Just going to drop these here.
In The Matter of Carri Stearns
The Bring Camden Home Scam
I don't want to hear about how horrible I am for sharing these. I hinted in a previous post that there is a reason people have been dropping their support of her case. For the sake of the community, I generally have tried to not only keep my mouth shut but also keep my opinion to myself.
The cat's out of the bag. People are getting fed up.
If you still support her case, fine by me. Do what you wish. But don't expect the rest of us to kiss her ass or treat her like some kind of victim. She's far from it.
Okay, rant over. Carry on.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
The Fight For Baby Kaylee
Colby Nielson is a young 20 yr old Utah father to a three week old baby girl named
Kaylee. Through out the pregnancy, Colby and his then girlfriend
Amily, were pushed to relinquish for adoption by Amily’s own parents.
Discussions were had and even a meeting with a potential couple (who are
friends of the mother’s parents). Colby and Amily decided adoption was
not an option and when Kaylee was born, they brought her home to
Colby’s parents’ home. Colby doted upon his new daughter. Amily seemed
unsure. At some point, Amily simply left, leaving Colby alone to care
for his newborn daughter.
Colby got the shock of his life when he received word that Amily, under the pressure of her strict uber religious parents, had signed relinquishment papers and the couple seeking to adopt Kaylee had obtained a court order demanding the infant’s turnover from Colby’s care. They sent police to his home to snatch his baby girl.
Colby was on Kaylee’s birth certificate. Kaylee even had his last name. Paternity was verified. And yet, Utah law allows unwed mothers to relinquish their children for adoption without the permission or knowledge of the child’s father. Colby isn’t alone in this. There are numerous men still fighting against the kidnapping of their children. Some have been fighting for years and years.
Colby’s heartbreaking story came across as a simple Facebook post asking for shares. The public was outraged that the courts could demand a father hand over his child to strangers without any notice when he’d done nothing wrong. Soon media began picking up the story and a sobbing Colby pleads with the baby snatching adopters to give him back his daughter.
The names of the baby snatchers were revealed publicly and they received a great deal of angry hate mail from an outraged public. It was the same couple they’d talked with prior to Kaylee’s birth, the friends of Amily’s parents. Out of the blue, with no notice to Colby or his lawyer, Kaylee was simply given back to her mother and Colby has yet to see his baby girl. The baby snatchers made a public statement claiming they did not know that Colby wanted to parent. This claim was refuted quickly when Colby’s lawyer revealed text messages between Colby and the baby snatcher woman, begging them to not take his daughter and to give her back. The baby snatcher woman responded with “This is god’s will” and “it will be an open adoption” and “you’ll be part of the family”.
So….what was that about not knowing he wanted her again? And their insistence that he’d met with them prior to Kaylee’s birth and they thought he was totally on board with the adoption? Well, let’s see….meeting with a potential couple does not equal consent to an adoption and I would think taking his daughter home with him from the hospital was also a sign he clearly had no plans on relinquishing.
Amily still has baby Kaylee and is refusing Colby contact. His lawyer is working hard to right this wrong. Many speculate the mother may try to pass baby Kaylee off to a new couple. Given how ridiculously biased Utah law is, no doubt she is keeping Kaylee from him not only as punishment for refusing to go through with the adoption, but to also claim lack of interest/abandonment so she can simply give Kaylee up again.
A small few are trying to claim the fight is over, but this fight is far from it. It won't be over until Kaylee is back with her Daddy.
Colby got the shock of his life when he received word that Amily, under the pressure of her strict uber religious parents, had signed relinquishment papers and the couple seeking to adopt Kaylee had obtained a court order demanding the infant’s turnover from Colby’s care. They sent police to his home to snatch his baby girl.
Colby was on Kaylee’s birth certificate. Kaylee even had his last name. Paternity was verified. And yet, Utah law allows unwed mothers to relinquish their children for adoption without the permission or knowledge of the child’s father. Colby isn’t alone in this. There are numerous men still fighting against the kidnapping of their children. Some have been fighting for years and years.
Colby’s heartbreaking story came across as a simple Facebook post asking for shares. The public was outraged that the courts could demand a father hand over his child to strangers without any notice when he’d done nothing wrong. Soon media began picking up the story and a sobbing Colby pleads with the baby snatching adopters to give him back his daughter.
The names of the baby snatchers were revealed publicly and they received a great deal of angry hate mail from an outraged public. It was the same couple they’d talked with prior to Kaylee’s birth, the friends of Amily’s parents. Out of the blue, with no notice to Colby or his lawyer, Kaylee was simply given back to her mother and Colby has yet to see his baby girl. The baby snatchers made a public statement claiming they did not know that Colby wanted to parent. This claim was refuted quickly when Colby’s lawyer revealed text messages between Colby and the baby snatcher woman, begging them to not take his daughter and to give her back. The baby snatcher woman responded with “This is god’s will” and “it will be an open adoption” and “you’ll be part of the family”.
So….what was that about not knowing he wanted her again? And their insistence that he’d met with them prior to Kaylee’s birth and they thought he was totally on board with the adoption? Well, let’s see….meeting with a potential couple does not equal consent to an adoption and I would think taking his daughter home with him from the hospital was also a sign he clearly had no plans on relinquishing.
Amily still has baby Kaylee and is refusing Colby contact. His lawyer is working hard to right this wrong. Many speculate the mother may try to pass baby Kaylee off to a new couple. Given how ridiculously biased Utah law is, no doubt she is keeping Kaylee from him not only as punishment for refusing to go through with the adoption, but to also claim lack of interest/abandonment so she can simply give Kaylee up again.
A small few are trying to claim the fight is over, but this fight is far from it. It won't be over until Kaylee is back with her Daddy.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Random Updates and a New Case
Has it really been a
year since my last post? Christ, it feels like mere months ago. I
suppose it's about right, though. I had a few posts drafted out and as
the days and weeks dragged on, I realized I needed a break from it all.
I have a job, a small family and an existence outside of this blog. I
had trouble focusing and keeping on task. A sabbatical was necessary.
Longer than I planned, but a needed break all the same. For those who
follow, sorry there have been no real updates. I will be getting to all
of that shortly.
