Alabama Judge Threatens Health Impact News Reporter

In a move that can only be interpreted as an attempt to restrict free speech and deny the 1st Amendment right of freedom of the press, Alabama Circuit Judge Corey B. Moore had Health Impact News reporter Terri LaPoint escorted into his courtroom yesterday to give her a stern warning. Investigative reporter Terri LaPoint commented: "I had no idea that I would be taken into court today! I was simply outside (the courtroom) as a friend of the family when they called me in. I was only dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, since I never intended to enter the courtroom." Mrs. LaPoint was at the courthouse with the Prince family who had a hearing that day regarding one of the newborn babies that was taken away from the parents by DHR recently. Mrs. LaPoint has reported on the family and their fight against Alabama DHR which has removed two newborn nursing babies recently while still in the hospital at the time of birth. Her original story quickly went viral and was read by over 1 million people in the first 24 hours. Mrs. LaPoint relates how the court-appointed attorney for one of the young mothers who was at court that day explained to her that the lead counsel for DHR allegedly wanted to call her in and put her on the witness stand. They were allegedly upset with our reporting on these stories. The attorney appointed to the family allegedly objected, stating that she had no legal counsel at the moment and was not part of the case, but the judge ordered her to be brought into the courtroom anyway. Once Mrs. LaPoint was escorted into the courtroom, which she states this was the first time she was ever inside a courtroom, Judge Moore asked her what her name was, and told her that because she did not have legal counsel present, she did not have to make any comments or answer any questions. Mrs. LaPoint reports that Judge Moore then warned her that she should retain legal counsel, and become familiar with the confidentiality laws regarding juveniles in Alabama. The court-appointed attorney for the Prince family then apparently told Mrs. LaPoint on her way out that this was not strictly a "gag order," but that the judge was upset and wanted her to "play ball."

Pattern of Child Kidnappings by Alabama DHR Exposed: Another New-born Infant Seized at Hospital

Last month Shelby County DHR (Department of Human Resorces) took a 3 day old breastfeeding baby from her mother at a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. The baby had been flagged for removal based simply on the fact that DHR already had a case open on 2 other children from the same mother. The young mother is currently appealing their case where her parental rights to her children were terminated. When people hear these stories, often the first response is, "There has to be more to the story." This is the "more to the story," and what our investigation reveals is there appears to be a definite pattern as to how Alabama DHR seizes children, often right out of the hospital as soon as they are born. Many people from Alabama who have contacted Health Impact News are reporting that Alabama DHR actions often violate federal laws, state laws, and basic civil rights protected under the Constitution of the United States. The young mother's name in this story is Haly. She is 20 years old, and she is the older sister of the 14 year old alleged rape victim at the center of the recent Medical Kidnap story that has captured the heart of many across the nation and beyond. When we first published her sister's story, it received over 1 million views within the first 24 hours.

Health Impact News Named in Alabama Lawsuit for Exposing State-sponsored Child Kidnapping

Last week Health Impact News published the story out of Alabama where DHR (Department of Human Resources) removed a newborn breast-feeding child that was only 2 days old from his 14-year-old mother who is alleged to be a rape victim, and was still in the hospital. The story quickly went viral with over 1 million views in the first 24 hours, and gained national attention. The grandparents of the 14-year-old mother who lost her newborn child last week appeared in court today in Shelby County, Alabama for the DHR juvenile court proceeding regarding their grandchildren. Also appearing were members of the media and witnesses of the event at the hospital. However, not only did they not get their grandchildren and infant great-grandson returned home, another surprise awaited those who showed up at the court house. A lawsuit that was filed in the Circuit Court of Shelby County naming various family members and media personnel, including Health Impact News, was presented to many of those who had come to the courthouse. The lawsuit was filed by Erin B. Welborn, listed as the Guardian ad litem of the newborn child. They are demanding that we take down our story and stop publishing anything regarding this case.

