Foster youth organization opposes bill to open dependency courts - San Jose Mercury News
A Democratic state legislator who vowed to better protect California's 58,000 foster children by opening up the secretive dependency courts governing their lives now faces opposition from the very youth his bill aims to champion.
Declaring that "children need sunshine to thrive and so does our dependency system," Los Angeles Assemblyman Mike Feuer is pushing a bill that would bring California in line with a growing number of states that have taken the foster care courts out of the shadows. Assembly Bill 73, set for a key committee hearing Tuesday, proposes testing open courts for four years in three of California's 58 counties, including Los Angeles. If the pilot program proves successful, the courts would be opened statewide.
Isabella Brooke Knightly and Austin Gamez-Knightly
In Memory of my Loving Husband, William F. Knightly Jr. Murdered by ILLEGAL Palliative Care at a Nashua, NH Hospital
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Federal Jury in San Jose, CA Awards $3.25 Million in Damages to Family for Unlawful Seizure of Their Children Represented by The Law Offices of Johnson & Johnson
Federal Jury in San Jose, CA Awards $3.25 Million in Damages to Family for Unlawful Seizure of Their Children Represented by The Law Offices of Johnson & Johnson
In one of the largest jury awards in San Jose in the last 20 years, a federal jury took only 90 minutes to award $3.25 million dollars to a family whose children had been unlawfully taken by San Jose police officers as retaliation for asserting their rights as citizens. Most notably, the jury assessed $2 million dollars in punitive damages for the officers’ reckless abuse of authority. The Law Offices of Johnson & Johnson in Walnut Creek, CA and Robert Powell & Associates of San Jose, CA represented the family in their claims against the officers and the City of San Jose.
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The jury rejected the officer's claims of exigency in seizing the children and took only 45 minutes to find they violated the entire family's civil rights.
San Jose, CA (PRWEB) April 04, 2011
A jury in U.S. District Court in Northern California today returned a unanimous verdict against officers from the San Jose Police Department for the violation of an entire family’s civil rights and awarded $3.25 million in damages. The Law Offices of Johnson & Johnson in Walnut Creek, CA and Robert Powell & Associates in San Jose, CA represented the family in their claims against the officers and the City of San Jose.
According to a police recording entered into evidence during trial, the action stemmed from an incident on June 29, 2005 where officers William Hoyt and Craig Blank with at least five other uniformed officers responded to an unverified claim of abuse, entered the home of a San Jose family on a child welfare check, then removed two children without a warrant and later seized a third child as well.
The jury heard testimony during the week-long trial that officers in the department have never sought warrants or court orders for removing children – in violation of federal law – and then falsified their claims of an emergency to justify taking all of the children.
In one of the largest jury awards in nearly two decades in San Jose, the federal jury took only 45 minutes to find liability for all claims against Hoyt and Blank, and two days later took just 90 minutes to award $1.25 million in compensatory damages for the family plus an additional $2 million in punitive damages. The case C06-4029 RMW, Watson v. Craig Blank, William Hoyt and the City of San Jose, went to trial on March 23, 2011 in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division. After a week of testimony, the jury found Blank and Hoyt liable for constitutional violations against the family on March 30, and awarded damages two days later on April 1.
“We feel this jury verdict exposes a long-standing practice of warrantless ‘snatch-and-grab’ conduct by law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County and sends a resounding message to the San Jose Police Department, as well as all other law enforcement officers in Santa Clara County,” said Peter Johnson, attorney for the family. “They are on notice their unlawful conduct will not be tolerated, and officers will be held accountable.”
In one of the largest jury awards in San Jose in the last 20 years, a federal jury took only 90 minutes to award $3.25 million dollars to a family whose children had been unlawfully taken by San Jose police officers as retaliation for asserting their rights as citizens. Most notably, the jury assessed $2 million dollars in punitive damages for the officers’ reckless abuse of authority. The Law Offices of Johnson & Johnson in Walnut Creek, CA and Robert Powell & Associates of San Jose, CA represented the family in their claims against the officers and the City of San Jose.
ShareThis Email PDF Print
The jury rejected the officer's claims of exigency in seizing the children and took only 45 minutes to find they violated the entire family's civil rights.
San Jose, CA (PRWEB) April 04, 2011
A jury in U.S. District Court in Northern California today returned a unanimous verdict against officers from the San Jose Police Department for the violation of an entire family’s civil rights and awarded $3.25 million in damages. The Law Offices of Johnson & Johnson in Walnut Creek, CA and Robert Powell & Associates in San Jose, CA represented the family in their claims against the officers and the City of San Jose.
According to a police recording entered into evidence during trial, the action stemmed from an incident on June 29, 2005 where officers William Hoyt and Craig Blank with at least five other uniformed officers responded to an unverified claim of abuse, entered the home of a San Jose family on a child welfare check, then removed two children without a warrant and later seized a third child as well.