I would like to touch on my own adoption story. For those who recall, I have a daughter I surrendered at birth who is now 8 yrs old. Per the agreement, I was supposed to receive updates. The last update I received was two and a half years ago, give or take. While I know they're a busy family and have been more than gracious in maintaining the agreement, I can't help but feel this abrupt stop is due to them finding out about the blog. I could be way off, honestly. It could just as easily be that they're busy and haven't thought about it much. But I check the special email account every few months and the mailbox remains absent of any letters and pictures from them. So it's hard to not suspect the blog as the reasons behind their silence. After all, most automatically label it as anti-adoption based solely on the fact that it's not all ponies and rainbows. Of course if you take the time to read more than one or two entries, you'll realize that this blog's purpose was to raise awareness on the unethical practices and cases that pop up in the media. I am not against adoption. I think there could be changes, but I am not against it. I am against those who use loopholes in the existing laws or outright violate laws in order to snatch children away from fathers and families.
I could easily be way off the mark. Pulling at straws, so to speak. It honestly just could be that they're a busy family and haven't found the time. They're a good couple and have a beautiful family. Z was placed with the perfect family in regards to her abilities and demeanor. Artists and writers. The kids aren't molded into what their parents want but are allowed to flourish with their ingrained skills and personalities. I remember when I'd first met them so long ago and how at ease I'd been with them. Like perhaps in another life, we could have been friends. Never know how things will turn out. As Z gets older, she may eventually request to know me and her big sis. It's not unheard of, mother and child reuniting before the child reaches adulthood and forming a bond. That bond may differ from the bond they have with their adoptive parents or the bond the mother may have with her raised children, but a bond all the same.
So enough about me. I wanted to touch on a few things that needed to be touched upon.
Sonya is home forever. The Hodgins have exhausted all their legal adoptions and have reached the end of the line. Sonya can now grow up within her real family and no longer worry about her former foster parents trying to snatch her away. The Facebook support pages - Sonya is Home (McCaul supporters) and Bring Sonya Home (Hodgin supporters) - have been taken down. For the record, Sonya is doing outstanding and is flourishing.
We're at the two year mark of Veronica Brown's kidnapping. No photos have been made available, but I've heard through the grapevine that she still have access to her Daddy via Skype and still calls him Daddy and calls Robyn Mommy. She still refuses to call them by name. But she is still being isolated from the public and only paraded around an elite circle of Capobianco supporters and friends. Matt and Melanie won't bring her out in public because all their lies about how she's adjusted would fall apart. If she is refusing to follow their demands on what she calls her Daddy, chances are she is still demanding to go back home.
Trent Reicks is still fighting to get his daughter back from her kidnappers. The gag is still in effect so I have no new information on the case. Last I heard, Trent is still waiting on court and the governor and attorney general's office have been contacted regarding this massive corruption of the laws and courts. His baby girl is now two years old. His case needs to be heard and his daughter needs to be returned to him. I don't care how long she's been with her kidnappers, you don't reward illegal behavior. And if the Capobiancos can snatch a 4 yr old from her daddy, then the Morris-McLemores and the judge Duncan have no grounds on claiming "only home she's known".
As far as the Carri Stearns vs Adoption By Gentle Care mess, the case was heard by the higher courts and tossed back into the lower courts. I had a full blog entry planned for this case and not what you'd think. There are things going on with this case that have made me pull my support completely. I will not divulge too much but will say that this case is not as cut and dried as they'd want you to believe. Stearns caused a lot of problems amongst the supporters. There are those who support her simply because it means taking down an agency. Others believe she truly is a victim. And there are those who see her for what she is and want nothing more to do with her or her cause. When I get the chance, I will explain it all fully in a future post.
In more current cases, there is the case of Baby Elliott. Elliott's mother, Kimberly Rossler, started an adoption plan when she'd become pregnant. The organization assisting in the adoption was Adoption Rocks, represented by Donna Ames. Kimberly was matched with a prospective adopter by the name of Kate Gilliard Sharp. At some point before Elliott's birth, Kim decided to parent her son and informed Ames of her plan to parent. Little did Kim know, the contracts she signed before Elliott's birth were legally binding. Three weeks after Elliott was born, Kate managed to get a judge to sign a custody order and had the police show up at Kim's residence to snatch Elliott away from her.
The judge who signed the order has gone on to say that had he known it was for an adoption, he would never have authorized the forced removal. Sadly, Kate is still holding Elliott hostage. Adoption Rocks has since backed out, along with Donna Ames. It has now become a contested adoption stand off between Kim and Kate. The judge overseeing the case has slapped a gag order down so Kim is unable to speak about the progress of the case. When more information is obtained, I will update the best I can on this case.
I wish I could say this entry would pack the normal punch and ruffle some feathers. Bear with me. I've been gone a long while and am feeling a bit rusty. The last six months or so have been a busy one for me. But rest assured, this blog will stay alive to highlight the crimes of those who feel they can take whatever child they want. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The public will be reminded of what you are. If you think you can slink away into the shadows and raise the kidnapped child in obscurity, think again. Kidnappers get no mercy.
I would like to touch on my own adoption story. For those who recall, I have a daughter I surrendered at birth who is now 8 yrs old. Per the agreement, I was supposed to receive updates. The last update I received was two and a half years ago, give or take. While I know they're a busy family and have been more than gracious in maintaining the agreement, I can't help but feel this abrupt stop is due to them finding out about the blog. I could be way off, honestly. It could just as easily be that they're busy and haven't thought about it much. But I check the special email account every few months and the mailbox remains absent of any letters and pictures from them. So it's hard to not suspect the blog as the reasons behind their silence. After all, most automatically label it as anti-adoption based solely on the fact that it's not all ponies and rainbows. Of course if you take the time to read more than one or two entries, you'll realize that this blog's purpose was to raise awareness on the unethical practices and cases that pop up in the media. I am not against adoption. I think there could be changes, but I am not against it. I am against those who use loopholes in the existing laws or outright violate laws in order to snatch children away from fathers and families.
