Photo Eirc Gay, AP
Update 4/22/08 6:00 a.m.
CaptiveFLDSChildren.org (FLDS photos of the raid)
FLDS Truth.org (FLDS site of their belief system)
I had planned to take a break from blogging about this story; but, it seems each day Texas and its justice system sink deeper into depravity. The trial judge, Barbara Walther, has refused to stop Texas CPS officials from forcibly separating FLDS mothers and their nursing babies.
The Salt Lake Tribune’s Brooke Adams reported earlier today:
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Mothers in the polygamous FLDS sect on Monday filed a motion for a temporary restraining order demanding access to attorneys, privacy in prayer and a halt to Texas child-welfare workers plans to separate them from their breast-feeding children.
Though filed specifically on behalf of four Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints mothers, the TRO is meant to include other mothers fighting to stop the state from taking their toddlers, who were taken from the sect’s YFZ Ranch earlier this month.
Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) officials have repeatedly said they plan to separate all 416 children taken from the ranch — including those under 2 who are currently breast-feeding — once DNA testing determines maternity. That genetic screening began today. Texas Judge Barbara Walther set an afternoon hearing to further discuss the TRO motions.
So, the Texas CPS, in its infinite wisdom, and of course in the best interests of the children they have kidnapped at gun point and under color of law, intends to forcibly separate all of them, including those who still suckle at their mothers’ breasts. What on earth can these people be thinking? What possible benefit is it to these babies to be forcibly removed from their breast feeding mothers? What compelling government interest does it serve to forcibly separate babies from their nursing mothers?
In an effort to keep these mothers and their babies together, their attorneys brought emergency temporary restraining order petitions to the judge to halt these proposed separations. Unbelievably, this was not the only Texas CPS abuse the mothers sought to halt: It appears that Texas CPS officials find that the mothers and children should be kept from praying to God, in the little privacy they have remaining. What? They need permission of the Texas CPS to pray in private? Are you kidding? Does the CPS really think the First Amendment does not apply in Texas? Of course, given recent events, we have seen that the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments hold no sway out in West Texas.
Seems like a no brainer right? Well, as unbelievable as was the subject of these petitions, was at least part of the judge’s ruling. She declined to halt the forcible separation of the mothers and babies. The Salt Lake Tribune reports in a late online article:
SAN ANGELO, Texas — The Texas judge overseeing the polygamous FLDS sect’s case today refused to make any ruling that would allow breast-feeding mothers to remain with their children in state custody.
Judge Barbara Walther did rule on requests that women and children currently being held in San Angelo be able to pray together privately. She told Texas Children Protective Services (CPS) to find a member of the mainstream Mormon church to supervise group prayer sessions with FLDS women and children. Those sessions would occur in the morning and evening.
Walther was addressing a request for temporary restraining orders filed by attorneys for four of the nursing mothers, but on behalf of all mothers there. The request asked the court to stop Texas child-welfare workers from separating mothers and children, to allow private prayer, and to give the women and children telephone access to their lawyers.
The judge said she would leave it up to CPS officials and the attorneys to work something out on the breast-feeding. The attorneys, however, replied that they have so far been unable to come up with a workable agreement.
CPS officials plan to separate 68 women with children under five from their kids once DNA samples are taken. The sampling began today.
The depth of the Judge’s callousness were her comments that mothers everywhere go back to work after giving birth:
Walther acknowledged the nutritional and bonding benefits of breast-feeding. “But every day in this country, we have mothers who go back to work after six weeks of maternity leave,” she said.
“The court has made a determination that the environment those children were in was not safe,” said Walther, adding that there is a shortage of suitable placements for infants in Texas.The judge said she would leave it up to CPS officials and the attorneys to work something out on the breast-feeding. The attorneys, however, said so far they have been unable to come to agreement. Shari Pulliam, a spokeswoman for CPS, said the agency plans to proceed with plans to send the women home. “We don’t place adult women in foster care,” she said. “Our main thing is to protect children from abuse and neglect.”
Of course, women who do choose to return to the work force do so voluntarily, and are not forcibly separated from their infants at gunpoint. And, of course CPS’ response was classic, protecting the children from abuse and neglect. It’s as though they are programed with these ridiculous lines–make that lies. They are not protecting anyone from anything. They are engaging in large scale child abuse, and someone needs to hold these goons accountable.
A disturbing pattern emerges here. In comments on another thread a practicing Texas Family Law attorney who goes by the handle The Local Crank (I will let him identify himself if he so chooses), observed:
it’s not at all surprising that the initial removal was granted; they almost always are, if for no other reason than that there’s usually not enough time to complete the investigation or do a home study on relative placements, and judges tend to err on the side of caution. In fact, in nearly 10 years of doing CPS cases, the only time I saw a removal flat-out denied was when I (as ad litem for the children) pointed out that the CPS caseworkers (who didn’t even bother to come to court) had committed perjury in their affidavits.
Since I am not a family law attorney, Texas or otherwise, this came as somewhat of a shock to me. As a civil litigator I am accustomed to being guided by the statutes passed by the legislature, and I expect that the statutes be given the due consideration and fair interpretation contained in their plain meaning. Well, apparently that doesn’t happen, at least in West Texas.
The Crank continued, though pointing out that most CPS case workers are good and decent people;
I should hasten to add that the vast majority of CPS caseworkers I’ve encountered are hard-working, caring, compassionate people who do things like spend the night (unpaid) in their offices with children who can’t be immediately placed in foster care. CPS is under-funded, under-staffed, over-worked and under-appreciated. Like most things in Texas, this can be laid at the feet of the Legislature, composed of politicians who care nothing about children or any other constituency that can’t vote or (more importantly) donate money to campaigns.
Well, giving the CPS case workers the benefit of the doubt here, it must be someone other than the case workers making the decisions that prohibit private prayer with the mothers and children, and their eventual separation from each other.
But, what was more disturbing was The Crank’s further comments about the due process hearing the Texas Legislature enacted into the Family Law statutes, governing the removal children from their homes:
In cases where multiple siblings are removed, for example, you typically only have one hearing, unless their circumstances are wildly different. Here, the State is trying to argue that all 416 kids are members of the same household, in order to justify placing all of them in foster care when clearly not all of them are in danger. This is ludicrous, since it would imply that every town in Texas with less than 1,000 people constitutes a single household.
