Arizona CPS on Trial in Federal Court – Will Justice Prevail?

Leanna Smith has been fighting the State of Arizona for several years for allegedly taking away her two daughters illegally in a massive medical cover-up and fraud case. Now she gets her day in federal court on Friday April 17th in the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco. But will justice prevail? Leanna Smith has over 1700 audio recordings of alleged interviews with government and medical personnel in the case, which have been sealed. Why have these recording been sealed for so long in Arizona courts? Will they finally be released, and will Leanna Smith be able to present her case against the State of Arizona and medical authorities in federal court? Health Impact News has published the stories of several families who claim their children were medically kidnapped in Arizona. One of the most tragic stories we have published is the story of Leanna and Darrell Smith's two daughters, which perhaps most illustrates the depth of corruption that many families have reported exists in the Arizona "medical kidnapping" system. The Smith family was completely destroyed, as they lost 2 of their 3 children, and they have been embattled in years of legal proceedings. Now, their case will be heard outside of Arizona in the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

HSLDA Takes Prosecution of Arizona CPS Workers to Supreme Court

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit excused two Arizona social workers from liability for threatening to take John and Tiffany Loudermilk’s children into state custody if they didn’t immediately consent to a search of their home. This result is deeply disappointing. It allows CPS workers to continue to coerce parents into cooperating by threatening to take away their children. It endorses their tactic of calling in the police to intimidate parents in their own home. And it sharply discourages parents from seeking legal counsel to find out what their rights are. This is why we at HSLDA take cases like this one. We will be asking the Supreme Court to review the case.

Medical Kidnapping of Twins Reported in Michigan

WDIV in Detroit Michigan is reporting on a medical kidnapping in Novi Michigan (outskirts of Detroit). The parents of 5 children, including two premature baby twins, appeared in court today after police and CPS removed all 5 of their children from their home last night. Many members of their community turned to support the family, saying the children were being taken away from loving parents. Doctors found injured ribs on one of the twins, but the parents say it is a result of brittle bone disease. The mother was told to pump her breast milk because she can now only see her babies twice a week.

Cleared of Criminal Charges, Yet Infant Taken Away from Family for Failure to Thrive

They kicked her out of the hospital and took her baby away from her over a month ago. She hasn't seen her since. They won't even tell her where her daughter is. Jamie Martin took her baby Hope to the hospital because she and the doctors were concerned about Hope not gaining weight, no matter what they tried. Instead of finding answers, she lost her baby and she is devastated. Now DHS of Oklahoma is trying to terminate Jamie's parental rights to her baby girl. "I have done nothing wrong to my baby. She is my miracle child. I need my daughter back!" Jamie Martin is the typical girl-next-door in America's heartland. She workes as a substitute teacher in her local elementary school. She volunteers and is on the board of a tornado disaster relief organization. Her 8 year old son was thrilled when he found out that he was going to be a big brother. Yet now Jamie has found herself in the middle of every parent's worst nightmare - her baby has been taken away from her.

Medical Kidnap? Mother Loses 3 Children Because “Daughter is Too Short”

It's true - Angela Borths' daughter is short. So is she - just under 5 feet tall. In fact, being short runs in the family. But that didn't stop her pediatrician from allegedly reporting her to Child Protection Services (CPS.) The petite mother has now had her 3 youngest children taken by the state of Oregon on grounds of "medical neglect," because her 6 year old daughter is short, and because she says she missed an appointment for her son when there was a 2 month lapse in their ObamaCare insurance. "I shouldn't have to defend my family for being short."

Medically Kidnapped Teen and Family Escape Canada: Speak Out on Abuses

It was a day that they were terrified would never come. The Herrmann family has escaped from Canada and has been reunited in Germany! Teenager Marc Herrmann was slated to stay within the system for the rest of his life after he was taken from his family in late 2013 over allegations of medical neglect. He was misdiagnosed several times, institutionalized, then placed in foster care, despite the urgent pleas of Marc and his family. After he was falsely labeled as "retarded," a hearing was scheduled on his 18th birthday to turn him over to the custody of the Canadian Office of Public Guardians. A man whom the family had never met was reportedly waiting in the wings to assume guardianship. Because his parents are German citizens, they were told that there was no way that they could be guardians over their own son. Marc says that he was told repeatedly that if he did not comply with numerous threats, he would never see his family again. Today, after public outcry and intervention from the German Embassy, the Herrmann family is together again, and safely out of reach of the system that the Herrmanns insist is rife with corruption. They are in Germany. With the help of the German Embassy, they have escaped.

Who is Trying to Silence Filmmaker and Judicial Watchdog Bill Windsor, Currently Held in County Jail?

