It's a tradition in one courtroom that spans 30 years -- children getting the ultimate holiday gift, a loving family.
On Tuesday, Ingham County Judge R. George Economy's courtroom was full of smiles and laughter. Kids on his lap, grabbing his gavel, while their new families shed tears of joy.
The judge started what he calls "Christmas Adoptions" as a nice way to start his holiday vacation. He says every case means as much to him as it does to the families. "I have a little sign up that says: 'The first right of every child is the right to be loved.' and that's truth and we can't forget that. We get caught up in a lot of other battles but we forget about just loving our kids."
Amy Nierenberger's family grew in Judge Economy's courtroom. She said, "We have great family support our older children have been very supportive. There's just a lot of children who need a good home and you know, having good case workers, good agency staff that's been supportive and helpful I think has been a lot of it."
