I remember one case in patricular... It's one I shall never forget. Both the mother and the father were drug addicts with four children... The father (names shall remain anonymous) was forging checks, selling drugs from the home and could not support the children by any legal means. The children's mother stayed at home, did not work, would not clean and would lie around- with multiple friends in the home and do cocaine and pot on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, the four children were being raised as they watched these events.. No food in the home, roaches everywhere and no verbal or emotional attention by their mother or father.
As one would expect, the day finally came that Texas Child Protective Services became involved with the family and the four children were removed from the home. The idea was that all FOUR of the children would be in a safer environment while the parents, with the states help, could get their act together so that they could get their children back. Unfortunately, after trying to give them every resource I could to help them, in the end the parents did absolutely nothing to get their kids back. Yes- they continued their destructive lifestyle even when facing the loss of their children. The people would not even try to fake like they were changing!
In the end, I was forced to reccommend termination of parental rights of all four children. Non recommendation of parental rights was something I prided myself on however, in this case, their failure was my failure. The recommendation was provided with hoped that all four children could grow up with normalcy in their lives. Therefore, the state went forward with their termination suit.
The parent's attorney, who was also a Southern Texas Baptist preacher, began to prepare a defense for these people. The state's attorney, our attorney, did what he was well-known for within the agency.. he did nothing but play the "courtroom game" to get the case off his load.
The attorneys, with overwhelming evidence of massive neglect, made a TRADE. The states attorney bargained to give one child back to the parents if the parents surrendered to Texas the other three. The judge agreed and the one child was returned home to sleep on a roach infested mattress, on the floor, no food, "coke" on the living room table and the stench of filth. She was also separated from her three siblings.
To my horror I knew that the one child's life was just given away for the othe three. While the preacher/attorney walked smug with the deal he just won- I just sat there, on the courtroom bench, numb from disbelief. I worked so hard but I somehow I failed this child. The preacher/attorney also saw the conditions of the home) that were still the condition described one week within the trial date. However, he still fought with the veracity and rantings of the typical Southern Baptist Preacher.
I'll always believe that their is a special place in hell not just the preacher/attorney but also the state's attorney who was to cowardly to fight. Hence, the reason for the following stories of tragedy and some triumph.
As I walked numbly to my car, of course hating all attorneys, I remember the final words of one attorney- in an attempt to console my obvious disgust. She said, "It Is What it Is". To me that made that child's life, and all my work, seem like it was worth nothing. Those words haunt me to this day- that case simply couldnt be "it is what it is".. There was so much more that could have been done and right now, if she is still alive, there is one child out there who also knows how the system failed her- so her siblings could thrive... All due to the most cowardice of trades!
I'm so very sorry honey.. Jenna
No comments:
Post a Comment