I could easily be way off the mark. Pulling at straws, so to speak. It honestly just could be that they're a busy family and haven't found the time. They're a good couple and have a beautiful family. Z was placed with the perfect family in regards to her abilities and demeanor. Artists and writers. The kids aren't molded into what their parents want but are allowed to flourish with their ingrained skills and personalities. I remember when I'd first met them so long ago and how at ease I'd been with them. Like perhaps in another life, we could have been friends. Never know how things will turn out. As Z gets older, she may eventually request to know me and her big sis. It's not unheard of, mother and child reuniting before the child reaches adulthood and forming a bond. That bond may differ from the bond they have with their adoptive parents or the bond the mother may have with her raised children, but a bond all the same.
So enough about me. I wanted to touch on a few things that needed to be touched upon.
Sonya is home forever. The Hodgins have exhausted all their legal adoptions and have reached the end of the line. Sonya can now grow up within her real family and no longer worry about her former foster parents trying to snatch her away. The Facebook support pages - Sonya is Home (McCaul supporters) and Bring Sonya Home (Hodgin supporters) - have been taken down. For the record, Sonya is doing outstanding and is flourishing.
We're at the two year mark of Veronica Brown's kidnapping. No photos have been made available, but I've heard through the grapevine that she still have access to her Daddy via Skype and still calls him Daddy and calls Robyn Mommy. She still refuses to call them by name. But she is still being isolated from the public and only paraded around an elite circle of Capobianco supporters and friends. Matt and Melanie won't bring her out in public because all their lies about how she's adjusted would fall apart. If she is refusing to follow their demands on what she calls her Daddy, chances are she is still demanding to go back home.
Trent Reicks is still fighting to get his daughter back from her kidnappers. The gag is still in effect so I have no new information on the case. Last I heard, Trent is still waiting on court and the governor and attorney general's office have been contacted regarding this massive corruption of the laws and courts. His baby girl is now two years old. His case needs to be heard and his daughter needs to be returned to him. I don't care how long she's been with her kidnappers, you don't reward illegal behavior. And if the Capobiancos can snatch a 4 yr old from her daddy, then the Morris-McLemores and the judge Duncan have no grounds on claiming "only home she's known".
As far as the Carri Stearns vs Adoption By Gentle Care mess, the case was heard by the higher courts and tossed back into the lower courts. I had a full blog entry planned for this case and not what you'd think. There are things going on with this case that have made me pull my support completely. I will not divulge too much but will say that this case is not as cut and dried as they'd want you to believe. Stearns caused a lot of problems amongst the supporters. There are those who support her simply because it means taking down an agency. Others believe she truly is a victim. And there are those who see her for what she is and want nothing more to do with her or her cause. When I get the chance, I will explain it all fully in a future post.
In more current cases, there is the case of Baby Elliott. Elliott's mother, Kimberly Rossler, started an adoption plan when she'd become pregnant. The organization assisting in the adoption was Adoption Rocks, represented by Donna Ames. Kimberly was matched with a prospective adopter by the name of Kate Gilliard Sharp. At some point before Elliott's birth, Kim decided to parent her son and informed Ames of her plan to parent. Little did Kim know, the contracts she signed before Elliott's birth were legally binding. Three weeks after Elliott was born, Kate managed to get a judge to sign a custody order and had the police show up at Kim's residence to snatch Elliott away from her.
The judge who signed the order has gone on to say that had he known it was for an adoption, he would never have authorized the forced removal. Sadly, Kate is still holding Elliott hostage. Adoption Rocks has since backed out, along with Donna Ames. It has now become a contested adoption stand off between Kim and Kate. The judge overseeing the case has slapped a gag order down so Kim is unable to speak about the progress of the case. When more information is obtained, I will update the best I can on this case.
I wish I could say this entry would pack the normal punch and ruffle some feathers. Bear with me. I've been gone a long while and am feeling a bit rusty. The last six months or so have been a busy one for me. But rest assured, this blog will stay alive to highlight the crimes of those who feel they can take whatever child they want. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The public will be reminded of what you are. If you think you can slink away into the shadows and raise the kidnapped child in obscurity, think again. Kidnappers get no mercy.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Scare Tactics
I will admit, when I took on the blog and joined the grassroots effort to help families in need, I never expected the crap that would be thrown in our direction. Supporters of unethical and illegal adoption are indeed a strange breed of people. When they can't lie to the public about their cause or get caught in their lies, they resort to insults, attacks against personal lives, professional lives, etc. Nothing is sacred. I've seen with my own eyes attacks on spouses, children and whatever petty nonsense they could find.
Sonya's case is closed. She can now live happily with her mom, dad and extended family. The couple that held her hostage for over eight years of her life no longer have any legal options available to them in their efforts to gain access to her. Supporters of the kidnapping foster parents are mad in their death throes. Twitter is alive with the rantings of one or two of the more vicious Hodgin supporters, hell bent on savagely attacking anyone who supports Sonya's right to remain with her true family. Even with the court documents presented that finally prove without a shadow of a doubt that the Hodgins themselves were responsible for Sonya's lengthy term as a foster child, they refuse to acknowledge it. Even with the proof that Sonya's paternal grandmother was approved to take her and that DCS and the courts had planned for Sonya to be transferred back to Nebraska, supporters of the kidnappers still insist she was never approved and nobody ever came to get her.
It amazes me the level of denial. The proof is right there in their faces. Grandma was approved. The Hodgins thwarted reunification. DCS OPPOSED their adoption attempts. There is solid documented proof that the Hodgins lied to their supporters from day one and yet the more die-hard supporters refuse to even entertain the idea that the Hodgins were in the wrong. They focus on the fact that they managed to hold the child hostage for most of her life and that alone should give them superior rights over the child's own father, mother and legal state of residence.
One thing I've learned is that when something is dying, it can snap. Frightened and unsure of itself, it lashes out. That is the case with some of the Hodgins more psychotic supporters. Supporters of kidnappers resort to underhanded means in an attempt to intimidate and bully. We saw it a year and a half ago during the Veronica Brown kidnapping and we're seeing it again now. Supporters of kidnappers have gone as far as to find out where the opposing side lives and works in an attempt to bring the fight into our personal lives. Seems unreal, yeah? Those who supported Dusten and Veronica were actually reported at their places of employment, had spouses and even ex spouses contacted.
