The jury has yet to reach a verdict in the trial of Dwight Stacy Justice. 

On Thursday, the jury continually sought clarification of laws, interview transcripts, and further jury instructions, then after considering the evidence and testimony all day Thursday, the jury informed the judge that they were divided 8-4.

The Jurists, who at times seem frustrated and confused, will continue deliberations on Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Cleveland County Courthouse.

Read More

Child death disclosure hindered by Bureaucratic circumventing, ignorance? Part 4

Read Part 1, 2, and 3

Part 4: Failure to meet disclosure criteria.

Is mandatory disclosure, being thwarted by insufficient findings and information?

Is the Department of Social Services hiding mistakes and systematic problems behind the curtain of confidentiality?

Failure to meet disclosure criteria

Although several of the disclosure summaries were lacking the necessary content to comply with the statutory definition of facts and information that shall be released, one department completely failed to abide by the statute, in not only the information and facts they were supposed to release, but in denying disclosure in cases, without just cause and good faith. 

Read more of part 4

In Memory of Shinaye Smith

DSS Asked To Investigate Shortly Before East Charlotte Child Killed

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/dss-asked-to-investigate-shortly-before-east-charl/nG9WR/

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — 

In Memory of Jalenthia Caldwell

Man accused of killing girlfriend’s baby

http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Man-accused-of-killing-girlfriends-baby-78234747.html

by NewsChannel 36 Staff

Posted on December 1, 2009 at 12:57 PM

Updated Tuesday, Dec 1 at 1:03 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police are searching for a man who’s accused of shaking his girlfriend’s baby to death. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say Randy Moorehead is charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. 

Lattayne Caldwell says she left her 22-month-old daughter, Jalenthia, in Moorehead’s care when she went to work on Friday. When she returned home, Caldwell says, she thought her child was sleeping.

“My baby was in a coma having a seizure, couldn’t look at me, couldn’t breathe, wasn’t swallowing and I mean I’m like, what in the world?” said Caldwell. “I’m thinking she’s asleep because this what I was told and she is dying.”

A funeral will be held for Jalenthia on Saturday.

In Memory of Demytre Rashaad Pendleton Jr. (D.J.)

January 20, 2009-September 9, 2011

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Demytre’s mother took her son to Carolinas Medical Center-Pineville on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Due to the severity of the boy’s injuries, he was airlifted to CMC-Main.

An examination at the hospital revealed injuries in which hospital staff believed were serious enough to involve police. The next day, CMPD detectives with the Youth Crimes Unit were called to CMC to investigate how the child was injured.

Demytre died at the hospital two days later as a result of his injuries.

This latest incident, however, is not the first time the child has ended up in the hospital due to a severe injury.

Officers were called to CMC-Main on August 24, 2011, at 10:24 p.m. after Demytre was admitted with a skull fracture and several bruises which police deemed possibly consistent with a fall.

At that time, detectives with the CMPD’s Youth Crimes Unit were assigned to the case.

The child was treated and released from CMC-Main while detectives continued to investigate. 

Following Demytre’s death on Friday, CMPD Homicide Unit detectives charged James Gregory Cleveland in connection with the child’s death. Cleveland is being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond.

Police said Cleveland is a friend of Demytre’s mother and he is not related to the toddler.

If you have information about this incident, call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective or call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

In Memory of Marcus Markee Davis Jr.

DSS reveals history of abuse following death of baby

In Memory of Zione Washington

Man pleads guilty to abuse, killing of girlfriend’s baby

In Memory of Nakyiah Chapman and Na’jhae Parker

DSS got call on Chapmans in September

by Lisa Hammersly | Charlotte Observer

Posted on April 1, 2010 at 2:20 PM

In Memory of Josiah and Gabriel Hawthorne

DSS letter shows contact with mother charged in deaths

http://charlotte.news14.com/content/622884/dss-letter-shows-contact-with-mother-charged-in-deaths

CHARLOTTE — The Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services released a letter Friday outlining the timeline of their involvement with Orgal Opata.

The 26-year-old is being held under a $1 million bond. She’s charged with two counts of murder and felony child abuse after her 1- and 2-year-old sons died in a house fire Sunday. Two of her other children survived and police say she left the four children home alone.

In Friday’s letter, DSS officials say social workers were first notified in June 2008 that Orpata’s children were left unattended. They recommended services for Orpata and closed that case in early August 2008.

Then, last October, DSS was again notified that Orpata’s children were found at home alone. Officials said they referred Orpata’s case to Family Intervention Protective Services and assigned a social worker to make regular contact.

