Moms Talk: Child Custody and Charlie Sheen

Anyone with a working television or Internet access could not escape the train wreck that has been Charlie Sheen’s highly publicized meltdown over these last few days.

After being busted on a drug binge surrounded by women of questionable repute, he did televised interview after interview saying he's been "winning," and that his -- not one but two -- live-in girlfriends are "goddesses."

The whole sordid ordeal seemed not to have hurt the actor until his two young sons were removed from his custody. 

Adding to this bothersome equation is Sheen’s history of violence against women.

In 1996, Sheen stood trial for an assault on former girlfriend Brittney Ashland. In 2006, during his divorce from second wife Denise Richards, she claimed that Sheen was verbally and physically abusive, and she obtained a restraining order after she said he threatened her life.

His estranged wife, Brooke Mueller, also has had a share of domestic disputes with the actor. His recent behavior prompted Mueller to not only have the children removed from Sheen’s custody, but to also obtain a restraining order.

Clearly, Sheen has problems and had demonstrated behavior that makes a decision to have the children removed from his custody seem reasonable. But what about the future? These are, in fact, his biological children.

The jury is still out on what, if any, access he will have to the kids. Right now, they are too young to understand why they don’t see their father regularly. But it is entirely possible that he will follow instructions from the judge at his next custody hearing and be reunited with his sons.

Looking at Sheen's case and other high-profile child custody battles, do the courts always do what’s best for the children?