About a week ago, in the wake of Sonya's victory over her kidnappers, it was discovered that someone had contacted the former employer of a member of our team in an attempt to locate them. The former employer was able to contact the team member and give them a heads up. I am not at liberty to mention the suspect behind this or how this person was possibly able to obtain the information. The matter is being investigated.
Yesterday, an alternate Facebook account messaged Sonya Is Home, the support page for Sonya and her real family. This message led the Sonya Is Home administrator to the alt account's page that revealed what appeared to be a list of names with a bloody target. A dozen or so of the most vocal supporters who support family preservation and rally against unethical/illegal adoption were on this list, mine included.
This is how far some are willing to go. Scare into silence. Luckily, the administrator was able to obtain screenshots of the list and this was quickly passed on to law enforcement and everyone on the list is working with investigators in their home states as well as where the alternate account originated from. Word of the "hit list" was made public on Sonya Is Home as a way to warn everyone involved just how dangerous some of the kidnapping supporters have become. The support page for the Hodgins, Bring Sonya Home, is of course scoffing at it. Demanding proof. Claiming it's nothing but a lie, an effort to discredit them. We were advised against making the screen shots public due to what is now an ongoing investigation into the threat.
Supporters of the Hodgins have encouraged kidnapping Sonya back and escaping out of country. Encouraged those local to where Sonya lives to stalk her and harass her. And now they are resorting to stalking supporters of Sonya's family and hinting that they plan to cause physical harm to us. Knowing their moral compass is so skewed they'd support someone snatching the child back against her will, finding out that someone is making threats against her supporters should not come a surprise. The evil and depravity of the Hodgin's circle of supporters clearly knows no bounds. Willing to silence us by any means necessary.
If you're reading this, know that you will be found and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is being taken VERY seriously and everyone on the list is working with law enforcement to track you down. You will not silence us with half assed put together scare tactics. It only proves that you and those who believe as you do will stop at nothing to shut us up.
It isn't going to work.
You've only made us louder.
Sonya's case is closed. She can now live happily with her mom, dad and extended family. The couple that held her hostage for over eight years of her life no longer have any legal options available to them in their efforts to gain access to her. Supporters of the kidnapping foster parents are mad in their death throes. Twitter is alive with the rantings of one or two of the more vicious Hodgin supporters, hell bent on savagely attacking anyone who supports Sonya's right to remain with her true family. Even with the court documents presented that finally prove without a shadow of a doubt that the Hodgins themselves were responsible for Sonya's lengthy term as a foster child, they refuse to acknowledge it. Even with the proof that Sonya's paternal grandmother was approved to take her and that DCS and the courts had planned for Sonya to be transferred back to Nebraska, supporters of the kidnappers still insist she was never approved and nobody ever came to get her.
It amazes me the level of denial. The proof is right there in their faces. Grandma was approved. The Hodgins thwarted reunification. DCS OPPOSED their adoption attempts. There is solid documented proof that the Hodgins lied to their supporters from day one and yet the more die-hard supporters refuse to even entertain the idea that the Hodgins were in the wrong. They focus on the fact that they managed to hold the child hostage for most of her life and that alone should give them superior rights over the child's own father, mother and legal state of residence.
One thing I've learned is that when something is dying, it can snap. Frightened and unsure of itself, it lashes out. That is the case with some of the Hodgins more psychotic supporters. Supporters of kidnappers resort to underhanded means in an attempt to intimidate and bully. We saw it a year and a half ago during the Veronica Brown kidnapping and we're seeing it again now. Supporters of kidnappers have gone as far as to find out where the opposing side lives and works in an attempt to bring the fight into our personal lives. Seems unreal, yeah? Those who supported Dusten and Veronica were actually reported at their places of employment, had spouses and even ex spouses contacted.
About a week ago, in the wake of Sonya's victory over her kidnappers, it was discovered that someone had contacted the former employer of a member of our team in an attempt to locate them. The former employer was able to contact the team member and give them a heads up. I am not at liberty to mention the suspect behind this or how this person was possibly able to obtain the information. The matter is being investigated.
Yesterday, an alternate Facebook account messaged Sonya Is Home, the support page for Sonya and her real family. This message led the Sonya Is Home administrator to the alt account's page that revealed what appeared to be a list of names with a bloody target. A dozen or so of the most vocal supporters who support family preservation and rally against unethical/illegal adoption were on this list, mine included.
This is how far some are willing to go. Scare into silence. Luckily, the administrator was able to obtain screenshots of the list and this was quickly passed on to law enforcement and everyone on the list is working with investigators in their home states as well as where the alternate account originated from. Word of the "hit list" was made public on Sonya Is Home as a way to warn everyone involved just how dangerous some of the kidnapping supporters have become. The support page for the Hodgins, Bring Sonya Home, is of course scoffing at it. Demanding proof. Claiming it's nothing but a lie, an effort to discredit them. We were advised against making the screen shots public due to what is now an ongoing investigation into the threat.
Supporters of the Hodgins have encouraged kidnapping Sonya back and escaping out of country. Encouraged those local to where Sonya lives to stalk her and harass her. And now they are resorting to stalking supporters of Sonya's family and hinting that they plan to cause physical harm to us. Knowing their moral compass is so skewed they'd support someone snatching the child back against her will, finding out that someone is making threats against her supporters should not come a surprise. The evil and depravity of the Hodgin's circle of supporters clearly knows no bounds. Willing to silence us by any means necessary.
If you're reading this, know that you will be found and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is being taken VERY seriously and everyone on the list is working with law enforcement to track you down. You will not silence us with half assed put together scare tactics. It only proves that you and those who believe as you do will stop at nothing to shut us up.
It isn't going to work.
You've only made us louder.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Long Overdue Updates
The Hodgins have finally been told to give up and go home. During a more recent hearing, a judge basically told them it was over. Tennessee does not hold jurisdiction and DCS no longer is involved. Sonya gets to remain with her dad, where she belongs and where she should have been from the very beginning when the Hodgins slyly had her placed in their home.