DSS said Orpata cooperated with community-based service providers and indicated the children were receiving appropriate supervision.

On Friday afternoon, Orpata’s case involving the child neglect charges from last year was continued until late April.

Friday night, dozens of people came together for a vigil to remember Opata’s two infants who were killed in a fire last week. (Watch video)

In Memory of Ellijah Burger

Toddler beaten, killed at motel

by By ANN SHERIDAN / NewsChannel 36 

Posted on August 15, 2009 at 3:51 PM

Updated Sunday, Nov 1 at 4:22 PM

Arrest in toddler’s murder

In Memory of Tiffany Ranae and Aaliyah Faye Wright

Baby born to murdered Charlotte teen dies

How system failed 15-year-old gunned down at bus stop

In Memory of Canell “C.J. Durant

Father Arrested In Child’s Death, Neighbors Stunned

 Updated: 7:25 a.m. Friday, April 1, 2011 | Posted: 1:46 p.m. Thursday, March 31, 2011

Part 3: Bureaucratic circumventing; avoiding disclosure by statutory maneuvering?

Is mandatory disclosure, being avoided by Bureaucratic circumventing?

Is Child fatality disclosure hindered by Bureaucratic circumventing and ignorance?

Part 3 of a 4 part investigative report

Read Part 1, Read Part 2

Bureaucratic circumventing

Circumventing is defined as:

1. Find a way around (an obstacle).
2. Overcome (a difficulty), typically in a clever and surreptitious way.

According to ACF in their Policy Interpertation Questions and Answers section, the only legally allowed reason to refuse disclosure in child fatality and near fatality cases is if that disclosure would jeopardize a criminal investigation or proceeding.

Read more

In Memory of Connor and Cameron Maxwell

Connor Maxwell

Cameron Maxwell

William Maxwell Loved His Family Then He Killed Them, Say N.C. Police

November 3, 2009 1:12 PM

By Neil Katz

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-5510296-504083.html

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (CBS/AP) People who knew William Maxwell say that the 47-year-old real estate developer and active church member loved his family more than anything.

But police say that didn’t stop him from shooting to death his wife and two children then himself Monday night in a gruesome murder-suicide that has shaken an upscale Fayetteville, N.C. community, one hour south of Raleigh.

Authorities did not hint at a motive.

Police said Tuesday that Maxwell killed wife his wife, Kathryn, and their children, 17-year-old Connor and 15-year-old Cameron, before turning a gun on himself.

“Billy, if you knew him, loved his family. Everybody knew that. That’s what makes this so tragic,” said John Cook, pastor of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, where every member of the family was active. “Obviously something tragic was going on for this to happen.”

Friends and neighbors say the Maxwells were a friendly family who kept a meticulous yard and were active in their church and their children’s religious high school.

“They were just wonderful people, active in their church,” said neighbor Kay Edwards, who has lived next door since 1994, when she moved back into the home where she grew up and where her 94-year-old mother still lives. “They were just good neighbors.”

Edwards said she would often see family members walking their small dog through the quiet, leafy neighborhood.

“We’re just all in shock,” she said Tuesday. “You could not image this happening.”

William Maxwell was a builder and land developer who built residential subdivisions in Cumberland and Harnett counties, said John McKinney of Fayetteville, who described himself as Maxwell’s business partner and friend for more than a decade.

“He was a devout Christian and I really loved his family,” McKinney said.

William Maxwell followed his father into the residential real estate business and also owned a couple of local car washes, while his wife Kathryn was a stay-at-home mother who taught Sunday school at Snyder Memorial, McKinney and Cook said.

Years ago, Kathryn, 43, taught in Fayetteville’s public schools, said neighbor and state Sen. Tony Rand, whose wife worked with her.

Connor Maxwell performed in a dance troupe and sang in the big Christmas celebration at the family’s church, which has about 1,800 members, Cook said.

She was a senior while brother Cameron attended 9th grade at Village Christian Academy in Fayetteville. The school is affiliated with Village Baptist Church. “We’re obviously very saddened by this tragic event and we’re really concentrating right now on just meeting the needs of the students and staff at the school,” said Lou Nelon, the church administrator. “Those kids were very well loved and respected. They were very well known here in town,” Nelon said.

In a neighborhood with well-manicured lawns where many houses sit on hill tops, a steady stream of cars drove by the house on Tuesday, slowing for drivers to gape at the crime scene.