Filmmaker Bill Windsor has been in the process of producing a film called "Lawless America" since 2005. It is a film project which exposes the corruption in the American judicial system. He currently has over 1200 videos in his YouTube channel of testimonials from American citizens who have experienced corruption in the judicial system first hand. Windsor was detained in Texas in October of 2014, and held in jail for over 50 days before being released in December of 2014. He is 66 years old, and claims this is the first time he was ever arrested and detained, and previously had never been charged with a crime. He states he has never used drugs, and is a "non-violent law-abiding citizen." He has filed numerous lawsuits across the country, including a couple of cases where he claims he was attacked by "cyberstalkers" who allegedly want to discredit his work. After being released from jail in Texas, he started a "road-trip" and blogged twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night, to let everyone know he was still free. The blog posts stopped on February 19th. Health Impact News and other alternative news media began a search for Mr. Windsor, and found that he had been incarcerated in Ada County jail in Boise, Idaho on February 19th. Health Impact News spoke with Bill Windsor from Ada County Jail this past weekend, and he wants us to covey to everyone that he is "OK." He stated that he is currently being held on a $4.1 million bond. Why?

Breastfeeding 2-day Old Newborn Seized From Parents Because Mother Has Disability

A Florida couple is devastated. Child Protective Services just took their breastfeeding newborn from her mother's arms at the hospital. She was is not even two days old, but parents Tracey and Freddie Verzosa of Kissimmee, Florida will now only be able to visit their baby for feedings, under supervision. The accusations against them, according to the parents' story, boil down to the facts that Tracey is a slow learner, they are poor, and the baby was born too quickly for them to make it to the hospital. The Verzosas have 6 other children, and they have been fighting since last summer to get them back from DCF (Florida's Department of Children and Families.) They say that their other children were taken unjustly, and the children, who are divided between 3 different foster homes, cry and plead to come home whenever they see them.

Chicago Lurie Children’s Hospital Takes Baby Away From Family for Seeking a Second Opinion

When Lakisha Tanna's infant grandson was transferred to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, she thought that he was in the best place he could be to receive the care that he needed for his medical condition. She never dreamed that this choice would eventually result in her adorable grandchild being what she terms "medically kidnapped" more than a year later. On March 12, the family faces a hearing to determine whether Malik, now 2 1/2, will be able to return home to his grandparents who love him, or forever become a ward of the state of Illinois.

The Fight for Jaxon Adams Continues After He Was Taken by CPS When Parents Sought Second Opinion

As the Adams family continues to struggle to get their son back from the state of Missouri, they are reaching out to the public and to the media in the hope of exposing the tragic reality that far too many people are facing when they simply seek a second opinion or better medical care for their beloved child. The Adams family is yet another family that has fallen victim to the disturbing trend of “medical kidnapping” which is occurring across the United States. Medical kidnapping is a term used to describe children being taken into state custody after parents disagree with a course of treatment recommended by a doctor, or in the case of the Adams seeking a second opinion and/or a change in medical care. Upon being informed of the same, the physician then places a “hotline” call to child protective services and reports “medical abuse” by the parent.

4 Year Old Benjamin Stanley: Why Can’t I go Home?

It has been about 50 days now since a military-style SWAT team arrived at the home of the Stanley family in Arkansas, and removed all seven home-schooled children from the home. The parents have been charged with no crime, let alone been convicted of any wrong doing, and yet the children still remain separated from them, placed in foster care, as the State of Arkansas continues to collect federal funding for each child that has been placed into the foster care system. Hal Stanley, the father of the children and Baptist minister who has been required by the State to attend "parenting classes," shared this letter written by a 19 year old girl who prays every day for his children held in captivity: "Has anyone tried to imagine the Stanley’s story through the eyes of 4 year old Benjamin­?"

Was Medical Kidnap in Washington State a Cover-up for Medical Malpractice?

Being worried about Child Protection Services (CPS) taking her child was the last thing on the mind of Anne Giroux, a mother living in Washington State who was seeking medical treatment for her son, Kevin Kulman. Kevin started having concerning symptoms which drove her to take him to multiple doctor visits looking for an answer. She worried about having a family history of heart disease and why the doctor wasn't concerned nor would he give her a referral to a cardiologist. Instead he was allegedly misdiagnosed as having asthma. On May 21, 2012 Kevin suffered a heart attack while at school during his physical education class. The explanation of why he suffered the heart attack was a rare congenital heart condition which had been previously undetected. Not only did Kevin need open heart surgery, but later CPS took custody of Kevin claiming that Anne suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Anne writes: "If a doctor performs an operation and prescribes drugs for my child based upon ME having Munchausen by proxy, what PSYCHIATRIC MALADY afflicts THE DOCTOR?"