This case has violated so many CPS rules, guidelines and standard procedures that I’m beginning to suspect this was a law enforcement operation and CPS has been left holding the bag. For one thing, CPS would’ve removed the alleged perpetrators (the husbands) and left the women and children in place to receive services. For another, if CPS does a removal, they NEVER allow a parent to just “ride along” since, by definition, if a parent is safe to be around a child, there’s no need for removal in the first place.
I’ve previously linked to the Texas statutes governing this due process hearing, but will reproduce it for easy reference here. Based on my reading of the statutes, and following the media accounts of what actually happened, Texas didn’t even come close to providing the hearing required by law:
§ 262.106. INITIAL HEARING AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF CHILD IN EMERGENCY WITHOUT COURT ORDER.
(a) The court in which a suit has been filed after a child has been taken into possession without a court order by a governmental entity shall hold an initial hearing on or before the first working day after the date the child is taken into possession. The court shall render orders that are necessary to protect the physical health and safety of the child. If the court is unavailable for a hearing on the first working day, then, and only in that event, the hearing shall be held no later than the first working day after the court becomes available, provided that the hearing is held no later than the third working day after the child is taken into possession
(b) The initial hearing may be ex parte and proof may be by sworn petition or affidavit if a full adversary hearing is not practicable.
(c) If the initial hearing is not held within the time required, the child shall be returned to the parent, managing conservator, possessory conservator, guardian, caretaker, or custodian who is presently entitled to possession of the child.
(d) For the purpose of determining under Subsection (a) the first working day after the date the child is taken into possession, the child is considered to have been taken into possession by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services on the expiration of the five-day period permitted under Section 262.007(c) or 262.110(b), as appropriate.
§ 262.107. STANDARD FOR DECISION AT INITIAL HEARING AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF CHILD WITHOUT A COURT ORDER IN
EMERGENCY.(a) The court shall order the return of the child at the initial hearing regarding a child taken in possession without a court order by a governmental entity unless the court is satisfied
that:
(1) there is a continuing danger to the physical health or safety of the child if the child is returned to the parent, managing conservator, possessory conservator, guardian, caretaker, or custodian who is presently entitled to possession of the child or the evidence shows that the child has been the victim of sexual abuse on one or more occasions and that there is a substantial risk that the child will be the victim of sexual abuse in the future;(2) continuation of the child in the home would be contrary to the child’s welfare; and
(3) reasonable efforts, consistent with the circumstances and providing for the safety of the child, were made to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child.(b) In determining whether there is a continuing danger to the physical health or safety of a child, the court may consider whether the household to which the child would be returned includes a person who has:
(1) abused or neglected another child in a manner that caused serious injury to or the death of the other child; or(2) sexually abused another child.
What the statutes clearly contemplate is a hearing for EACH child taken into custody by CPS. At best, CPS might make a successful argument to have one hearing where several related siblings, i.e., 3, 4 or even 6 or 8 have been removed. But 416? I don’t think so. Clearly, there was just one mass hearing for all 416 children. Several attorneys were prohibited from making procedural and constitutional objections. Media reports indicated the judge commented to objecting attorneys that they were wasting time. Judge Walther it appears presided over nothing more than a kangaroo court depriving these 416 children, their mothers and their fathers the due process clearly contemplated by the Texas Legislature and enshrined in these code sections.
Another practicing Texas Family Law attorney, with whom I exchanged email correspondence over the last several days agreed with my analysis of the separate hearing requirement for each child taken by the CPS. This attorney in essence told me:
I was correct in my analysis of the procedural aspects of the statutes on removal, and that this type of hearing held by this judge was highly unusual. The attorney noted that having lived in West Texas for a few years that the communities out there are not large, and that CPS resources are stretched thin.
The attorney felt if the action had taken place in the county where the attorney currently practices, that separate hearings would have been held; however, the attorney felt the results would not have been any different. Texas courts have an appalling history of rubber stamping CPS actions, even when as here, statutory due process has not been satisfied.
This attorney stopped handling CPS cases a few years ago because the attorney felt the case worker this attorney had dealt with were bigoted, racist, elitist and discriminatory. The attorney did not feel CPS had any legal justification for what it is currently doing to these FLDS families.
As Paul noted in the comments to this thread, the Deseret News also reports on this story with some fascinating facts:
SAN ANGELO, Texas — A judge wants attorneys representing FLDS mothers and children to ask local LDS congregations if they would be willing to “provide a buffer” for FLDS members who wish to pray in groups at a temporary shelter.
Judge Barbara Walther made the decision late Monday afternoon at a hearing to address three issues brought by attorneys representing mothers of children who remain in a state shelter. A total of 416 children were removed from the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s YFZ Ranch earlier this month as part of a child-abuse investigation . . .
The president of the LDS Abilene Texas Stake, which oversees San Angelo, was surprised by the judge’s request.
“They think we’re the same ones because we use the Book of Mormon,” said Charles L. Webb. “I’m dumbfounded they would suggest that.”
Webb plans to contact church headquarters in Salt Lake City for guidance.
My own take on this request, while perhaps strange, is that President Webb should jump at this chance to be of service and help our FLDS sisters and brothers in this difficult time. Since the case has drawn international attention, I can see his desire to consult Salt Lake, but I see nothing at all wrong in helping these FLDS families worship, how, what, when, and where the Texas CPS allows them.
Referring to the prayer request, Judge Walther quipped:
“How would I stop someone from practicing their faith?” the judge asked.
She acknowledged concerns from Texas child welfare authorities about improper communications between mothers and children that could occur in such private prayer times and have an affect on the pending investigations.
“If they cross the line or coach the child or make any kind of comment on litigation, all bets are off,” Walther said.
Oh please! How can she stop them from practicing their faith? Are you kidding? With her absurd ruling two days ago, she has rubber stamped likely the most drastic denial of First Amendment religious belief and free exercise in United States history. The thought, makes reason stare.
