Suburban Mom Handcuffed, Jailed for Making 8-Year-Old Son Walk Half a Mile Home

[k9bfriender]

@doreen

But the story she tells doesn’t make sense - the neighbor and the police think she endangered the kid simply by having him walk a short distance, the police arrest her, she gets indicted , the lawyer tells her to take a deal (which suggests that the lawyer thinks it’s not a good idea to go to trial ) but somehow CPS doesn’t think she did anything inappropriate, At all - not just that they don’t think the kids need to be in foster care, not that it’s a one time thing that won’t happen again and no further monitoring is needed . Nope, they decided that there was absolutely nothing whatsoever wrong with what she did while somehow there was enough evidence that she committed a felony that her lawyer advised her to take a deal.

I think it fits just fine if different people have different ideas as to what it means to expose a child to unreasonable risk of harm.

If the mother and CPS both aren’t worried about the kid being kidnapped and thrown into a world of sex slavery, then they would come to the conclusion that she did nothing wrong. If the police and DA think that a child alone on the street is ripe pickings for sex trafficking rings, then they would say that she did. Throw in law enforcement’s need to assert authority and to never back down, and it makes perfect sense, IMHO, how these different entities came to different conclusions about the same event.

Now, a lawyer will never tell you how a case will come out. IME, they won’t even really give you odds. So, you are faced with the possibility of years in jail and never seeing your kids again, or taking a deal that sucks, but is far better than a conviction. It’s not that uncommon for people to take plea deals for things they didn’t do in order to avoid the threat of the much greater punishment that could be meted out for you insisting on having your right to a trial.

Even if the lawyer told her it was a slam dunk, he would also tell her that it would probably take a couple years to fight the case, during which, she would be out on bail, which comes with a whole list of restrictions.

@doreen

She’s either lying about some of it or didn’t give the writer all of the information or she and/or the writer didn’t really understand what happened - maybe CPS closed the case within 2 weeks and Wallace and/or the writer just assumed that the closing meant the case was determined to be unfounded and it really wasn’t.

I don’t understand the need for there to be an assumption of lying or mistake here. I see nothing to contradict their claim that CPS found the claims unfounded.

@doreen

Not where everyone agrees on what happened and CPS says “no problem” while the CJ system is charging someone with a felony.

Just because everyone agrees on what happened doesn’t mean that they have the same opinion over whether she was in the wrong.

[Sage_Rat]

@steronz

FWIW, Reason evidently didn’t share your skepticism. And, predictably, this is making the rounds on the libertarian subreddits, and is also not being met with any skepticism there.

In general, whether you’re watching Rachel Maddow or Tucker Carlson, they’ll tell you to practice skepticism, think for yourself, and to question everything you’re seeing. And also in general, no one does that. They take it as a message to trust that particular teller and to call everything else lies. (Note, this isn’t to imply that Maddow or Carlson are at similar levels on honesty, just that the messaging is fairly consistent across parties and belief systems that people should practice skepticism. Obviously, saying it doesn’t work.)

Personally, I’d say that you should always be skeptical - regardless of who the speaker is and how much you like or hate what they’re saying. But to note that “skeptical” doesn’t mean throwing it away as false news, it means trying to come up with ways to disprove it and running through all of those, and keeping a mental record of how often you succeed, by source.

So far, we haven’t disproven this particular article.

[Left_Hand_of_Dorkness]

@Sage_Rat

So far, we haven’t disproven this particular article.

What’s to disprove? The facts that we know are that a mom claims to have had an unpleasant encounter with CPS and the cops. Surely she can request the records of her case and choose to share them with the reporter. Her failure to do so–and the journalist’s failure to ask her to do so, or to report on her failure–tell us that there’s very little to the story.

This is a general rule. Plenty of news stories go like this:

1. Party has an adversarial encounter with an authority.
2. They go to the media and tell their side of the story.
3. The authority has records of the encounter.
4. The authority cannot release the records to the media, due to confidentiality rules.
5. The authority could release the records to the aggrieved party.
6. The aggrieved party does not release the records to the media, despite their ability to do so.

When I see a story that follows this outline–and it’s a really common outline–I tend to dismiss the complaints. It’s different if the authority refuses to release the records; but when all six steps occur, I think there’s something to the story we’re not being told, and that something may completely change the story.

[msmith537]

@RitterSport

@PastTense

I walked half a mile alone to school from first grade to high school almost every day.

I walked 10 miles each day, in the snow, uphill both ways. We lived in Eschertown, NY.

Same here until 3rd grade Erie, PA.

When we moved to CT, the school was further away and we had to take a bus that got cancelled at the slightest flurry,

But yeah, it’s weird to me that in a city like Hoboken, NJ which is extremely walkable, all the kids need to be accompanied everywhere by an adult.

[DocCathode]

@msmith537

But yeah, it’s weird to me that in a city like Hoboken, NJ which is extremely walkable, all the kids need to be accompanied everywhere by an adult.

(reference I hope somebody will get) It’s because of all the radioactive mutants. Thankfully, the Crimson Tape is here to protect us!

[Atamasama]

@DocCathode

It’s because of all the radioactive mutants.

I think that’s a bigger issue in nearby Tromaville. They don’t have a Superhero League to protect them.

[hlwallace1984]

Mom in the article here!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this whole post. Why? Because I think you guys did an amazing job trying to piece everything together, and pull up documents (which I’ve tried to do myself!) BETTER POLICE WORK THAN THE ACTUAL POLICE! HAHA.