Alabama Seizes 7 Children from Family After Child with Autism Wandered to Neighbors

An Alabama couple is afraid that they may never get their children back. All 7 of their children were taken by DHR (the state's child protective services) after their not-yet diagnosed child with autism began wandering off. It is called "elopement" in the autism community, and is very common in children diagnosed with autism, happening in 49% of these kids, even in the best of homes and the most carefully guarded of situations. It is scary, but experts say that it does not at all reflect poor parenting. It has now been over a year since Sabrina and Tony Cartee's children were taken, and the state plans to file to terminate their parental rights for all of their kids, including the baby who was born in September, after the other children were taken by DHR. The breastfeeding newborn was seized at only a day and a half old and placed in a foster home.

Attorney Emord: Arkansas Seizure of Stanley Kids is an Extraordinary Abuse of State Power

Constitutional attorney Jonathan Emord hosted the Robert Scott Bell show and discussed the current situation in Arkansas where local law enforcement together with social services took custody of Hal and Michelle Stanley's seven homeschooled children by force. Emord stated that based on what is known, the Arkansas seizure of the Stanley children looks like "an abuse of power that is extraordinary." Emord said that the Stanley children are "essentially incarcerated," because they have been taken by the State and kept away from their parents before there is any trial on the merits of any charges.

South Dakota Commits Shocking Genocide Against Native Americans by Abducting Their Children

Genocide is not too strong a term for what is now happening in South Dakota. The huge, shocking violation of legal and human rights being carried out by the state is tantamount to genocide against the Native American nations, the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Sioux, residing within its borders. It is the abduction and kidnapping by state officials, under the cover of law, of American Indian children. South Dakota is committing blatant and flagrant genocide against the Sioux people by transferring Indian children to white homes, and also amid allegations of sexual abuse and drugging of Native children in DSS foster care. This is a most serious case of ethnic cleansing.

Breastfeeding Mother Arrested and Babies Taken Away by Force: The Parents’ Side of the Story

The police literally ripped 14 month old Levi from his mother's breast, reports Erica May Carey, as she was nursing him in the car at a California gas station. Her baby was screaming, and she says her breast was exposed as the officers dragged her from the car. As she recounted the events of last Thursday, Erica began weeping, saying that she was "hogtied like an animal, when moments before I was nursing my infant." She was arrested and jailed for fighting to keep her children with her, she tells Health Impact News. The parents say they were actually on their way back to Washington State to attend a scheduled court hearing when police stopped them. Read the parents' side of this story here.

No Charges Filed, But 3-year Old Cancer Child Taken from Mother over “Diaper Rash”

A little boy recovering from a brain tumor has been has been taken from his mother, in what some are calling a medical kidnapping in Connecticut. After surviving a year of intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, 3 year old Weston Lamarre was declared to be in remission and cancer-free. But just two months later Child Protective Services stepped in and took him away from the mother who has stayed by his side every step of the way of their heartrending journey. Now Wendy Lamarre is fighting to get her son back.

Rengo Family Children Taken Back into State Custody in Washington, As Family Tries to Flee CPS

The Rengos reportedly left their home in Washington to avoid having CPS take their children away again, but on February 5, 2015, they were picked up in California, and the children were taken away from them by force. According to ksbw.com: "Cleve Goheen-Rengo, 23, and Erica Carey, 29, fled from their Washington home with the three children. A warrant was not issued for their arrest, but a Be On The Lookout was issued by Bellingham police to West Coast law enforcement. Bellingham police officers said it was not a criminal kidnapping or Amber Alert investigation, but rather a civil violation by defying CPS court orders." So while no criminal charges were made against the parents, nevertheless, the children will be returned to State custody in Washington. The children seemed OK, according to California authorities. “They didn’t appear to have any obvious injuries or ailments,” (California Highway Patrol officer) Sadek said. Carey (the mother) was arrested for refusing to cooperate with Santa Cruz County law enforcement. She reportedly shouted out: "Send a message to America for me. Children don't belong to the government. The government belongs to the people."

Arizona Judges Continue to Threaten Parents and Restrict Free Speech

Family court in Arizona has threatened another family with a gag order, and forced them to contact Health Impact News asking us to take down their story, exposing what is happening in Arizona in abusing parental rights. Health Impact News and MedicalKidnap.com will not comply with this request.

BREAKING: ARIZONA SUED BY ABUSED FOSTER CHILDREN!

The Associated Press and many other media outlets today (February 3, 2015) have announced that a federal class-action lawsuit was filed against the directors of the Arizona Department of Children's Services and the Department of Health Services by ten foster children in Arizona. The children in the lawsuit are represented by the groups Children's Rights, the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest, and Phoenix law firm Coppersmith Brockelman PLC. Arizona's treatment of foster children is so bad it actually puts kids at risk of greater harm, says the federal class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit, which names as plaintiffs 10 foster children ages 3 to 14, said the agencies failed to address ongoing failures. The suit also accuses the state of a "widespread failure to engage in basic child welfare practices aimed at maintaining family relationships." That includes placing siblings together, trial reunifications with parents, adequate visitation between children and biological families, and having caseworkers visit parents to work toward reunification.