Her comment about improper communications is laughable on its face. If anyone is engaging in improper communication with these children it is the CSP gestapo workers. Don’t think for one second that the state of Texas is not trying everything under the sun to try and coerce these unsophisticated children into testifying against their mothers and fathers in anyway imaginable. Texas has blown this case beyond all reasonable comprehensive. They need to cover their backsides big time. I can imagine there are several civil right’s litigators closely monitoring what goes on there is West Texas in anticipatation of the 1983 actions that I certainly hope will follow.
Update 8:10 p.m. This Deseret News article numbs the senses. Apparently the Texas CPS does not even know how many children they have kidnapped. Gives you a queasy feeling deep down inside:
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Texas child welfare authorities admitted Monday there are more children and mothers inside the San Angelo Coliseum than they originally believed.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said Monday there are 437 children being held at the makeshift shelter — not 416 children as they have reported since April 8 when they announced that number and said they had removed all the children from the YFZ Ranch of the Fundamentalist FLDS Church.
“You can imagine with these many people and different locations, it was hard to get an exact count,” said Shari Pulliam, spokeswoman for the department. “We finally think we’ve got a count.”
Pulliam defended the miscount, saying there were many instances where they would be told a different name and different birth date every time they asked, and in some cases, information was not accurate. A head count was made more difficult because so many people were doing different things at different times.
“You’ve got mothers with babies in cots, but not everybody’s laying down at the exact same time. Some are in the restroom at times when you’re counting, some people are in the shower. There’s a lot of different things going on at the same time,” she said.
There’s a lot of different things going on at the same time? That’s it? That’s the best Texas can do for not even having an accurate account of how many people it has in custody? Oh my . . .
Update 8:45 p.m. San Angelo Paper: DNA results may not be ready in time for hearing.
This could be problematic for Texas; however, even if there is a legal time limit involved here, based on the track record of this case, I am not optimistic either the Judge or CPS will feel it necessary that they actually comply with the statutory requirements.
I’ve updated this post, both at the beginning and the end with two new websites from the FLDS community in their effort to get their side of the story out. The photo page is particularly enlightening. I share a couple below:
Other good coverage:
FLDS Truth (FLDS website about their religious views)
CaptiveFLDSChildren.org (FLDS website with photos on the raid)
Feminist Mormon Housewives (There’s a poll here, please go vote)
Hieing to Kolob (Yes Texas, there is a Sarah)
Hieing to Kolob (Both Sides Now–Legal Ramifications)
More Grits for Breakfast coverage
Salt Lake Tribune Editorial (Systemic abuse: Texas bears a heavy burden of proof in FLDS cases)
Society is Silent on Raid (Editorial by Ralph E. Shaffer and Norma Jeanne Strobel–some excellent points–where is both the liberal and conservative main stream media?)
The Polygamy Files (Brooke Adams’ take on the nursing issue)
Messenger and Advocate 
April 21, 2008 at 7:04 pm
This case gets stranger by the day.
According to the Deseret News, Judge Walther “wants attorneys representing FLDS mothers and children to ask local LDS congregations if they would be willing to ‘provide a buffer’ for FLDS members who wish to pray in groups at a temporary shelter.”
The president of the LDS Abilene Texas Stake, Charles L. Webb, said, “I’m dumbfounded they would suggest that.”
Color me dumbfounded as well. I see no reason whatsoever to monitor anyone’s prayers. Nor do I see any sense in getting the LDS church involved in this.
What is the judge thinking?
April 21, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Hmmm – this doesn’t sound too wise. While I have generally supported the judge for the most part so far, I find this news rather disturbing and cruel. I hope there is more to the story than this and a much better solution than separating nursing babies from their mothers is quickly found.
April 21, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Where are the tears of the mothers who have lost their nursing babies? These women care more about pleasing this self-proclaimed prophet, who by the way is no where to be found, than they do about getting their children home. If my children were taken from me nothing could stop me from getting them back. I would do whatever I had to do but then again I would not put my children in the situation these men and women force their children to live in.
This is not a matter of religious belief because the FLDS clearly has anything but religion on its mind. They are only interested in molesting young girls, forcing them to marry old men, raping these girls, forcing them to ‘go forth and multiply’. They torture these babies that everyone seems to want to give back to these people so the babies can once again be tormented. They teach their young men to treat women in this manner and they exhile them when they become old enough to be competition for the 50 year old perverts.
Anyone who thinks the FLDS should be reunited with their children will most likely be the same people who want to reunite them if they commit murder all under the heading of “it’s our religion.” Are people really this stupid?
CPS saved these children from abuse at least temporarily and I hope it becomes permanent. If I did the things the FLDS does to my children then CPS should take them from me, I shouldn’t be allowed to say “Oh I let my husband marry my daughter and impregnate her because it’s the only way I can get to heaven.” This is ridiculous.
How anyone could think the FLDS is a genuine religion just goes to show how ignorant you all are! Their constitutional rights have not been violated. They should all be in jail right now and they should be thankful that it hasn’t gotten that far yet. I hope the state of Texas tries everyone of them and sends these perverts, pedophiles, rapists, and enablers all to prison for a very long time.
No one feels sorry when a nursing baby is taken from it’s drug addicted mother so why are you crying for the FLDS now – none of them are crying real tears for their children. I haven’t even seen a fake tear yet and I constantly watch the news coverage of this heartbreaking case.
April 21, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Guy, I can understand why you would want to take a break from this horrible situation, but I hope you will continue to cover it. Pam, if any of the FLDS are guilty of the crimes you are convinced they have committed, I hope they go to prison too. So far the state has not presented any evidence that any of the children have been abused.
April 21, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Everything in me wants to respond to #3, but I am trying very hard to be more Christ-like – and I believe His reaction to that vitriol would be to weep.
April 21, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Thanks, as always, for the continual updates, Guy. It is almost too upsetting for me to continue reading about this whole incident.
Pam, the women have shed plenty of tears. If you have not seen them, then you haven’t been following the case quite as close as you might think. Your entire comment sickens and saddens me, and I don’t have the energy to respond. I can only hope that your views of everyone else that is different than you are more charitable.
April 21, 2008 at 7:55 pm
We have to understand this judge and the Texas CPS people have been brainwashed by modern liberal ideas that the state is always right.
Meanwhile, the movement to free the children is growing.
