As I recall, the family was in the midst of negotiating with the lawyers (officers of the court) when the house was raided. In other words, the court was being used as a diversionary tactic to catch the family off guard.
-PJ
That's how I remember it as well.
As I recall, the state courts were in Elian's favor, but the Clintonistas got it into federal court somehow and got a federal judge to order that the father was the legal guardian. They used that order to go grab him.