The Hodgins - of course - refuse to acknowledge that it's over. This last ruling was a death blow to their case (if they even had one, really). Twitter is alive with the rantings of their more psychotic supporters and the PR firm, Trio, appears to have backed out completely.
They're in the death throes. Rather like muscle spasms one has after death, the final electrical impulses that cause a stir here or there. The more tenacious Hodgin supports bring little blips to the radar, maybe enough to catch your eye, but gone just that quick. Sometimes you catch the movement, sometimes you don't. Supporters are backing off from their support page on Facebook. People are realizing the lies spoon fed to them by the Hodgins, Trio and the die hard supporters and apparently are not taking kindly to being duped.
This case is coming to a close for good and the Hodgins are finally realizing their small town connections and mentality can't win them back the child they attempted to steal. It is a victory for Sonya. A victory for her family.
In the Bring Layah Home case, a court reversed the adoption and the Norwoods returned back to their brood with their tails between their legs. Legal documents showed that they never even served the mother properly and that alone was the death blow for their case. And while apparently it is legal to forum shop for adoption in Alabama, it doesn't protect them from the parents and Children's Services from appealing and fighting back. It doesn't mean the adoption will stick.
Further research into the Layah case revealed that Layah was born to an underaged mother who herself was also in foster care. Given the confidentiality of the case, I do not know what led to the mother and child being separated (there is some implication that the mother's age was used against her), but the Norwoods pretty much did everything in their power to cut the mother out and give them some legal standing and attempt the adoption based on abandonment and lack of substantial contact between child and mother.
Foster dad Norwood is now attempting to get a law passed that will allow foster parents to undermine parental rights and Children's Services if they end up with a child they'd like to adopt. From what can be seen, nobody is biting on this law. I visited the web page http://travisnorwood.com/park-act/ to review the PARK act and see what changes the Norwoods were pushing for. Easy enough to see that it's nothing more than a feel-good law, something that an unsuspecting public might get on board for without realizing the implications.
Section I covers involuntary TPR. Under normal circumstances (in most states), once a parent is involuntarily TPR'd by Children's Services, they often lose custody and parental rights to any subsequent children born, regardless of the parent's age at time of TPR or how much time has passed since. I think Part I of the PARK act is to suck in the public at large. Norwood specifically covers involuntary TPR of minor parents. Basically, let non-related caregivers take your kid and sever your rights, but maybe in 5 yrs when you're an adult, they'll allow you to have kids of your own (though I'm sure this attitude will change if they want their little ill gotten adoptee to have a blood sibling).
(Norwood's additions are in red)
The above pictured snip is the only part of the law change that actually makes any level of sense. I don't think a parent should be involuntarily TPR'd for subsequent children nor should Children's Services even involve themselves if said parent was a minor at time of the first TPR (barring actual extreme abuse or failure to protect - i.e. knowingly allow someone else to abuse child). But I will say that I do have an issue holding a 14/15 yr old mother to adult parent standards when it comes to case plans set up by Children's Services. But seriously, why should a mistake made at 16 yrs old be held against you as an example of being an unfit parent when you decide to have another child at, say, 25 or 30? I do find it interesting that Norwood addresses this specifically. Particularly since he and his wife attempted to snatch up a child of an underaged mother and involuntarily terminate her rights.
Before people jump down my throat and try to claim I support abuse, let me be very clear - I do not. Typical reasons a minor parent may lose their child to foster care usually are due to poverty and lack of proper parenting resources. Often times, because they are held to adult standards in regards to case plans, they fall short because of lack of funds, lack of transportation and lack family support to help them get their child back. So, often times, their case has stretched on for a length of time and due to the hoops Children's Services has placed upon them, they are unable to maintain a meaningful relationship with their child. Children Services moves in to terminate their parental rights and that is that.
Section II is where things go wrong.
Let's discuss shall we? Six months may seem like a long time, but it is not. Imagine your child is removed from your care. You're just a kid yourself. You might only have a part time job. You're in school. Your child is in a foster home hours away and you have no means to get there. Add to this all the parenting classes and therapy sessions you're told you have to take. Buses take time. Cost money you do not have. So you have to take time off work and school to make all these appointments, sometimes missing them due to transportation scheduling conflicts. You miss visitations due to the same or the visiting sessions conflict with another appointment they insist you attend. Missed visits, classes and appointments are used against you. Now you are deemed uncooperative with the case plan and failing to maintain a substantial relationship with your child. And if the foster parents want your child, chances are they will make any contact with the child as difficult as possible.
It gets worse. Check out Section III.
Norwood is pushing to change the laws in regards to where foster parents stand in a dependency case. He wants them to have rights equal to that of the parents fighting to have their children returned to them. The current laws allow them standing in the sense that they are notified of court hearings and kept in the loop regarding the case plan surrounding the child. But unless Children's Services is willing to allow them more leverage, they cannot fight the parent for custody of the child. Norwood's changes would allow them to do just that.
On to section IV.
Yeah, let's shrink down the window a parent has to fight TPR.
Section V:
Norwood wants to ensure extended family has zero chance of getting the child. Now don't get me wrong, there have been cases where extended family waited a great length of time before intervening in permanent placement. The most often cited reason is hope that the parent works harder for the return of the child or they were incapable of taking the child in when the child first went into care. Sometimes, family cannot be found right away due to estrangement from the child's parent. This should never be a reason to disallow extended family to step in, regardless of how long child is in the foster placement. There have been situations where extended family is working to ensure they can take the child in and it does take time. A larger home, remodels to ensure the house can pass a safety inspection, etc.
In a lot of situations, I've discovered that sometimes Children's Services themselves are the ones making the effort to cut the extended family out. Falsifying documents, lying in court hearings or not even bothering to mention that there is family willing to take the child in. My own family was put through this not too long ago when a young relative was in state care in another state. The social workers involved claimed nobody in our family was willing or able to take my young relative, even though my family filed all the necessary paperwork and there was email documentation showing we wanted my young relative placed in our care. Social workers told a judge nobody was willing or able, but told our family that since one family member worked for Children's Services here in my state, we had an unfair advantage and knew the loopholes. Fortunately, this young relative is now in my family's care and is thriving.