A conservative blog has suggested formation of FreeTheChildren.org. See:
http://miraclesdaily.blogspot.com/
A Mormon blog has suggested the LDS church not look the other way, and has also pointed out widespread abuse in the Texas Foster Care system. See:
http://dayofpraise.blogspot.com/
Connor Boyack’s petition to free the children now has over 1,700 signatures. See:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/free-the-innocent-flds
If there are criminals, prosecute them. But free the innocent children.
April 21, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I am a christian and do not believe the FLDS teachings, although, I have grave concerns on how Texas has taken these children.
Read why– I am writing to alert you–as this fact is virtually absent from media reports:
Governor Rick Perry called on “Baptists Child and Family Services” a “humanitarian nonprofit” to command and control the mass shelters now holding the FLDS children. I am experienced in FEMA emergency management, so I now what this means. I reported this to Matt Drudge this am; and now the page has gone ‘under construction.’
In addition, this Baptist org. offers “foster care and ADOPTION” service too. Will this ‘service’ Baptist organization get these children to foster out too?
http://www.bcfs.net/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=581&srcid=183
Baptist history of sexual abuse: According to the Dallas Morning News, Christa Brown of Austin, has helped the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) to extend its work to victims of Baptist clergy. The baptist convention has long kept a secret confidential list of pastors believed to have engaged in homosexual relationships or sexual misconduct including adultery or pornography addiction. Pastors can get on the list through a conviction or, in the case of noncriminal activity, a confession or a report from a church.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/religion/stories/060607dnmetbaptistabuse.3748e50.html
A review of the State CPS agency track records on caring for children is beneficial.
TX Comptroller, Carole Keeton-Strayhorn, in 2004, found the state’s CPS foster care kids–raped, murdered, poisoned.
She writes:
“When I called on Gov. Perry in October 2004 to create a Crisis Management Team, I said the crisis was minute-by-minute and child-by-child.
“In Fiscal 2004, four-year old twin boys living in the same foster home received medical treatment in the hospital for rape.
“A five-year old boy in the same foster home received medical treatment in the hospital for rape two days later.
“A 15-year old girl who was not pregnant when she entered our state’s foster care system in May 2002 gave birth in February 2004.
“The state is supposed to be protecting our forgotten children, but in all too many cases these children are taken from one abusive situation and placed in another abusive situation. Many children are in more abusive situations now than they were before the state intervened. Children are being neglected and abused and are dying.” http://www.window.state.tx.us/news/60623statement.html
* * *
We know the severe CPS problems, and considering the Baptist’s sexual abuse of children, why has the state of TX put the FLDS children in their hands?
* * *
Since Baptist Child and Family Services took down the web page showing them operating the FLDS shelters over these children, I searched and found a Baptist Associated Press articles which reveals 5 Baptist orgs. (churches and foster/adoption) involved; the BCFS running the shelters at the request of the State Governor’s Emergency Management Agency and it appears the FLDS babies and children are to be moved on into the Baptist hands.
http://www.abpnews.com/3120.article
April 21, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Are you sure that you have the correct ruling from the judge? I just found this quote from the newswire quoting the judge.
“These most private matters should be handled in an individual manner,” Walther said, telling attorneys they should negotiate on a case-by-case basis with CPS in cases where the agency cannot find placements for a mother and her infant.
Sounds like she is not ordering the separation that you are suggesting, but that they will be looked at on a case by case basis. She is also quoted as saying they will have a private prayer time.
April 21, 2008 at 8:29 pm
“She acknowledged concerns from Texas child welfare authorities about improper communications between mothers and children that could occur in such private prayer times and have an affect on the pending investigations.”
Considering the State ALREADY allowed the mothers to ride along with the children and stay with them several days, this is kind of closing the barn door after the horse got out, ain’t it? If ALL those children haven’t been given forensic interviews by qualified experts by now, their testimony is hopelessly contaminated and practically useless.
“We have to understand this judge and the Texas CPS people have been brainwashed by modern liberal ideas that the state is always right.”
Oh, give me a break! The judge is a Republican; hell, EVERYONE in West Texas is a Republican. Right-wingers run every single level of state government from top to bottom here. Don’t hand me that “liberal brainwashing” claptrap; it’s not “liberals” arguing that George Dubya Bush should be given the powers of a dictator; it’s not “liberals” arguing that the gov’t should be allowed to arrest American citizens on American soil and lock them up forever without a trial just on the President’s say-so; it’s not “liberals” smearing anyone who dares to question government policy as “traitors.” You can call Texas State Government lots of things (such as, in the immortal words of the late great Molly Ivins, “the national laboratory for bad government”) but “liberal” sure ain’t one of them.
April 21, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I’m LDS are lord commanded us to follow the laws of the land as well Gods law,
Thet cannot be that innocent of the world,
maybe the women but not the men younger and older, they should get DNA from the older men then they will hit gold, give the children back to their mother’s and teach the mother’s and children of what the world really is good or bad, then they will have more freedom living with old men that like a dictator to make women dress like they are a pioneers and afraid to say who the fathers of their children, they are abused litterly and mentally, it is a easy solutionto such a big problem, these women are innocent let them learn how to live in this this world also.
April 21, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Real patriots can join the resistance against nazi texas and their persecution of the wonderful FLDS people by contacting the below email to join the resistance. You can then get “connected” to the underground resistance.
[edited]
Locals can also help by becoming truth and information guerillas. (Training available on request).
contact: returnthosekids@yahoo.com
[edited–Note from Admin to “plain truth” I am tired of editing your disgusting comments. I am pretty flexible in allowing people differing viewpoints. And, if you read the comments on the various threads, I allow all kinds of viewpoints. But, I will not allow obscene or defamatory remarks. I’ve edited you for the last time plain truth. From here on out, I will just delete your comments and ban you from the site.]
April 21, 2008 at 9:10 pm
find all opf the older men and let the children back to their mother’s.
the men are mentally and and making the world understand it’s is the men who has the computor’s and cell phones, the women has no right to use these item’s they don’t have tv or radio but the men are the ones that has all the wordly rights not the mother’s. The men are at fault here not the children or the mother’s.
