polanowicz deserves the credit for getting involved. He said the governor should have done a lot more a long time ago.

"The fact that the governor wants to hide behind the courts, that is an absolute total outrage," Lyons said. "Governor Patrick had within his power the ability to solve this problem and he refused to do it."

Lou Pelletier, Justina's father, says he is weighing his legal options.