Citing potential human rights threats from overly restrictive court interventions in the lives of people with disabilities, a Surrogate’s Court judge denied a request to appoint a guardian for a 34-year-old woman with Down syndrome.

Brooklyn Surrogate Margarita Lopez Torres said the woman, identified as “Michelle M.,” has proven that she can safely and productively live on her own with weekly supervision from a disability services worker and the help of her friends and family.