Well, I was all excited to drop from the precipice of the roller coaster down through the loop-de-loop, but instead I find myself on a merry go round.  My researcher emailed me with a link to the Tarrant County Juvenile Court so that I could get their digits and give them a jingle RE: releasing my adoption records.  She was unable to do this because the court wanted the actual adoptee to make the request.  Fair enough.

So I called.  I found the automated menu less than helpful so I pushed ‘0’ for an operator, who referred me to the records department and helpfully, or so I thought, transferred me to that extension.  When the records person answered I asked what the procedure was for requesting my adoption records to which she replied, “Well, we don’t have those here but if you have a cause number that would tell us what court it’s in and we could find it for you.”

“Cool.” I thought.  “Well, hmm, I don’t have that here with me at work, let me track it down and I’ll give you a call back.”

“Sounds good!”

I then got on the horn to my researcher to get my cause number.  Fortunately she was available and hand the digits I needed.  I called Tarrant County back and got the same dude I’d spoken to the first time that directed me to the records office; but this time I had a cause number and I gave it to him.

“Oh, it is a juvenile case,” he begins, “we have those here.”

“Great, what’s the procedure for requesting them?”

“Well, you’d need to file out a petition with the court to open the record, and pay $15.”

“Ok, are those available online?”

“Uh, I’m not sure about that, you may be able to find them online.  Most people just come down here to the courthouse….yadda-yadda-yadda…once they file the papers the court sets a date and there’s a hearing with a judge to determine if the records can be released.”

“I’m calling from out of state, how would I file a petition?”

“Hmm, not sure how you’d do that let me refer you to the person who handles that sort of thing.”

“Ok, thanks for your help!  I appreciate it!”

I dialed the new number he gave me and got…………………….voicemail.  I’ll try again tomorrow.

Meantime I think I’ll change my seat on the merry go round from the unicorn to the elephant.  (Is merry go round one word or three?)