A Manhattan man who was trying to quit smoking, and who had “violent visions” about beating his wife and kids as a result, just won his family back after a long court battle, The New York Post reports…

The odd case dates back to February 1999, when A.V. went to see the family nurse and told her “he had these nightmares and visions of violence,” Bloom said. The nurse referred him to a psychiatrist, and then both reported A.V. to the city Administration for Children’s Services (ACS).

The agency forced him to move out of his house and keep away from his wife, son and daughter, except for supervised visits.

In May 2000, that move was formalized when Family Court Judge Jody Adams found A.V. had neglected his children.

The Appellate Division decision, however, found the case against A.V. was cloudy, and that ACS didn’t meet its burden to prove its case by “preponderance of the evidence.”

The judges noted that A.V.’s family denied he’d ever hit them, and that the kids’ teachers, doctor, and even an ACS caseworker found no evidence of abuse.

This kind of case has got to give libertarians the cold bloggin’ heebie shudders…

—–