Evelyn Diaz, a Maxwell neighbor for about a year, said she remembered the father and son working on the meticulously-kept lawn. One woman who said her husband coached basketball at Village Christian Academy with Maxwell came Tuesday to lay a bunch of yellow daisies on the lawn.

Suzie Martell, a neighbor and a student at Fayetteville Technical Community College, came by the house to snap some pictures with her cell phone. “The family was great. The husband obviously prospered in his field,” said Martell.

Fayetteville is about 50 miles southwest of Raleigh and home to the Army’s sprawling Fort Bragg.

In Memory of Makayla and Kaylob Dean Peek

Kaylob Dean Peek

When the autopsy said SIDS, investigation stopped

BY FRED CLASEN-KELLY - THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

Part 2 of a 4 part investigative report

Read Part 1

Part 2: Is DSS failure to reply to disclosure requests, breaking the law?

Twenty-six county DSS offices were contacted seeking disclosure about child abuse, neglect and maltreatment fatalities from 2008 to present.

Overall, most counties replied quickly, although there were some issues.

Email addresses for each counties DSS director was obtained from the North Carolina Department of Social Services, Local County Directory, so it could be assumed that these email addresses were correct.

Yet, in two of these disclosure requests, it took 3 to 4 emails in order to obtain a response.

Read more

In Memory of Khisha Lachelle Freeman

Death penalty sought in child’s murder case

Published 8:00am Friday, February 19, 2010

WINDSOR, N.C.—The state will seek the death penalty against a local man who stands accused of murdering his 13-month-old-daughter.

The case against 26-year-old Jermaine O’Brien Freeman, formerly of Conway who later moved to Bertie County, has been declared “capital” — meaning state prosecutors have officially informed the court they will seek the death penalty.

Prior to that ruling, the Northampton County Grand Jury returned true bills of indictment against Freeman, who was charged with first degree murder on Dec. 23 for the Dec. 19 death of his daughter, Khisha Lachelle Freeman.

Following the Grand Jury’s ruling, local District Attorney Valerie M. Asbell conducted a Rule 24 hearing where she declared the case as capital and informed the court she would seek the death penalty.

When asked about the nature of a Rule 24 hearing, Asbell said that was one where the District Attorney informs the judge there are aggravating factors for which the death penalty could be sought in a particular case.

Resident Superior Court Judge Cy Grant agreed, ruling that the case could be tried as a death penalty case.

Tonza Ruffin is representing Freeman. No trial date has been scheduled.

Freeman became the leading suspect in the murder following an investigation by Conway Police Chief Billy Duke.

In an earlier interview by this newspaper, Duke said that at 1:20 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20 he was alerted by Northampton County Central Dispatch who advised him about the child who had been brought by her mother, Tenisha Boyd, at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19 to Roanoke-Chowan Hospital in Ahoskie. Duke said the attending physician performed tests on the child in which the results had indicated foul play.

“When I got there the child had been pronounced dead,” he said.

Duke said with the assistance of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, he was able to interview both Boyd and Freeman.

The child’s body was transported to Pitt Memorial Hospital for an autopsy.

“Those preliminary results indicated the child had died of blunt force trauma (in the head area),” he said.

Duke said he conducted two more follow up interviews with the mother from which Freeman was developed as a suspect.

Duke said he was able to collect evidence which he transported to the State Bureau of Investigation lab in Raleigh.

After speaking with Asbell, Duke drew warrants for Freeman’s arrest.

Upon being served those warrants on Dec. 23, Freeman was behind bars at Bertie Martin Regional Jail on an outstanding warrant (failure to appear in court) with a bond of $5,000. He is now held without bond on the charges of murder and felony child abuse inflicting serious injury.

According to the North Carolina Department of Corrections Web site, Freeman has a list of convictions, including misdemeanor charges for common law forgery and common law uttering and resisting an officer. He was also convicted in Gates County with felony assault inflicting serious body injury in 2008. The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald has been able to confirm that the Gates County case involved a minor child.

In Memory of Kali Bekia Martin

Mom mourns her daughter’s violent death

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2009 

Part 1 of a 4 part investigative report

Recently, this reporter, sent out numerous, §7B-2902, child fatality disclosure requests to various county DSS agencies across the state of North Carolina.

These disclosures come at a very high price, the fatality or near fatality of a child. 

As such, requests for disclosure should be handled with the utmost respect, honesty, and in full compliance with the law.

Read more

In Memory of Antonio Devon Bridges Jr.

Antonio Devon Bridges Jr.

Antonio Devon Bridges Jr.