April 21, 2008 at 9:14 pm
This is totally disgusting. So i guess children should be removed from divorced parents since they are effectively practicing polygamy and maybe i can call the police on your children and claim they are being abused or any host of atrocities that are being allowed to happen without any proof. In this country WE ARE INNOCENT until PROVEN GUILTY. thats it , no in between ground. the moment you let stuff like this slide the faster it will continue.
April 21, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Pam:
“Where are the tears?” you ask. Here you go. Hope this is good enough for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDDXY5KHMqA&eurl=http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/
April 21, 2008 at 9:47 pm
My wife has breastfed our five children, and I am sold on the benefits nursing has for children through my observation of how it has helped them.
Intentionally stopping a mother from breastfeeding her child is abuse plain and simple. The alternative is to 1) feed them something that does not even come close in nutritional value and may even mean getting a disease they would not have otherwise in the future, and 2) deprive them of the bonding and security that comes from the spiritual time spent at a mother’s breast.
I cannot believe the callousness of the judge in this regard.
April 21, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Guy,
Perhaps, as you suggest, Judge Walther is offering us “a chance to be of service and help our FLDS sisters and brothers in this difficult time.”
However, I am not sure the FLDS would view our involvement that way. They are not likely to appreciate having LDS church members (or anyone else) monitor their prayers.
Any Mormon who accepts such an assignment would be required to tell women and children what they may and may not say in a prayer. Moreover, the LDS prayer monitor would undoubtedly be expected to report on any statements that “cross the line”, knowing that doing so might result in the separation of the mothers and their children.
In this case, Mormons should refuse to do the state’s dirty work.
April 21, 2008 at 10:57 pm
They local Catholic bishop was there that first week and spoke up for them. Maybe he could be contacted and asked if some women from the local pro-life groups or St. Vincent DePaul societies could go. The ladies who volunteer are usually grandmothers who raised a large family and are very loving. I dount the local LDS would go after the LDS PR handwashing from the group. They did give them copies of the BOM.
April 21, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Do the extra kids get to go home if they weren’t part of the original custody? How can they say they even attemp to notify the parents? Does this make anything invalid?
Is that the reason they wanted a group hearing to hide their chaos? How many will they lose count of once they send them out?
That is a line about not being able to count due to the number of children. I’ve worked in large make shift daycares during disasters. We counted *constantly* and there was always a worker who waited outside the restrooms. Within 5 seconds any child could located.
Why do the mothers who are there need to do a DNA test? They aren’t sure they are the mothers but they let someone they aren’t sure about nurse and/or care for a child that may not be theirs? Just to do a respite foster care a person has to do backround checks & finger printing but they let someone they supposedly aren’t sure is the mother care for children in the state’s custody. What is the real reason for the DNA tests?
I hope the local LLL organizes a nurse-in.
April 22, 2008 at 3:26 am
“What compelling government interest does it serve to forcibly separate babies from their nursing mothers?”
Because the judge will run for attorney general. The whole bunch is looking to make a name for themselves.
April 22, 2008 at 5:22 am
Thanks for the coverage of this ongoing nightmare. This is where I come for all of the news on this situation.
Having a large family that is being home schooled in a religious way, I see others that are not “mainstream” at risk of being targeted if Texas gets away with this travesty.
If one of the determinations of “abuse” begins to become the belief systems of the parents, and given the popular politically correct views of the vocal in this country, we will begin to see home-schoolers, then Mormon’s (and other non-mainstream groups), and finally Christians in general targeted.
I hope this is alarming more people than just me.
April 22, 2008 at 5:37 am
“Having a large family that is being home schooled…”
You should be worred, my understanding is that Calf. has made it ilegal to home or are trying to make it required that you are a state cert. teacher before you can home school.
Not the United States I want to be apart of.
April 22, 2008 at 6:59 am
Mr. Murray, I want to thank you for aggregating the news on this travesty of justice. I have no doubt that it’s a great deal of work but please know how much it is appreaceated by many people.
Thank You
April 22, 2008 at 9:03 am
Judge Walther is callous. Her reason to justify tearing nursing babies away from their mothers because “women go back to work after their 6 week maternity leave all the time” is just insulting.
Polygamous women do not go back to work. They have likely never had reason to purchase/use/or may have never seen a breastpump. Pumping does not come easily or naturally for many women. It is NOT THE SAME as nursing your baby.
I don’t care if “a lot of women have to go back to work and use formula or pump.” (I doubt CPS will be ferrying pumped milk to the babies in foster care.) What is the harm in letting these mothers continue to nurse their infants? Is the gov’t afraid they will “indoctrinate” these children, or teach them to not cooperate with law enforcement while questioned? For heavens sake, they can’t even talk, let alone be questioned by attorneys. These babies are safe in their mothers arms! It isn’t right to force women to abruptly wean their babies because you think those babies would be vulnerable to sexual abuse in ten or so years. STOP THE MADNESS. This has gone on way too long.
April 22, 2008 at 9:20 am
You need to call the President of the United States and explain to him what you have done. You’ve ruined this country. You’ve ruined the nation. This is a democracy, supposedly, a republic.
David Koresh on February 28, 1993 9-1-1 tape
http://www.carolmoore.net/waco/TDM-01.html
——–
Isaiah 1:21-23
How is the faithful city become an harlot! It was full of judgment: righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards.
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
April 22, 2008 at 10:21 am
Yes, this case gets stranger every day. My guess is that LDS HQ will tell the local LDS officers to stay completely away from any official involvement (such as the court’s request to appoint mainstream LDS “prayer monitors” — just the latest indication this case has entered the legal twilight zone). At some point, everyone who has official involvement is going to look bad, and we don’t want it to be the LDS Church. Texas created this mess — let Texas deal with it.
April 22, 2008 at 10:27 am
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9012668
Why were they accused of being secretive when they voluntarily showed the district their curriculum? Most homeschooling parents would not do that in a state where it’s not required.
Look at the gorgeous school rooms the parents showed. They obvioulsy take great pride in their children’s care and education to provide them a room like that. Those rooms are nicer than any public school in the US and nicer than the majority of the private and homeschool rooms. That mom who said people judge from their own hearts is right, not only do the critics see evil when there is none but they can’t see good.
