One attorney, who said she represents several girls ages 5 to 11, said that it is frustrating that the state Child Protective Services wants to delay reuniting the families while they work out a plan to ensure the safety of the children.

"Everyone keeps saying they need more time, more time. In the meantime our little girls are suffering," the attorney said.

Defense attorneys hired by the parents continued to launch a series of objections in today's hearing.

"The department is taking a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach to all these parents when they are individuals and individual families," one attorney said. "Based on global allegations," the agency took away more than 400 children from their families.

He wondered how the department could justify that.

Voss said that more than 20 girls have been identified who have conceived or given birth at the age of 16, and "there is a culture of young girls being pregnant by older men."

Another attorney called into question Voss' ability to somehow look at a young woman and ascertain her age. Voss on Thursday had testified that many of the young women in state custody gave officials ages that they didn't suspect were true.

"She (Voss) did not provide any testimony as to her expertise to her experience at being able to do this," said attorney Mary Lou Alvarez. "And yet she could magically tell that they were under 18."

The 51st District Judge, Barbara Walther, later excused Voss from the stand, and while saying she had heard enough testimony from the state's witness, told the supervisor she must remain in the courtroom for possible further questioning.

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E-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com