Autopsy: blunt force trauma killed baby

By: From staff reports | GoDanRiver.com 
Published: October 17, 2008

http://www2.godanriver.com/news/2008/oct/17/autopsy_blunt_force_trauma_killed_baby-ar-274932/

An autopsy report confirms that the death of an 11-month-old baby was the result of blunt force trauma June 19 at a room in the Mar Gre Motel in Eden.

In Memory of Dakota Johnson

Three dead in murder-suicide

BY SARAH NAGEM AND THOMASI MCDONALD – Staff Writers

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/14/580347/three-dead-in-murder-suicide.html#storylink=cpy

 CLAYTON — Devinee Maier House called sheriff’s deputies four times in the last 12 weeks for help dealing with a husband she was trying to leave before the couple and her teenage son were found dead Tuesday morning in their home near Clayton.

In the early-morning hours, the deteriorating marriage met a violent end. Investigators say William Fulton House, 50, shot his wife and his 15-year-old stepson, Dakota Johnson, before turning the gun on himself.

The couple’s three younger children – ages 2, 7 and 8 – were in the Castleberry Road home at the time of the shootings but were unharmed, said Tammy Amaon, spokeswoman for the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office. They are in the custody of their grandmother, but Amaon said she did not know where the woman lives.

It’s sad,” Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said. “It just shows domestic [situations] can be deadly.

“Bizzell said deputies who respond to domestic calls often refer victims to a domestic-violence shelter or refer couples to counseling. But he did not know whether his deputies ever referred William and Devinee House to a counselor during the four calls they answered at the couple’s home.

Bizzell also said he did not know whether either had filed for a protective order against the other. Amaon said there were no signs of violence between husband and wife in the four visits deputies made to their home before Tuesday.

Domestic-violence advocates said they were not surprised that the marital discord escalated to violence if Devinee House, 42, had recently tried to leave her husband.

“This is very common. The time of separation can be the most dangerous for a victim,” said Beth Froehling, executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Most homicides occur during separation or attempted separation.

“Laura Hilton, director of community outreach and education with Interact, the Raleigh-based domestic violence center, said victims are 75 percent more at risk of being injured or killed when they try to leave the marital home.

Both Froehling and Hilton said law officers investigating a domestic violence case often carry cards that have contact information for domestic-violence agencies that provide victims with resources, safety and help filing a restraining order.

“It’s the most important piece of information to give the victim so that they will know that resources are available in the community,” Froehling said.

Call came at 7:54 a.m.

When the 911 call came in at 7:54 a.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies were already familiar with the brick house at 640 Castleberry Road.

At 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Devinee House called 911 and said her husband barred her from taking the children from the home, Amaon said.When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found that she and the children had already left. William House, known as “Billy,” told the deputies that everything was fine, Amaon said.

On June 17 at 4:30 p.m., Devinee House called 911 and told a dispatcher that her husband had changed the locks on the doors of the home.

On April 29, she called 911 to report that her husband was harassing her, Amaon said. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, William House agreed to leave for the evening, Amaon said.

And on April 20, just after 5 p.m., Devinee House called 911 and reported that her husband was causing problems, Amaon said.

William and Devinee House each agreed to find another place to stay for the evening, Amaon said.There was no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved in any of the incidents, Amaon said.

A neighbor said he overheard arguments between the couple. Danny Davis, 35, who lives next to the House home, said he began to hear William and Devinee House argue around Christmas. About a month ago, William House moved into an apartment he made in one of several out-buildings on the property, Davis said.

Davis said he heard gunshots early Tuesday morning, but he didn’t call 911 because he didn’t want to get involved.

“When I saw the yellow tape, I knew,” Davis said.”I didn’t know who, but I knew.

“Worked as inspector

Neighbors say William House, who worked for thecity of Raleigh’s inspections department, where he made sure heating and air conditioning units installed throughout the city met local and state codes, enjoyed carpentry and had built up his property over the years.

William House purchased the home in 1996, according to Johnston County property tax records. In the back of the brick house, he put up four out-buildings, and another was under construction. A chain-link fence surrounds the main house and the backyard, which contains an elaborate playground set. Another fence circles the whole property.

“He just loved to build stuff,” Davis said. “He built everything over there.

“Tuesday’s shooting was the second deadly domestic-violence case in Johnston County this month. Authorities say that Aldolfo Reyes Maldonado shot and killed his wife, Elizabeth Holmes Reyes, and injured her stepfather on July 1 in the Brogden community.

