BOSTON -- A federal appeals court heard arguments Tuesday on whether to reinstate a lawsuit that alleges major problems with Rhode Island's foster care system.
The lawsuit from the child advocate's office alleged widespread abuse and neglect of children in the state's legal custody. But a federal judge dismissed it last spring, saying he didn't believe the children's interests were being adequately represented in the lawsuit.
A lawyer for Children's Rights, a national watchdog and advocacy group, urged the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to reverse that decision and reinstate the case. The attorney general's office urged the court to uphold the dismissal.
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter was part of a three-judge panel that heard the arguments.
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