It’s ashame the pro homeschool expert cowardly distanced himself with the pretense of seperating mandatory attendance laws from child abuse and didn’t use that opportunity to mention the prejudice that many in the child abuse industry have against homeschool families.
April 22, 2008 at 11:16 am
this scares me, i delt with dcf in fl. and know what the state is capeable of, they lie to you, they lie about you and they lie under oath. the idea that one nut job in another state can cause so much trauma is beyond me.did i mention that the nut jobs arrest warrent has been sealed? maybe TX doesn’t want us to see that they failed in the due diagence dept.
April 22, 2008 at 11:46 am
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9010960
April 22, 2008 at 11:49 am
This has certainly brought out lots of issues – from homeschooling to rape.
I sure hope they can stay focused on the key issues here – namely child abuse / statutory rape and incest. While most of the rest of it (robotic women, “re-assigned” women and children, abondoned under-educated teenaged boys, etc etc) is rather disturbing to watch and hear, it does seem to be outside of the Court’s mandate. I certainly hope that the children will be treated lovingly and respectfully while the Courts determine all of this.
April 22, 2008 at 11:50 am
Why have the presidential candidates been silent on this whole story? Why hasn’t the press asked them to comment on it? I want to know their opinion before I vote for any of them.
April 22, 2008 at 12:27 pm
WillF:
Not to be political, but if you want a candidate who will support the FLDS, and their right to practice their faith freely, and have full privacy rights, I’d look to the Libertarian Party.
April 22, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I’ve posted this on a forum, and it’s beginning to make the rounds. If anyone wouldn’t mind, I would appreciate it so much if people would keep passing it around. No credit required, as I usually go by anonymous username anyhow. (It was all neatly hyperlinked as text, but I’m a tech-idiot and don’t know how to do that on blogs.) Guy, thanks for your devoted coverage of this issue. I’ve been glued to your blog for days, quoted you extensively, spread the links you provided to everyone I know. I wouldn’t be so well informed if it weren’t for you. (I hope you aren’t bothered by my putting this here. If it’s intrusive, please delete.)
This is for any patriotic defender of due process and the United States Constitution. We may individually find the FLDS repugnant, backward, think their theology unbiblical and their clothes stupid. We may personally find polygamy to be sinful and the congregational blessing of a spiritual marriage of a seventeen year old – male or female – to be abhorrent. We may, each of us, be secretly convinced the FLDS men are rapist perverts the punishment of whom ought to involve sticking knives and rusty reel mowers. These are merely personal beliefs, however; which we are all entitled to under our Constitution, just as are the FLDS.
We, the people, insist the FLDS are just as entitled to due process under the law and their constitutional rights as are any of us. Not because of our firm belief in their absolute innocence, but because we firmly believe they are American citizens, endowed by their Creator with certain rights inalienable.
We believe these inalienable rights are being denied. We believe any possible criminal cases are being irreparably damaged. We believe in justice. This is why we protest.
Contact your Representatives – https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml
Contact your Governor – http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Governors.shtml
Contact Texas Gov. Rick Perry – http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact
Contact Focus On The Family – http://family.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/family.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=14190
Sign the petition – http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/free-the-innocent-flds
Sheriff Joe Hunt, Tom Green County – joe.hunt@co.tom-green.tx.us
The San Angelo City Council – http://www.sanangelotexas.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={11C62472-E41B-47AD-9E45-98606DB6404F}
Email the Austin chapter of the ACLU at centraltexaschapter@aclutx.org. This may or may not be the correct chapter; I couldn’t find that information. Pester them anyhow.
Texas CPS – https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Contact_Us/Default.asp
San Angelo Standard-Times – http://www.gosanangelo.com/forms/lettertoeditor/
Austin American-Statesman – http://www.statesman.com/search/cont…tersubmit.html
If you need a letter:
– to Focus on the Family
Quote:
Dear Dr. James Dobson,
I am writing because of my deep concerns in regards to the FLDS custody case in Texas.
In particular I am concerned about this legal argument offered by the Texas Child Protective Services, used successfully to retain custody over 416 children in a mass custody hearing.
“…[The FLDS children] are ruthlessly indoctrinated from birth to believe disobedience will lead to their damnation.”
This was cast by CPS, and agreed to by Judge Barbara Walthers, as inherently abusive; so abusive that the state could conceive of no proposal by which the children would ever be safe in their parents’ care.
This is not even a small leap from concluding that all Christian parents are “ruthlessly indoctrinating their children” with the threat of “damnation” – this is the exact same as concluding this is so. However small, it is a legal precedent and dangerous beyond belief.
Please, stand up against this. We may think it is very different to teach polygamy as biblically sound versus teaching the word of Christ. I doubt humanistic bureaucrats will make such a distinction.
Regards,
XXXX
– to your Congresscritters or Governor
Quote:
Dear (insert proper name here),
I am deeply concerned about the FLDS case in Texas. As a devout Christian, the state’s argument that religious beliefs taught in conjunction with the “threat” of “damnation” are inherently so abusive that the state cannot conceive of a proposal by which children would ever be safe in the care of their parents, is dreadfully alarming. The lack of probable cause, via one phone call authorities now believe to be a hoax, will surely taint any evidence to the point that no criminal convictions will ever arise; however deserved they are found to be! The lack of due process, illustrated by an en masse hearing for 416 children in direct violation of Texas law, et cetera ad nauseum, is shocking beyond belief.
Texas CPS is currently detaining an eighteen year old adult woman against her will, with a certified birth certificate to prove her age, because they believe she is lying about her age.
District Judge Barbara Walthers deliberated for a mere five minutes before giving her ruling.
A seventeen year old Canadian citizen visiting her grandmother has been made a ward of the state of Texas, without benefit of the Canadian consulate.
I see abundant evidence of a miscarriage of justice, dangerous legal precedents and abuse of powers. I insist as your constituent that action be taken to uphold the Constitution and due process.
Regards,
XXXX
If y’all can find it in you to take action by signing the petition and/or emailing anyone you feel proper, please do so at once. I welcome additional examples of good letters to send, more contacts to email, or anything you can think of which may have a positive effect on what is occurring in Texas. Please pass this on.