The jury heard testimony during the week-long trial that officers in the department have never sought warrants or court orders for removing children – in violation of federal law – and then falsified their claims of an emergency to justify taking all of the children.
In one of the largest jury awards in nearly two decades in San Jose, the federal jury took only 45 minutes to find liability for all claims against Hoyt and Blank, and two days later took just 90 minutes to award $1.25 million in compensatory damages for the family plus an additional $2 million in punitive damages. The case C06-4029 RMW, Watson v. Craig Blank, William Hoyt and the City of San Jose, went to trial on March 23, 2011 in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division. After a week of testimony, the jury found Blank and Hoyt liable for constitutional violations against the family on March 30, and awarded damages two days later on April 1.
“We feel this jury verdict exposes a long-standing practice of warrantless ‘snatch-and-grab’ conduct by law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County and sends a resounding message to the San Jose Police Department, as well as all other law enforcement officers in Santa Clara County,” said Peter Johnson, attorney for the family. “They are on notice their unlawful conduct will not be tolerated, and officers will be held accountable.”
Happy Easter Austin and Isabella
Another Easter without the two of you. Austin I hope you're having fun today like you used to at our house on Easter. You were so excited every year hunting for the Easter egg's and alway's found more than the other kid's. The Easter Bunny was alway's so good to you. It's too bad your cousin Isabella never got to be a part of the Easter egg hunt's. For that matter, she never got to be a part of our family. Her REAL family.
I hope you're both being treated the way REAL family treat's their children and not like outsider's. The both of you deserve a good life and we will be together again. You Will know your REAL family whether DCYF or the stranger's you're with like it or not.
You will alway's be a part of our family and one day I'm sure you both will be reading my messages. Your entire family loves you both and can't wait to see you again. Your new cousin's can't wait to meet you also. We hope you're both well and don't forget, we're alway's here for you. We're not going anywhere without you. We can't wait for you to come home.
Love, Grammy, Grampie, your Mommy's and Daddy's and the rest of your REAL Family and Austin, your dog Belle
Foster children would be allowed to get clothing only from second hand stores SICK!!!
Foster children would be allowed to get clothing only from second hand stores | Michigan Messenger
Under a new budget proposal from State Sen. Bruce Casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.
Casswell, a Republican representing Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and St. Joseph counties, made the proposal this week, reports Michigan Public Radio.
His explanation?
“I never had anything new,” Caswell says. “I got all the hand-me-downs. And my dad, he did a lot of shopping at the Salvation Army, and his comment was — and quite frankly it’s true — once you’re out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes.”
Under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores.
The plan was knocked by the Michigan League for Human Services. Gilda Jacobs, executive director of the group, had this to say:
“Honestly, I was flabbergasted,” Jacobs says. “I really couldn’t believe this. Because I think, gosh, is this where we’ve gone in this state? I think that there’s the whole issue of dignity. You’re saying to somebody, you don’t deserve to go in and buy a new pair of gym shoes. You know, for a lot of foster kids, they already have so much stacked against them.”
Casswell says the plan will save the state money, though it isn’t clear how much the state spends on clothing for foster children or how much could be saved this way.
Under a new budget proposal from State Sen. Bruce Casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.
Casswell, a Republican representing Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and St. Joseph counties, made the proposal this week, reports Michigan Public Radio.
His explanation?
“I never had anything new,” Caswell says. “I got all the hand-me-downs. And my dad, he did a lot of shopping at the Salvation Army, and his comment was — and quite frankly it’s true — once you’re out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes.”
Under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and other second hand clothing stores.
The plan was knocked by the Michigan League for Human Services. Gilda Jacobs, executive director of the group, had this to say:
“Honestly, I was flabbergasted,” Jacobs says. “I really couldn’t believe this. Because I think, gosh, is this where we’ve gone in this state? I think that there’s the whole issue of dignity. You’re saying to somebody, you don’t deserve to go in and buy a new pair of gym shoes. You know, for a lot of foster kids, they already have so much stacked against them.”
Casswell says the plan will save the state money, though it isn’t clear how much the state spends on clothing for foster children or how much could be saved this way.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Kidnapped Children-How to Vanish
Kidnapped Children
Did you know the British government kidnapped children? On one level How To Vanish is just a fun way to legally hack the system and try and beat the house. On another level, it can be used as a tool to save money and prevent money from being taken. At the most important level it is a tool to help people avoid the loss of fundamental freedoms and to keep families secure and free from forces that would separate them, including blackmail, kidnapping, and other serious crimes. I recently came across an example which falls into the last category.
Did you know the British government kidnapped children? On one level How To Vanish is just a fun way to legally hack the system and try and beat the house. On another level, it can be used as a tool to save money and prevent money from being taken. At the most important level it is a tool to help people avoid the loss of fundamental freedoms and to keep families secure and free from forces that would separate them, including blackmail, kidnapping, and other serious crimes. I recently came across an example which falls into the last category.
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