Interesting Development In That Homeschooling Case

It appears that the underlying family court case that led to In Re: Rachel L--the case that purportedly outlawed certain forms of homeschooling in California, until the decision was set aside for a re-hearing--has been dismissed.

According to the L.A. Times article:

The issue remains in legal limbo. On Thursday, the family court judge terminated its jurisdiction over two of the eight children of Phillip and Mary Long, who were accused of mistreating some of their children. All of the children are currently or had been enrolled at Sunland Christian School, where they would occasionally take tests, but they were educated in their Lynwood home by their mother.

Emphasis added.

What does this mean? I don't know yet. The appellate case, In Re: Rachel L, has already been re-heard, with the decision expected by September sometime. That case might be rendered moot by this new action; there are plenty of courts in the land that prefer to rule on narrow technical grounds rather than issue broad, sweeping, society-changing edicts. The appellate court may just decide that it's not necessary to issue a "clarification" of the homeschooling laws, given that the "hard case" (you know, the type that make bad law) that started this whole thing seems to have resolved itself. But then, you never know with courts these days.

Rapidly developing story. Will post more as more becomes known.

Hat tip to the HSLDA home page.