Section VI of the PARK act is lengthy, but frightening all the same.
So you allow foster parents standing to interfere with reunification, cut out extended family and you have a case of a child who is now being forced to bond with strangers. Sometimes foster parents get attached immediately to their young ward and encourage the child to refer to them as mom and dad. Sometimes the child is completely unaware of the fact that the couple caring for them are not their parents. If the foster placement makes contact with the parents and extended family difficult, the child often does bond to the foster parents. Norwoods wants the court to recognize this bond, even if forced through isolation from the child's family.
Interestingly enough, the Hodgins more or less attempted the same thing in Tennessee. And they succeeded for a great many years before the state finally said enough was enough. Norwood's suggested revisions to the current Alabama laws would allow future Norwoods and Hodgins the ability to take in a child as a foster placement and as long as they can hold onto the child and limit familial contact, give them the chance to claim the child as their own.
I am fully aware that there are some situations that warrant foster adoption. I do believe certain situations do justify TPR as quickly as possible. But I also believe that extended family should be given first choice barring documented abuse or lack of interest in taking child. If extended family wants the child, but will need time to provide a suitable home, time should be given and any and all effort should be made for the child to have a relationship with family. Uncooperative foster parents should be penalized and the child removed from their care immediately, regardless of how long child has been in their care. But if the parents make no effort to regain custody of their child and family cannot be located or is unwilling to take in the child, every effort should be made to provide permanency to the child. Six to twelve months is too short of time for this to happen, though. Sometimes the parents are estranged from family for reasons of their own doing (lifestyle choices family disagrees with, drugs, etc). Situations like these are common. The parents make no effort to comply but due to selfish reasons, do not want family to have the child and may be unwilling to provide names to Children's Services. This should not be reason enough to disallow extended family the chance to take the child in. It is not terribly difficult to figure out who is related to who with some basic search tools. Hell, I can run my own name in a basic Google search and not only does my ex husband come up as a relation, but my mother, stepdad, brother, father and my late ex-in-laws. My mother and I haven't shared a same last name since I was 8 yrs old when she married my stepdad and my name changed via marriage over a decade ago. If Google can pull up all this information running my current name no doubt Children's Services can do the same with the parent refusing to provide family information.
Foster parents/potential adoptive parents should not be allowed to get an adoption finalized when the child is not even in their care. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what state would even consider such an adoption legal. In regards to the Norwoods' specific case, they managed to push an adoption through to a child who was not even in their care. Layah had been removed from their home and placed with extended family. The Norwoods were able to get the adoption approved several months after her removal. I'm not 100% sure what laws support this, honestly. When most of the laws point out that the child must be in the pre-adoptive home for a period of time before an adoption can even be finalized, it makes me wonder just how the Norwoods were able to get their fraudulent adoption finalized when the child involved was not even in their care. I do know that the judge involved with Layah's dependency case was not happy with their actions and issued a restraining order against them to keep them away from Layah while the case played out in the courts. It makes me think they did indeed violate their foster parent contract and possibly even some laws in getting that adoption.
In regards to the private adoption front, Trent Reicks case has had little to no information due to the gag order judge Xollie Duncan put on him. For those who are unfamiliar with this case, Trent's daughter was surrendered for adoption behind his back. Trent did everything required of him to protect his rights to his daughter but the kidnappers happen to be lawyers (female kidnapper a deputy prosecutor) and the judge who finalized the fraudulent adoption also happens to be a friend of theirs. They terminated Trent's parental rights using the excuse of "unreasonably with-holding consent". Again, let me point out that he did what was required of him to establish rights, but because he refused to consent to the adoption, the Morris's and Duncan made up their own reason to TPR him. I do know he is appealing and fighting the illegal adoption, but as for any legitimate updates in the case, I have none due to Duncan's gag order. No doubt the kidnappers and Duncan issued the gag to protect their own asses. Can't have the world knowing they kidnapped a baby and used their positions to do so. And while I have posted this before, I feel a refresher is necessary.
Here are the kidnappers who are posing as the baby's parents:
And here is their judge friend and accomplice, Xollie Duncan, who made up a reason to terminate Trent's rights to his daughter:
I hope Trent is able to get his daughter back and throw these kidnapping pieces of shit into prison. They used their government positions to take a child who was not available for adoption from a father who has done everything required of him, plus some. Due to the unlawful gag order, Trent is unable to bring his daughter's kidnapping to the media's attention. Well, seeing that all the above information was made public before the gag, including the above pictures, I consider outing them publicly as fair game. I know Trent did what was required of him and I know he was TPR'd under fraudulent grounds. I know that he is appealing. This information was public before the gag. I do not know what is currently happening with his case. I do hope he is still fighting back. Bring the kidnappers to justice.
I'm sure there are those who read this blog and think I'm against adoption. I suppose it's easy to come to such a conclusion reading some of the entries. But if one take the time to really read all of the entries, you will notice there is a theme. Every case mentioned is either an illegal adoption or unethical adoption. Just because a court supported it does not mean it is legal. Veronica's adoption was illegal and violated federal laws (regardless of what others claim) and yet the courts of two states and a federal court ruled she go to the kidnappers, Sonya's imprisonment with the Hodgins was illegal even though the courts never acted to remove her for years. Layah's adoption was illegal. Trent's daughter's adoption is illegal. All of these cases highlight what is wrong with adoption, both private and through foster care.
For those just now tuning in, I started this blog in the wake of Veronica Brown's fraudulent adoption to the kidnapping Capobiancos. I wanted to make sure that Veronica would find the truth behind her kidnapping and enslavement. Wanted to make sure the public was aware of what really was happening and not just the media releases (which always side with the adopters). I cannot be more clear. I am not against adoption. I am against unethical and illegal adoption. If the father is purposely cut off and not served properly, you are a kidnapper. If you undermine Children's Services and try to or succeed in pushing an adoption through when reunification is on the table, you are a kidnapper. If your attempted kidnapping is made public, chances are you will end up named in this very blog and your crimes exposed to the public. It will not matter to me how long you've been trying to become parents. It will not matter to me how attached you are to the baby you smuggled into your home under shady means. If you are fighting a fit father or fighting reunification, you are nothing more than a kidnapper and will be outed as such.