April 22, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Neither Congress nor the President has any jurisdiction in the case, and I do not see this Congress engaging in the sort of shamelessly politically-motivated meddling we saw in the Terri Schiavo case out of Florida. The Sheriff of Tom Green County has nothing to do with the case, nor does the San Angelo City Council. The Ranch is located in Schleicher County, just south of San Angelo. In any event, the Sheriff doesn’t decide whether or not to press charges; that’s up to the District Attorney. Also, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for the notoriously thick-skinned Rick Perry (who was recently reelected with only 39% of the vote) to care about this. He hasn’t cared enough about CPS or TYC (the Texas Juvenile justice system) enough to properly fund either one of them. As for Dobson, well, the less said by me about him the better.
April 22, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I am open to suggestions, Crank. I don’t put those names and organisations out there from any expectation they simply haven’t heard there’s something going on in Texas, and will suddenly care a great deal if only they knew. I’m not sure what the options are though; doing nothing, because it’s no one’s jurisdiction or business, is unacceptable.
This is what I came up with. If you can do it one better, I would be eternally grateful.
April 22, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Try writing to Texas Rep. Carl Isett – his wife is a homeschooler.
April 22, 2008 at 4:22 pm
This is a very slippery slope, and one that we should both be aware of and take a stand on as Americans, irregardless of our religious beliefs. This is setting a precedent for the state to take the children of anyone it feels is engaging in some behavior that may lead to a crime at some later date. That is unamerican.
(Tongue in cheek:) Perhaps we should just build large child shelters. Then require all mothers to drop their children off at 6 weeks, that is, after all, the longest the judge seems to think they need. Then the state could raise them to be perfect little Americans (though for what America, I’m not sure.) After all, then no child would ever be abused, right? (End of sarcasm.)
You see that is exactly the sort of legal precedent being set here.
In addition, I am very concerned that the judge seems to be legally equating the FLDS with the LDS, when there is no modern relationship. It would be like holding the Catholics accountable for the behavior of the Baptists. Not only that, but we should hold each person responsible for the crimes they commit under the law, not prosecute based on religious sect.
There are some very closed baptist communities in the South that many of the arguments in this case could also be applied to. Shall we round up their kids then? Or some of the LDS communities in Utah. Or, the Jewish enclaves in some cities, they even have their own schools. Or a Moslim group, after all they also preach that polygamy is okay, (and, so I have been told, some are even practicing it in the US.) Maybe we should round up all of the Indians children, from India or original Americans, take your pick, they certainly wear strange clothes, and practice odd customes? (Some of them don’t even have a TV and wouldn’t know what to do with a box of crayons they were handed in the middle of a raid that removed them from their parents.) Or… The list could go through every religion and culture in America. The fact is that all religions and cultures are strange to outsiders in some fashion. Does that give us the right to round up the children of all of them based on an allegation? I have found there are those who say the state has that right because it is children that are involved. So the constitution and the Bill of Rights are always applicable, except when children are involved? That is absolutely unamerican.
Prosecute those who it can actually be proved committed a crime to the fullest extent of the law, leave the others alone. That is the law.
I do not expect the LDS church to say anything about the situation. The LDS church does not involve itself in political matters. If I am wrong, so be it, but I don’t expect any official position to be released anytime soon.
The question at stake is “What will we Americans do about the situation?” Do we really believe in our constitution and our Bill of Rights, or are they just pretty squiggles on an old piece of parchment? Do “we the people” care? History shows that when we don’t tyrants come to power. So what do we want?
April 22, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Gena~
I’ll be putting Rep. Isett on the list at once. Thank you kindly.
April 22, 2008 at 5:05 pm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080422/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_retreat
They put them in foster care.
April 22, 2008 at 9:21 pm
“This is what I came up with. If you can do it one better, I would be eternally grateful.”
Writing to any and all state legislators MIGHT produce results, though they will be most impressed by angry letters coming from their constituents. I would frankly target the most conservative and the most liberal legislators (Texas has, I think, five legislators who could charitably be described as “liberal”) since they are the ones most likely to be outraged, though for different reasons. Members of the Health * Human Services Committee (I think that’s the name of it), which would be the ones who directly oversee DFPS, are also good targets. I wish I could say I was optimistic about the chances of influence the State, but based on bitter experience, I would be lying if I did.
April 22, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Crank-
When does CPS usually give the parents a game plan to get their kids back? Is it usually a few weeks? What do you think they will require of them to regain custody?
April 22, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Just out of curiousity on a bit of a side issue here. I’m not a Bible scholar, but was aware of a verse in the Bible that spoke about having one wife so looked it up. I was wondering how they (FLDS) get around this since from what I understand and by postings here, they quote the Bible a lot. I realize the Bible has a lot of interpretations and has and does get used to justify a lot of actions that I would not support, however, I was curious if anyone with more familiarity with the FLDS knows what they do with this one?
1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 2 ” A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour….”
April 22, 2008 at 10:22 pm
FYI – I emailed the following to the Dr. Phil TV show today:
I’m heartbroken by the one-sided portrayal of all FLDS people! I know many of them personally, and they are wonderful, caring people whom I respect and admire in many ways. Granted, there is always bad with the good, but to paint as evil every FLDS believer as was done on today’s Dr. Phil show is wrong and greatly offensive to me!
I’m not defending anyone breaking the law, but it is beyond my comprehension that the vast majority of Americans condone the removal of 437 children, including infants who obviously can’t be influenced by so-called corrupt doctrine. Having read the hundreds of comments regarding today’s Dr. Phil show, I see what a profound and one-sided effect he can have on the viewing public. This is a travesty of major proportions! What happened to Dr. Phil’s fairness and willingness to present both sides of an issue?
April 22, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Phil sold diet candy bars and foods to go with his diet book. The poor women of America between Phil and Oprah.
April 22, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Phil is a nasty little quack who had his license taken away because the board of psychiatrics just can’t take him anywhere.
The man’s a shameful mammon-hound. My opinion, of course. No slur meant against any who do find him amusing. More that, I am not terribly surprised to hear he’s acting like he donated his brain to a worthy cause.
April 22, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Forgot to add: Crank, that’s an excellent idea! I’ll be tracking down the contact info for all TX politicians and adding them, Rep. Isett foremost, at once. Can you think of any really quality op-ed writers I might add to the list?