Los Angeles Father Loses Daughter to Corrupt Court – Thousands Petition to Remove Rocky Crabb from the Bench

Thousands of people in Los Angeles have petitioned to have Commissioner Rocky Crabb removed from the bench in Family Court in Pomona, California. Commissioner Crabb first came to the attention of Health Impact News because California father Joshua James approached us with his story of fighting to protect his 3 year old daughter, Journey. His story suggests that there is much wrong in Commissioner Crabb's courtroom. Parents like Joshua are left wondering how justice can be served, when there appear to be so many abuses of power and signs of corruption when facing Commissioner Crabb. Joshua has hired attorneys who say they cannot go up against Crabb and have given him his money back. Joshua has tried to get Crabb to recuse himself after making prejudiced comments. Attorneys have told Joshua that his civil rights are being denied and that this commissioner has it in for him. Unless Crabb steps down, they tell him that he will not have a chance of getting custody back. Joshua has not seen his daughter for almost a year now.

Date for Execution of Man on Death Row for Shaken Baby Syndrome is Halted as Conviction is Blamed on “Junk Science”

Last week, we reported that Chief Justice Ralph Gants from the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts had ordered a re-trial in the case of Oswelt Millien, a young father, who in 2015 was jailed for 4-5 years for causing permanent injuries to his six-month old daughter, Jahanna. This week yet another case, this time in Texas, has hit the news. On 17th June, 2016, Reuters reported that: "The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday halted the planned June 21 execution of Robert Roberson and sent his case back to trial court. It based its decision on a recent state law that permits legal challenges citing new scientific evidence potentially pointing to wrongful convictions." In 2002, Robert Roberson was convicted for the murder of his two-year old daughter, Nikki Curtis. Although experts at the time had testified that the toddler had died of Shaken baby syndrome--a syndrome defined by brain swelling, bleeding behind the eyes and bleeding on the brain’s surface--Roberson had always denied that he had hurt his daughter and maintained that Nikki’s injuries may have been caused by a fall from her bed or a fever of 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit. (40.3 degrees Centigrade) Reuters continued, by explaining that Shaken baby syndrome can be caused by short falls, other undiagnosed medical conditions, such as blood clotting disorders and latent trauma from a difficult birth. They stated that lawyers had pointed out that it is impossible to shake a child to death without causing serious neck injuries which they said that the child did not have. They concluded that: "Robert Roberson was wrongly convicted of murdering his … daughter based on ‘junk science’ and highly inflammatory sexual-abuse allegations that were false." This is a landmark case and may lead to other innocent prisoners that are awaiting execution to be awarded a reprieve.

Accused Man Arrested in Alabama Rape Mother Story – Allowed to Enter Hospital Room to See Baby Before His Arrest

The case of the 14 year old rape victim and her baby who was seized by Alabama DHR (Department of Human Resources, responsible for Child Protective Services) earlier this week has been continued by the judge to next week, and the accused rapist has been arrested. The alleged rapist was allowed to enter the hospital room and see the baby before his arrest, greatly upsetting the victim-mother and her family. Since Health Impact News originally published this story based on eyewitness accounts and video from Choices4Life founder Juda Myers, the story has gone viral, with over 1 million views in 24 hours. Rumors and speculation abound, and numerous comments are being made by those claiming to know inside information. Health Impact News strives for complete accuracy in our reporting, and the delay in updating the information has arisen from our determination to verify information before it is published.

Alabama Child Protective Services Steals New-born Breast-feeding Baby from Rape Victim While Still at the Hospital

Juda Myers of Choices4Life calls her a "Hero Mom." A 14 year old Alabama girl became pregnant from a rape, but she courageously chose life for the baby that was conceived. She refused to consider the option of abortion, and told her grandparents, who are her legal guardians, that if they would help her, she would raise and love this baby. Instead of celebrating her as a hero, Alabama child protective services - DHR - came into the hospital yesterday and seized her newborn baby, leaving a devastated young mother and her family in their wake. Juda Myers and I were there to witness the trampling of every Constitutional and moral right of this young mother, and we are shocked and devastated at what we saw. There is no legal or moral justification for what we saw happen at Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster, Alabama, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Choices4Life founder Juda Myers flew to Alabama from Texas on Monday in order to be supportive of this young mother who chose life for her baby conceived in rape. The tagline for the ministry is "Restoring honor and dignity to women and children of rape conception." Juda says: This 14 year old's dignity was stolen. Cases like hers are exactly why Choices4Life exists. There was no court order, no warrant, and no sign of imminent (or any other) danger, yet hospital social worker Jamilia literally ripped 51 hour-old Braelon from his mother's arms right after he finished breastfeeding.

