The living conditions of adult Turpin children have improved since three of them went on national television in November after Riverside County was blamed for having trouble finding adequate housing, life-skills training and food, their attorney said. Said on Thursday, January 13.
“I think it’s still a work in progress,” said Jack Osborne of the law firm of Brown White & Osborne, which was appointed by the Riverside County Superior Court to oversee the legal interests of seven adults. “The attention that has been given has been helpful to them. Maybe some wheels are turning now that weren’t spinning earlier.”
County officials are unwilling to answer most questions about the care of 13 Turpins, who for years lived in dire conditions because of their parents, citing privacy concerns and an independent investigation.
At some point, the county’s guardianship of Turpin ended. By law, conservatives are considered as least restrictive as possible. If one does not have the ability to make a good choice under conservatism, a judge can step in.
Osbourne spoke after the hearing at the historic courthouse, where Judge Kenneth J. Fernandez said he was willing to motion for ABC News to remove records in the Turpin case, with the exception of medical and psychological records and current and previous addresses. At least five Turpin adults want some or all of this information to be kept private.
The trial, which dealt only with adult Turpin, continued until March 10. ABC News plans to present additional arguments to loosen the previous addresses, its lawyers said.
In an interview, Osborne would not provide details about its customers to protect their privacy. But adults are allowed to make a lot of choices, he said. For example, the Turpins choose where to go to school and where to work.
“The thing to keep in mind is that their goal was always freedom, they didn’t want to be anywhere they didn’t want to be,” Osborne said. “In the initial stages, they did not have options due to various reasons. They needed medical care, they needed all kinds of equipment to stand on their feet.
“When they moved from one position to another, it was by their choice,” he said. “Were they the best places, that’s something they’ll have to tell you.”
“He is a very strong minded person and at the same time he makes a lot of choices about which he can change his mind later,” he said.
The Turpin case horrified many when, in January 2018, it came to light: Jordan Turpin, 17, walked out of his Paris home in the middle of the night—a day before the family planned to move to Oklahoma—and his brother Used the cell phone to call 911.
In a search of the Turpins’ home, sheriff’s deputies found her 12 siblings, ages 2 to 29, who were dirty, malnourished, some bed-bound, and all but the youngest abused by their physical and mental health. Mental development was stunted. Eventually, parents David and Louise Turpin each pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts and were sentenced to 25 years in state prison.
The seven adult Turpin siblings were placed in a guardianship under the supervision of the county, with the minors moving into foster homes.
In November, three members of a Paris family were charged with physically and mentally abusing nine foster children, including five who appear to be members of the Turpin family based on court records.
On November 19, 2021, in an interview taped in July, Jennifer, Jordan, and Joshua Turpin told ABC’s Diane Sawyer on “20/20” that they would have enough money for life-skills training, other services and adequate housing. have been unable to obtain. and food from the Riverside County Public Guardian, which was appointed custodian for adults and controls the trust which is believed to hold hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from the public.
Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said on the same show that the adults were living in “crime-ridden neighborhoods” and “messy.” He said the system had failed the adult turpins.
Hestrin also isn’t willing to answer most questions about caring for turpins.
Osborne insists that Turpin adults are happy.
“They are glad they are free,” he said. “It needs to be remembered – that they’ve made a lot of progress since the first day the officer knocked on the door. It’s easy to focus on bad things, but our customers want everyone to understand that they (as a victim) I don’t want to be thought of).
Retired federal judge Stephen Larson has been hired by the county to investigate Turpin’s care, with his report by March 31.
“The public has a right to understand what the broader issues were here,” Osborne said. “What was it that the county set out to do and did they succeed in doing it?
“My view is that when you look at all that, you’ll be pleased that the county has done a good job in many, many ways, at least with adult children.”