April 23, 2008 at 6:37 pm
“Can you think of any really quality op-ed writers I might add to the list?”
Not the toadies at the Dallas Morning News, that’s for sure. I’d go with the Houston Chronicle, Austin American Statesman and, maybe, the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
April 24, 2008 at 7:16 pm
In America, don’t we give society the permission to step in and defend children from abuse because we know that they are most often not able to report that abuse themselves? Isn’t it always the case that children, who are suspected of being abused, are removed from the environment while the abuse allegations are investigated? The courts oversee this investigation and that is due process? Just a question. I’m a teacher, although I stay home with my kids now, and I could have been fired from my job if I had not reported symptoms of abuse. My friend that is an ER nurse is held to even more stringent standards when it comes to reporting abuse symptoms found on child patients. Don’t we allow this exception to the law with children because we realize that little children are not likely to call CPS, or file a formal complaint against their parents? Are they required to provide proof that they are being abused before anyone comes to their rescue? If so many children live in one home, which from the video we can see that they do, but nobody will claim which children belong to which mother and which father, what could the social workers do? If one sibling was being beaten in a home, wouldn’t you take his little brother out of that home with him? I don’t know all the details of why they took all the kids, perhaps they have not released to the public the evidence that they gathered, so maybe they did have probable cause to take these kids. This is such a logistical nightmare, I can’t imagine anyone doing this on a whim. And, why are people so scared that they won’t be allowed to breastfeed or home school? If you don’t marry your girls off to adult men when they are under 18 you have nothing to worry about. These children were taken because they might have been abused, not because they were home schooled or breastfed.
April 24, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I am an American citizen living in Canada and am enraged at what is happening to the children in Texas. As a committed Christian I do not believe in the things that the FLDS teaches but to take away hundreds of children and put them in foster care, when that environment will likely expose them to real and life altering abuse, is disgusting.
What is worse perhaps is that through the comments posted here and hearing other Americans talking about other issues all over the Internet, it has become evident that the average American has very little influence over elected officials. We can vote but that is about all we can do. And that is an intermittent thing. In the meantime it sounds like judges and authority figures in the U.S. can do what they feel is right with impunity.
I have lost a great deal of faith in America. I used to be very pro American but can no longer maintain such a stance.
Just yesterday I was hearing a radio program on Guantanomo Bay where terrorists are being held and the War On Terror. Some of the things that have gone on in the name of fighting terrorists are no less disgusting and un-American than what is happening in Texas.
I guess the only hope truly is the Lord Jesus Christ. May He come quickly to put an end to this madness. To judge the earth. And may every Christian take their relationship with God seriously. Things are going to get much, much worse according to the Bible. God help us all.
Carlos
April 26, 2008 at 7:50 pm
“Isn’t it always the case that children, who are suspected of being abused, are removed from the environment while the abuse allegations are investigated?”
No, it’s not. In fact, it’s not even USUALLY the case. DFPS guidelines and standard operating procedures call for removing the ABUSER not the victims.
“If you don’t marry your girls off to adult men when they are under 18 you have nothing to worry about”
The legal age for marriage in Texas is 16, not 18. Just four years it was 14.
“These children were taken because they might have been abused, not because they were home schooled or breastfed.”
Are you comfortable with the police arriving at your house with SWAT teams and armored personnel carriers and forcibly removing your children, including infants, because they MIGHT have been abused, and all based upon a fraudulent call alleging abuse that the police knew was fraudulent at the time they drew up the warrant? If your answer is anything less than an enthusiastic “yes,” then I put it to you that NO ONE should have to endure that.
April 26, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Local Crank,
Thanks for stopping by from time to time to set the record straight on Texas custody law. As a practicing Texas lawyer in this field, your opinion of course is more informed than mine; however, based on my reading of the Texas Family Code, to which I have linked several times in a series of posts, yours is the interpretation I am left with.
The code pretty clearly seeks to require the removal of the perpetrator, and/or do anything else rather than remove the children. It also clearly requires a separate hearing for each and every child.
This is why I am so perplexed in the news accounts I have just read over the last day or so that the Texas appellate court has now canceled a hearing to review the trial court’s order allowing all the children to be removed from their homes and families.
I can only now hope these cases work themselves somehow into the Federal Court system.
April 27, 2008 at 8:48 am
Guy I thought the ok’ed the placement of children outside the county but gave CPS until May 2 to respond to the initial taking custody of the kids? I think just the outside the county one was cancelled.
April 27, 2008 at 8:49 am
http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_9060445
April 27, 2008 at 11:52 am
mom2oneson:
Yes, the article you link suggests that. Still, given what I’ve seen thus far from the Texas judicial process, I am not optimistic; however, I will remain hopeful. Thanks for the link.
May 6, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I want to know why the FBI hasn’t done their job of investigating kidnapping. Isnt that their jurisdiction ? or are they all corrupt.
May 22, 2008 at 9:44 pm
[…] over here, you will recall that in prior discussions I highlighted the legal requirements (see also here) that Texas Family Code sections governing the removal of children also mandated that the state […]
December 20, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I actually dont care what theese ppl has done. But to go in and take the children like this. its to much.
what about all those parents that dont give a shit about their teenage daughters? and sons? if they want to make a difference go inside and speak with the people. Dont make them hate the outside society more. or remove the men. but why punish the women more? and especially the children??
big brother america lol
April 2, 2010 at 1:38 am
anyone out there still but help is again needed in san angelo cps a father had pot mom was clean & did not know it was there not me
cps took her 10yr old & 6 mo old breast feeding baby split them up & took them over 90 mi away didnt allow mom to see them for 10 days baby was breastfeeding & all test proved mother was not using any drugs of any kind cps said 2day at visit if anyone cried no more visit even kids help no attny in town will touch a cps case after the flds
please email if you have any ideas on how to help this young mother
the night they took the kids mom tried to get a family placement cps would not allow it or try grandmother was protective and stable they refused.
they have the first hearing on monday but again no attny and CPS keeps telling the parents we are you friend and we want you to get your kids back we are hear for you
Please email if you have any ideas
sasc@wcc.net