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Opens the Legal Door to Retry All Shaken Baby Syndrome Convictions

As the medical profession continues to debate the merits of "Shaken baby syndrome" (SBS), the American judicial system is increasingly determining that the evidence against SBS is strong enough to prevent convictions in a court of law, where the standard is "reasonable doubt." As Christina England reports, Chief Justice Ralph Gants from the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts just ruled this month that another SBS case in Massachusetts must be re-tried, because evidence contrary to the supposed "science" behind SBS was not presented at the trial. Judge Gants even went beyond just issuing a ruling to provide legal advice to attorneys seeking to represent their clients against SBS claims. So now the question remains: if these parents have had their children removed illegally, and many of these parents have wrongly been convicted and incarcerated, should doctors who are responsible for these injustices be tried in a court of law for their crimes? An important case was heard last year in the Ninth Circuit Court, which ruled that Dr. Claudia Wang, the medical director of UCLA’s Suspected Child Abuse and Negligence (SCAN) team, does not have immunity from civil lawsuits, may have set an important legal precedent.

Medically Kidnapped Teen Isaiah Rider Finally Free from Child Protective Services but Ruined Lives Remain

Isaiah Rider is finally free. The Missouri teen was taken captive by Illinois DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) more than 2 years ago when his mother challenged the doctors at Lurie Children's Hospital when her son was in pain and not being helped by the doctors there. Isaiah and his mother Michelle Rider have been living in a nightmare ever since that horrible day on April 15, 2014, the day when DCFS kicked Michelle out of the hospital and seized custody of Isaiah. Now, that chapter is over, and they are beginning the difficult task of putting their lives back together. When an innocent family wins against Child Protective Services, it can feel like a hollow victory. It is, as Team Isaiah states, "bitter-sweet." It cannot be compared to winning a victory in a ballgame, or a race, or an election. It is a victory after fighting the hardest battle in a family's life, a battle that never should have happened in the first place. So much has been lost. As one mother told Health Impact News after winning such a victory: "How do we celebrate after our lives have been ruined?" The question remains: What are we going to do about it? Are we going to work to make sure that what happened to Michelle and Isaiah Rider stops happening to other families? Medical Kidnapping is wrong, and it needs to end.

Parents with “Ruined Lives” Protest Against Corrupt Family Court Commissioner in Los Angeles

Why have parents in Pomona, California been able to gather more than 2000 petitions to remove Commissioner Rocky Crabb from the bench in Family Court? Parents who have contacted Health Impact News have reported an abuse of power, discrimination against Hispanics, taking children away from good parents and leaving them in the hands of abusers, and a denial of civil rights by Commissioner Rocky Crabb, who functions in the same capacity as a judge. The primary difference between a commissioner and a judge is that a commissioner is appointed and voted on by judges, not the public, and therefore holds less accountability to voters. Rocky Crabb ran for office, as Superior Court Judge in LA County in 2008, but lost, having obtained just 37% of the vote while his opponent won with 63%. He remains on the bench, however, as an appointed commissioner. The website RobeProbe.com rates judges, and Commissioner Rocky Crabb has 44 ratings. A user can rate a judge on a variety of qualities, ranging from "Very Bad," "Bad," "Adequate," "Good," or "Excellent." Out of Commissioner Crabb's 44 ratings, 43 are overall "Very Bad" and 1 is "Adequate." There are currently over 30 cases Commissioner Crabb has ruled on that are being appealed. So how does this man stay in power? Parents have told us that attorneys are reluctant to take their case when they learn it is against Commissioner Rocky Crabb, a man who was appointed to his position - not elected by the public. Tammi Stefano interviewed two of the parents who claim they and their children have been abused by Commissioner Rocky Crabb: "He has destroyed my life." Watch this shocking interview with two fathers who are among the parents spearheading the movement to remove Rocky Crabb from the bench.