To answer just a few questions…
I was very quiet during this year. I didn’t even tell friends other than a close group and those I worked with once I was forced to resign. We were terrified that whatever we said would be used against us as the old phrase said.

Once my case was officially dismissed the founder of Let Grow wanted to do an article about my situation. I was in contact with her asking questions about the laws during the first several months, trying to figure out what the heck was happening (even though I had a lawyer, not much was explained to me)

Though there were small details that they got wrong. Most of the articles were right. I have declined future articles due to now working with an attorney from ParentsUSA. Not sure what the next steps are but we decided to fight!!

It was 5:15ish when the cop came to my door with my child in the cop car. It was still bright outside. In Texas it is not cold in October. It wasn’t necessarily hot either. Though my son said it was very hot in the cop car which he sat in for 30 minutes waiting for the cop to get him out.

I do not know this neighbor. I do not know where this neighbor lives, although I know her name due to the body cam footage I saw just recently. All I know is that she asked my son if he was ok and where he lived. He pointed to where he lived, next street over! Then here comes the officer at OUR street talking to him, offering the ride home. My guess is she called the cops before she actually talked to the officer. That’s how the officer got there around the same time she talked to my son.

I answered the cops questions respectfully in my opinion. Including “Why is your house so messy?” (he must have peeked in when the door was answered) I responded “Because I have three adhd boys, and I work full time from home!” That question digs deep.

He asked me knwoing what I know (the talk about the proverbial white van, sex trafficking, that you don’t see where I am but he sees in downtown Waco) would I drop him off again. I said “I dont know, he’s 8!” I believe he said “Hes a small 8.” (which is irrelevant. He’s actually very strong for his size and age. He can scale just about anything!)

Either before I was handcuffed or after I asked him “if he had just asked to get out of the car and wanted to walk home would that have made a difference?” The officer said “I wouldn’t let my child away from my side” (he had a 4 month old he admitted).

When I watched the body cam footage he said it was clearly a child endangerment case. The boy had scrapes down his legs (No idea where he got those but he’s a very active boy who loves exploring, those are his battlescars that he’s proud of!) and “She was acting nonchalant so I cuffed her.” I was OUTRAGED when I heard that.

I was in the cop car before CPS came to talk to my husband and to myself.

I drove off at about 8:30 pm. Got to jail. Wasn’t booked with a phone call until 4 am.

When I got home my husband had signed a safety plan with CPS. We did what CPS wanted during following weeks. CLean the house haha. The very kind social worker closed our case and the results were “ruled out” for neglect and abuse. However I was arrested for child endangerment. In Nov. CPS closed the case. In Dec. I was indicted. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I just got a letter in the mail that said I was indicted. The last I heard maybe the end of november? (I don’t remember) the prosecutor got my case finally and I was sending my lawyer video of the walk home and the area.

After the indictment I waited 4 months. Finally the DA sent over the pretrial diversion program information. This was recommended becasue if I went to trial and they foudn me guilty I would get 2 years minimum jailtime. If I was found innocent the case woudl be dismissed, which was the same result as doing the pre trial intervention program. I had to take the safer route for my family. I never expected to be indicted. I coudn’t risk trial. Especailly if my lawyer was the one who suggested this.

I did community service at a child care center in waco that worked with children with trauma. It was the most amazing experience. I couldn’t work in the center so I worked on the weekend. It was my choice to do my community service here. However I did get denied a couple of well known places in waco to do community service, due to the felony charge. Also got denied apartment housing when we sold our house as well as a few jobs.

I haven’t worked as a teacher since before kids. but I do hold a certification which now has a written repremand on it due to all of this. I am not signing anything, this is ridiculous!

The indictment letter quoted the law about placing a child in imminint risk. It then talks about exposing a child to meth, etc. I DON’T DO DRUGS! I had to do drug tests, but I don’t do drugs! No one even tested me for drugs as far as I know. (I don’t remember if I peed in a cup when I went to jail or not).

I have requested the incident report three times. Two times I got denied online. One time when I went into the station they gave me what looked like a cover letter to the report. It had no information on it. Simply that the person above was arrested for child endagerement, and had my eye color and occupation wrong. (I was not a stay at home mother. I worked full time from home.)

So I think I answered all the questions. I don’t know what’s next but after going through therapy this year, my husband and I are ready to fight. We weren’t ready back in April when I took the deal. We are ready now. It’s harder since the case is dismissed. But apparently there are ways according to my new attorney. Hope this helps!

[Czarcasm]

Is your new attorney o.k. with you discussing the case publicly with us and others?

[hlwallace1984]

I kept quiet for so long. But. I definitely should let people think what they want about the situation. I tried to delete but couldn’t figure out how to.

[Atamasama]

@hlwallace1984

I tried to delete but couldn’t figure out how to.

If you want to delete your post long after the fact, our moderator here @Miller might be able to help you,

[hlwallace1984]

Update!!! We thought we were going to pursue a civil suit but we weren’t able to. I currently have to fight the Texas Education Agency on my own. They want to completely revoke my teacher certification even though my case is dismissed and I’m working on expungement. Send help! If anyone has resources for a lawyer to help me file this petition response let me know.

[bobot]

Start a go fund me. You’ll want to check with The Powers That Be here by contacting a mod or posting in About This Message Board if advertising your fundraising attempt is cool here. Best of luck to you. When I was 8 I wandered all over the place with my friends, all day, unsupervised. As an adult my mother mentioned that we kids must have had to poop at some time, wherever we go off to, but she never really wanted to know the details so she never asked!