**blogger's note**
There is currently another dependency case that may very well go in the direction that Layah's case almost went in. 15 yr old Keymani is the mother of 6 1/2 month old Sincere. Last month, Keymani learned that Children's Services was planning on splitting her and her baby up into separate foster homes. Not because they questioned her ability to care for her son, but because apparently the home they were in together was temporary and social services felt the only option was to place the infant into a separate home. Keymani fled with her son when she learned they planned to split them up and now they are in fact separated. Keymani was moved to a group home and Sincere was placed in a different foster home. Restricted to supervised visits.
Keymani, to my understanding, has done no wrong. She has committed no crimes other than attempting to flee with her son to avoid separation. Yet, because she is a foster child, her own child immediately becomes a ward of the state and subject to whatever Children's Services wants. As a foster child, Keymani has no right to her own child and their fate is at the whim of the social workers involved in their case.
A recent update on their support page indicates that extended family is working to become placement options for one or both. Being a minor in foster care should not strip her of her right to have a say over her own child nor should the state have the right to split them up when no abuse/neglect was actually found. And in no way should this young mother be penalized for acting on impulse and running in an effort to keep her and her son together. Honestly, part of me suspects someone has their eyes on Sincere. When more information comes in, I will update on this case.
The Hodgins - of course - refuse to acknowledge that it's over. This last ruling was a death blow to their case (if they even had one, really). Twitter is alive with the rantings of their more psychotic supporters and the PR firm, Trio, appears to have backed out completely.
They're in the death throes. Rather like muscle spasms one has after death, the final electrical impulses that cause a stir here or there. The more tenacious Hodgin supports bring little blips to the radar, maybe enough to catch your eye, but gone just that quick. Sometimes you catch the movement, sometimes you don't. Supporters are backing off from their support page on Facebook. People are realizing the lies spoon fed to them by the Hodgins, Trio and the die hard supporters and apparently are not taking kindly to being duped.
This case is coming to a close for good and the Hodgins are finally realizing their small town connections and mentality can't win them back the child they attempted to steal. It is a victory for Sonya. A victory for her family.
In the Bring Layah Home case, a court reversed the adoption and the Norwoods returned back to their brood with their tails between their legs. Legal documents showed that they never even served the mother properly and that alone was the death blow for their case. And while apparently it is legal to forum shop for adoption in Alabama, it doesn't protect them from the parents and Children's Services from appealing and fighting back. It doesn't mean the adoption will stick.
Further research into the Layah case revealed that Layah was born to an underaged mother who herself was also in foster care. Given the confidentiality of the case, I do not know what led to the mother and child being separated (there is some implication that the mother's age was used against her), but the Norwoods pretty much did everything in their power to cut the mother out and give them some legal standing and attempt the adoption based on abandonment and lack of substantial contact between child and mother.
Foster dad Norwood is now attempting to get a law passed that will allow foster parents to undermine parental rights and Children's Services if they end up with a child they'd like to adopt. From what can be seen, nobody is biting on this law. I visited the web page http://travisnorwood.com/park-act/ to review the PARK act and see what changes the Norwoods were pushing for. Easy enough to see that it's nothing more than a feel-good law, something that an unsuspecting public might get on board for without realizing the implications.
Section I covers involuntary TPR. Under normal circumstances (in most states), once a parent is involuntarily TPR'd by Children's Services, they often lose custody and parental rights to any subsequent children born, regardless of the parent's age at time of TPR or how much time has passed since. I think Part I of the PARK act is to suck in the public at large. Norwood specifically covers involuntary TPR of minor parents. Basically, let non-related caregivers take your kid and sever your rights, but maybe in 5 yrs when you're an adult, they'll allow you to have kids of your own (though I'm sure this attitude will change if they want their little ill gotten adoptee to have a blood sibling).
(Norwood's additions are in red)
Before people jump down my throat and try to claim I support abuse, let me be very clear - I do not. Typical reasons a minor parent may lose their child to foster care usually are due to poverty and lack of proper parenting resources. Often times, because they are held to adult standards in regards to case plans, they fall short because of lack of funds, lack of transportation and lack family support to help them get their child back. So, often times, their case has stretched on for a length of time and due to the hoops Children's Services has placed upon them, they are unable to maintain a meaningful relationship with their child. Children Services moves in to terminate their parental rights and that is that.
Section II is where things go wrong.
It gets worse. Check out Section III.
On to section IV.
Section V:
In a lot of situations, I've discovered that sometimes Children's Services themselves are the ones making the effort to cut the extended family out. Falsifying documents, lying in court hearings or not even bothering to mention that there is family willing to take the child in. My own family was put through this not too long ago when a young relative was in state care in another state. The social workers involved claimed nobody in our family was willing or able to take my young relative, even though my family filed all the necessary paperwork and there was email documentation showing we wanted my young relative placed in our care. Social workers told a judge nobody was willing or able, but told our family that since one family member worked for Children's Services here in my state, we had an unfair advantage and knew the loopholes. Fortunately, this young relative is now in my family's care and is thriving.
Section VI of the PARK act is lengthy, but frightening all the same.
Interestingly enough, the Hodgins more or less attempted the same thing in Tennessee. And they succeeded for a great many years before the state finally said enough was enough. Norwood's suggested revisions to the current Alabama laws would allow future Norwoods and Hodgins the ability to take in a child as a foster placement and as long as they can hold onto the child and limit familial contact, give them the chance to claim the child as their own.
