By Deborah

It all started a bit over 4 years ago when we moved to a small town/county, Wilson County, Texas. We have 2 girls, now 6 & 13. Our oldest daughter now 13 started getting out of control. My husband and I have tried therapy, pills, and hospitals to get her to calm down but nothing has worked. If she got into trouble at home or school she would tell the school that I was hurting her in some way. She has made, now, 15+ allegations on me and me alone. Well the investigator then, Joanna Alanzo was what a true dfps investigator should do. She came into my home, talked to me, my husband, family and friends that are in my life and home daily, and even the school and their behavior records on my daughter. She would close every case. The last time she was involved in 08 she helped us get my daughter into boot camp here in the county which my daughter did not make it into. She went to juvenile for assault on a peace officer. My daughter then admitted that her grandmother, my mother whom I have not had a relationship now for 4 years, coached her in doing what she was doing. I confronted my mother on this and she finally broke and admitted it with my husband and another witness present.

Now let’s forward it a year and a half, up until last February, there were no calls to dfps or any problems with my oldest daughter, I distinct myself and my family, mainly my oldest from the negative influence that was destroying my family. We even have an adoption home study that was done in 2009 and with that an approval for an adoption was granted. But before we could get to court in February 2010, cps got another anonymous call against me. December 09 I took my girls and tried to let them have a relationship with their grandmother (my mother, Pat), boy was that a mistake. By February 11, 2010 I got a call from a lady named Jacinda Andre. She stated that my oldest made an outcry of abuse and drugs in the home. I was floored. Well she and I scheduled a home visit for the 12th. Well that morning of the 12th she called me and asked me to come into the office in Floresville. This was very new to me because it was not my first dance with this department. Now before I continue I must advise you my, now 21 year old, sister in law has lived with us for 2 years in the home to help me with my oldest. So I went into the office and before I even sat down Andre pulled a form already filled out with Pat’s information on it telling me that if I didn’t sign my girls over to her that they would be placed in state care. To avoid my youngest to be subjected to that I felt I had no other choice but to sign it. She then asked me if I drank. I said it’s my right to. She then asked me about me being addicted to drugs. I was like no I am not. She then demanded that I put this stick in my mouth and told me I had no choice (it came back negative). I called Pat to let her know what was going on and she told me that she already knew that Jacinda called her the day before. I was wondering why she would contact her before she would contact me. Well found out later that Andre lives within a mile to a mile in a half from my mother. Hummmmmmm!

When my daughter’s were handed over to Pat, Pat told her that she would not give the medication to my daughter because she didn’t feel anything was wrong with my daughter. Well instead of getting my girls out of there for medical neglect, which I was also being accused of, she left them there. Why?
Well for three months my youngest daughter kept telling them that her sister was lying and she would tell me and her dad that Pat was trying to get her to lie about us. My youngest daughter knows that lying is bad. After those three months my youngest daughter was placed back in the home with me and my sister in law. We were doing fine no one called or came by the house or the school to check on her (they said during this opened case that they worried about her being with me). Why didn’t they do any follow up on her? Well needless to say we had a family team meeting in august before the finial court hearing. In this meeting my step father John, stated that he knew that my oldest was lying and that he knew for a fact that I would never hurt her the way she was saying I had been and that she needed to go home and deal with it and stay out of trouble. Well Pat stated if we keep her who is going to help us support her because we can’t afford it all. Hummmmmmmmm again!
At the finial court hearing in august the family base case supervisor told my husband and I that if my oldest was to do this again, even though we all knew she was making it all up, that both my girls would be taken to the state and the case would go straight legal. How in the hell can they do that I asked. He said because they can.

Case was closed and not even 2 weeks went by, 2 days into school starting, before my oldest daughter, who was given back to me without being on meds for 7 months, started her stuff again. I immediately called the local police and then had my daughter admitted into a mental hospital. She was in the hospital and their school program till September 19th or so when they discharged her from the half day program for failing to corporate with therapy. So now September 21st my daughter threatened me and threatened to hurt herself. After I called the police, she and I were in the hallway and my sister in law was right next to us, when my daughter who is stronger and taller than I am, got in my face and threatened me yet once again. I reacted on instinct and tapped her across the check and told her to snap out of whatever mania she was in. I did let the police know what happened when they showed up within 5-10 minutes. They informed me that even though I admitted to what I had done they did not see any type of abuse but they did feel that I used what force was necessary to get my daughter away from me to prevent her from hurting me. I called a friend to get Ariel to calm down at her house. She was pleased to take her to try to help.

That Thursday on the 23rd, I went to pick my oldest daughter up for a doctor’s appointment from my friend’s house. She would not get in the car so I followed her the three houses back to our home. After she and I got inside the house, she went to her room, I was in the doorway to where my sister in law and my youngest could see me. My oldest then came out and pushed me into the wall near the office and went towards my sister in law and my youngest.

