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A Los Angeles County judge ruled Thursday that the county’s disciplinary appeals board made a series of errors in its decision to reinstate one of the supervising social workers who failed to remove 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez from his home before he was tortured and killed.

Superior Court Judge James Chalfant sent the case back to the county’s civil service commission for a new hearing to decide Gregory Merritt’s fate. In the meantime, Merritt will once again be terminated and his pay will stop.

Social worker supervisor Gregory Merritt, background, appears in court April 7, 2016. He and three social workers have not entered pleas on charges of child abuse and falsifying public records.(Credit: Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Social worker supervisor Gregory Merritt, background, appears in court April 7, 2016. He and three social workers have not entered pleas on charges of child abuse and falsifying public records.(Credit: Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

In April, Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Merritt, Clement and two other social workers who handled portions of the case with felony child abuse and falsifying public records in connection with Gabriel’s case.

The social workers have not yet entered a plea.

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