I am fully aware that there are some situations that warrant foster adoption. I do believe certain situations do justify TPR as quickly as possible. But I also believe that extended family should be given first choice barring documented abuse or lack of interest in taking child. If extended family wants the child, but will need time to provide a suitable home, time should be given and any and all effort should be made for the child to have a relationship with family. Uncooperative foster parents should be penalized and the child removed from their care immediately, regardless of how long child has been in their care. But if the parents make no effort to regain custody of their child and family cannot be located or is unwilling to take in the child, every effort should be made to provide permanency to the child. Six to twelve months is too short of time for this to happen, though. Sometimes the parents are estranged from family for reasons of their own doing (lifestyle choices family disagrees with, drugs, etc). Situations like these are common. The parents make no effort to comply but due to selfish reasons, do not want family to have the child and may be unwilling to provide names to Children's Services. This should not be reason enough to disallow extended family the chance to take the child in. It is not terribly difficult to figure out who is related to who with some basic search tools. Hell, I can run my own name in a basic Google search and not only does my ex husband come up as a relation, but my mother, stepdad, brother, father and my late ex-in-laws. My mother and I haven't shared a same last name since I was 8 yrs old when she married my stepdad and my name changed via marriage over a decade ago. If Google can pull up all this information running my current name no doubt Children's Services can do the same with the parent refusing to provide family information.
Foster parents/potential adoptive parents should not be allowed to get an adoption finalized when the child is not even in their care. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what state would even consider such an adoption legal. In regards to the Norwoods' specific case, they managed to push an adoption through to a child who was not even in their care. Layah had been removed from their home and placed with extended family. The Norwoods were able to get the adoption approved several months after her removal. I'm not 100% sure what laws support this, honestly. When most of the laws point out that the child must be in the pre-adoptive home for a period of time before an adoption can even be finalized, it makes me wonder just how the Norwoods were able to get their fraudulent adoption finalized when the child involved was not even in their care. I do know that the judge involved with Layah's dependency case was not happy with their actions and issued a restraining order against them to keep them away from Layah while the case played out in the courts. It makes me think they did indeed violate their foster parent contract and possibly even some laws in getting that adoption.
In regards to the private adoption front, Trent Reicks case has had little to no information due to the gag order judge Xollie Duncan put on him. For those who are unfamiliar with this case, Trent's daughter was surrendered for adoption behind his back. Trent did everything required of him to protect his rights to his daughter but the kidnappers happen to be lawyers (female kidnapper a deputy prosecutor) and the judge who finalized the fraudulent adoption also happens to be a friend of theirs. They terminated Trent's parental rights using the excuse of "unreasonably with-holding consent". Again, let me point out that he did what was required of him to establish rights, but because he refused to consent to the adoption, the Morris's and Duncan made up their own reason to TPR him. I do know he is appealing and fighting the illegal adoption, but as for any legitimate updates in the case, I have none due to Duncan's gag order. No doubt the kidnappers and Duncan issued the gag to protect their own asses. Can't have the world knowing they kidnapped a baby and used their positions to do so. And while I have posted this before, I feel a refresher is necessary.
Here are the kidnappers who are posing as the baby's parents:
I hope Trent is able to get his daughter back and throw these kidnapping pieces of shit into prison. They used their government positions to take a child who was not available for adoption from a father who has done everything required of him, plus some. Due to the unlawful gag order, Trent is unable to bring his daughter's kidnapping to the media's attention. Well, seeing that all the above information was made public before the gag, including the above pictures, I consider outing them publicly as fair game. I know Trent did what was required of him and I know he was TPR'd under fraudulent grounds. I know that he is appealing. This information was public before the gag. I do not know what is currently happening with his case. I do hope he is still fighting back. Bring the kidnappers to justice.
I'm sure there are those who read this blog and think I'm against adoption. I suppose it's easy to come to such a conclusion reading some of the entries. But if one take the time to really read all of the entries, you will notice there is a theme. Every case mentioned is either an illegal adoption or unethical adoption. Just because a court supported it does not mean it is legal. Veronica's adoption was illegal and violated federal laws (regardless of what others claim) and yet the courts of two states and a federal court ruled she go to the kidnappers, Sonya's imprisonment with the Hodgins was illegal even though the courts never acted to remove her for years. Layah's adoption was illegal. Trent's daughter's adoption is illegal. All of these cases highlight what is wrong with adoption, both private and through foster care.
For those just now tuning in, I started this blog in the wake of Veronica Brown's fraudulent adoption to the kidnapping Capobiancos. I wanted to make sure that Veronica would find the truth behind her kidnapping and enslavement. Wanted to make sure the public was aware of what really was happening and not just the media releases (which always side with the adopters). I cannot be more clear. I am not against adoption. I am against unethical and illegal adoption. If the father is purposely cut off and not served properly, you are a kidnapper. If you undermine Children's Services and try to or succeed in pushing an adoption through when reunification is on the table, you are a kidnapper. If your attempted kidnapping is made public, chances are you will end up named in this very blog and your crimes exposed to the public. It will not matter to me how long you've been trying to become parents. It will not matter to me how attached you are to the baby you smuggled into your home under shady means. If you are fighting a fit father or fighting reunification, you are nothing more than a kidnapper and will be outed as such.
**blogger's note**
There is currently another dependency case that may very well go in the direction that Layah's case almost went in. 15 yr old Keymani is the mother of 6 1/2 month old Sincere. Last month, Keymani learned that Children's Services was planning on splitting her and her baby up into separate foster homes. Not because they questioned her ability to care for her son, but because apparently the home they were in together was temporary and social services felt the only option was to place the infant into a separate home. Keymani fled with her son when she learned they planned to split them up and now they are in fact separated. Keymani was moved to a group home and Sincere was placed in a different foster home. Restricted to supervised visits.
Keymani, to my understanding, has done no wrong. She has committed no crimes other than attempting to flee with her son to avoid separation. Yet, because she is a foster child, her own child immediately becomes a ward of the state and subject to whatever Children's Services wants. As a foster child, Keymani has no right to her own child and their fate is at the whim of the social workers involved in their case.
A recent update on their support page indicates that extended family is working to become placement options for one or both. Being a minor in foster care should not strip her of her right to have a say over her own child nor should the state have the right to split them up when no abuse/neglect was actually found. And in no way should this young mother be penalized for acting on impulse and running in an effort to keep her and her son together. Honestly, part of me suspects someone has their eyes on Sincere. When more information comes in, I will update on this case.
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