Before she could get out the door I told her not to take her anger out on her sister and to give her a hug goodbye. She did such but not with love and then ran out the door. I told my sister in law to get the little one in the car and we would go after her. I had to call the police and file a runaway report because she took off into the woods.

About 2 hours later I got a call from once again, Andre. She told me that my oldest was at Pat’s house and that she claimed that I had hit her. I told her that my youngest and my sister in law were there the entire time and I never once touched her but that my oldest did pushed me into a wall. That didn’t matter to this “investigator” at all. I told her with my sister in law and another witness to the call that I needed to go pick my oldest up and have her readmitted into the hospital. She told me no don’t do that lets agree to keep her at your mother’s home for the night and she and I would talk about all of this the next day. I was ok with this. NO SAFETY PLAN WAS MENTIONED JUST A VERBAL AGREEMENT and I have two witnesses to that call.
Well the next day came and I was on my way to pick my oldest up from Pat’s house to have her readmitted. I was leaving Floresville when I got a call another call from Andre. She asked me to come into the office because they were taking my oldest into custody. I went in and the moment I sat down she got a call from the front letting her know that Wilson sheriff’s officers were there if she needed assistance. I couldn’t help but laugh. She handed me a paper that was already filled out and asked me to look it over and sign it. I looked it over and I told her that I wasn’t signing it. She asked why I told her because she was a damn lie (she put on that form that I failed to provide a safe and secure environment for my daughter nothing mentioning my youngest). I continued to state that she had not done the job that she was hired for. That she did not investigate the allegations, that she took my daughter’s word who is ill, Pat’s word whom I have not had a relationship with in close to now 4 years, and never talked to any of my witnesses. She told me she didn’t care that I didn’t have to sign it. I gave her daughter’s pills and that was it.

Well on the 4th of October, I called the cps attorney and told her that maybe it was best for me to sign my rights over to my family so that they could adopt her. I didn’t know what else to do for her. I was trying to do what was, I know, right for my oldest, and to keep my youngest safe from being taken once again. I regret making that call at all. The very next day I had banging at my door. DFPS filed suit to take my little one from me without any investigation still to date since February 2010. I was in tears the rest of the day until my youngest came home from school. I held her in my arms and told her how much I loved her. She told me that she loved me too and that I was the greatest.

Well the court hearing came on the 14th and with all the proof, facts, evidence, and witnesses/statements we had the judge didn’t care she gave both my kids to Pat once again. She didn’t even give us the time of day in court. We appealed it and lost again. But that judge did give me weekly calls and visits with my children, which my oldest would not come.

Well at each visit I called my husband and every call so that my youngest could talk to her dad. And no one had a problem with it up till the end of December. That’s when they told me that I could no longer take pictures or video or even call my husband during the visits. I thought that was odd. During the first visit the week after the 4th, my husband and I went into the office to sign paperwork with the worker. She stated to my husband and I in front of another worker that she didn’t understand why my little one was taken with all the proof that I had that there was not abuse of any type in my home. She even stated that the judge was very rude and biased in the courtroom with us and that even she knew that this case revolved around my oldest daughter’s illness nothing else.

On November 8th, if I am not mistaken, I had my only home visit by the legal worker. I have the whole thing video taped. If you care for me to bring it to you to watch

On January 9th I found out how many times my oldest has been moved due to behavior and suicidal tendencies. She has been placed 6 times, 3 mental hospital stays, and now she is in a long-term RTC. And this was the day that THEIR doctor stated that her evaluation states that I should have no contact with my children. I was not happy one bit. Instead of doing what was in the best interest of my daughter which the ad litem was on our side, they stopped her from seeing her mother and talking to her period.

Since that date I have had a second opinion done and a psychiatric eval done and both doctors are better well established then theirs with 40+ more years. They both stated that there is nothing wrong with me and that my children should come home especially my youngest. When we went to court on February 9th, 2011, the judge and cps didn’t want to see or hear any of the new papers stating this. The doctor who did the second opinion eval was there and the judge tore his testimony up to bits and used his own wrongs against him. The associate judge interviewed my 6 year old in front of the ad litem and she told the judge the I don’t hurt her and her sister and that her sister hates me and wants to live with her grandmother. Well the judge pretty much told my daughter she didn’t care what she wanted. They have my taking domestic violence classes but yet they are throwing my abusing ex that has not been in our lives back in my face. I couldn’t even stay in the court room I was shaking in fear. My husband said that my ex turned all the abuse around on me. If I was so abusive why in the hell would he leave me to care for his 4 children 7 years ago and with my own and me pregnant? Yeah that’s what I said too! So now again we have to file a de novo. The hearing is on March 29th, 201 at 9 am in the Wilson County court house in Texas. This is where we stand today.

Found out that judge cathy o morris has a lengthy work history in cps…a case worker, super visor, cps prosecutor, and now an associate judge on my case…