San Diego County Shows Why Parents Need Jury Trial Rights – The case of Alicia W

On May 8, 1989, eight‑year‑old Alicia was abducted from her home in a Navy housing complex in San Diego County. A drug‑addicted, registered sex offender named Albert Raymond Carder Jr. entered her house, pulled her from her bed, and carried her out through her brother’s window. He took her to a nearby field, raped and sodomized her, threatened to kill her if she spoke, and then returned her to her home.

The next day, after Alicia’s parents discovered her injuries, she told authorities what had happened. She described Carder’s appearance—including a pimple on his lip—and the green car he had been driving.

Despite being the victim of a violent crime, Alicia was removed from her family and placed in foster care. Her therapist, her social worker, and even the juvenile court judge—each connected to the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)—pressed Alicia to give a “more believable” story, one that would allow the San Diego County District Attorney’s office to prosecute her father instead. They promised her rewards in exchange for changing her account.

Within two years, after being completely separated from her parents and surrounded only by court‑appointed professionals, Alicia accused her father in court. This two‑year window is tragically consistent with how long it takes for a child to be fully alienated when cut off from loved ones. Alicia’s father later testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Children and Families that he was not even allowed to look at her while she testified. He said he only wanted to tell her he loved her, that he wasn’t angry, and that he understood.

During this time, Alicia’s parents—overwhelmed and powerless—pleaded guilty to a charge of neglect. Her mother attempted suicide and spent nine months in a locked psychiatric ward.

The court relied heavily on AFCC‑affiliated witnesses. The therapist and social worker claimed that Alicia’s brother had also accused their father of rape and said they feared the father themselves. Their testimony led the judge to remove custody of both children.

What ultimately saved this family was not the court system—it was the people. A San Diego County grand jury, made up of local volunteers, took up the case after 30 months. They uncovered the truth, and Alicia was finally returned home.

On October 31, 1991, at a social worker’s office, Alicia ran into her father’s lap, overjoyed. He cried as she told him she was happy to be home. That night, she slept in her own bed again, saying, “It’s all mine.” Her family later sued San Diego County and received a multimillion‑dollar settlement.

One of the individuals now helping RaiseYourRights.org fight for jury trial rights for all California parents played a key role in ensuring this family received justice.

This was not the first—or the last—time San Diego County paid millions for unwarranted governmental interference in a family. We are working to end this pattern in all 58 counties.

Help us stop unwarranted governmental interference in California families. Join RaiseYourRights.org today.