Maldonado was wounded by pellets from his own shotgun, authorities said.

Bizzell said he wishes William and Devinee House had separated so maybe their marriage wouldn’t have come to a deadly end. While law enforcement officials often offer resources, he said, the people involved have to act on that offer.

“We’ve got some personal responsibility, too,” Bizzell said.

4-year-old Cedric Francois died, October 19, 2011, just 19 days after social workers visited the home where he lived with his mother, Taquita Francois and her boyfriend, Michael Antonio Dixon Jr., according to court records.

Read more

According to Sheriff Bizzell, this “total disregard for public safety” has been occurring for over a year.

“As Sheriff, I’m going to do my job.  Enough’s enough, I’m sick of it, its disgusting and I’m not going to tolerate it anymore.”

“If the Johnston County Social Workers on call are not going to meet the needs of the Johnston County children, I’m going to be on the steps of the Governor’s mansion finding out who is going to be.”, stated Bizzell.

 

MORE

Hal Wilson to Phyllis Fulton  <<<< Click this link to hear.  (left on my answering machine)

*I did remove the child’s name from this audio recording!

In it Oscar Howard “Hal” Wilson III,  a Social Worker Supervisor at the Wilkes County Department of Social Services called our home, believing that he was calling Phyllis Fulton in Raleigh. During his lengthy message to Ms. Fulton, which he left on our home answering machine, he released my name as the reporter, the child’s name, and basically admitted that it was improbable the child received all of these bruises from a haunted ‘hay ride, but…’ He also said that they were going to advise me to make another report. A report that I was later criticized for making.

The level of incompetence required to make this phone call and then leave this message is astounding..  

First, “Hal” had to dial the wrong number,  Phyllis Fulton’s area code is 919, mine is 336, a huge difference.  Mr Wilson should have realized he was dialing a local number,  since Wilkes County’s area code is also 336.

Next, my answering machine, at the time, clearly indicated that “you have reached the Nixon family“.  NOT Phyllis Fulton at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Third, Hal then proceeds to break the law.  He releases the child’s name, (which I removed from this copy of the recording) then the reporters name on MY ANSWERING MACHINE.  

Hal Wilson had no clue who he was talking to, no idea who would hear this message.

But as a social worker supervisor, he should have!

Finally, He admits, “We kind of surmised, after hearing the child had been out on a hayride, we thought well maybe she could  have gotten some bruising from that “although its improbable“ but the child’s age was taken into consideration….”

The last time I checked, which hasn’t been long, the North Carolina General Statutes does not say that DSS and the Director are only required to investigate and accept reports, where the child is saying something “adverse” has happened to them.  

Nor does it say that DSS is allowed to listen to the concerns of the reporter and just ASSUME that the bruises or injuries happened in an accident.

…and that is not what he says here, he basically admits that it is improbable that she received the bruises on the “hay ride” but they chose not to investigate the report based on their own conclusions, without ever talking to the child or viewing the bruises! (it wasn’t a “hay ride” at all, but a haunted trail, that she was carried through by her daddy…and no injuries occurred there! DSS was informed of this at the time of the report!) 

Of course, Hal’s statement in this phone call does not say that they believe “the child received the bruises by accidental means, Hal’s statement in this phone call says, although we believe it is improbable that this child received the bruises during a “hayride”, we aren’t going to investigate this report. 

So they believed that this child received these bruises some other way, other than a hayride, possibly from abuse, but they were not going to investigate it because the child DID NOT state she was being abused!

…and while the child had not stated that anything adverse had happened to her, she had not stated that anything adverse HAD NOT happened to her either!

I did not question her about the bruises, because I did not want to take the chance that DSS would then say that I coached her, or put ideas into her head!

I did what I was told to do, if the child came to our home with unexplained bruises I was supposed to call Allison Baker, which I did, but she refused to come to our home and talk to the child and see the bruises…and instead told me to call the “on call worker”, who refused the report.

In the letter that I received explaining why the report was not accepted, the reasons given is, “the child is nine years old and is not stating that anything adverse has happened to her.”

Refusal does not fit the criteria required for the report to have been screened out and not investigated.

It further states “Allegations do not meet CPS criteria”

Yet according to Chapter VIII:Protective Services 1407 – STRUCTURED INTAKE  a report of abuse is supposed to be screened using the following tools, (I have placed only the ones that apply to this case here) : 

VI. MALTREATMENT SCREENING TOOL AND PROCEDURES

The purpose of the screening tools is to determine which reports meet the legal definitions of abuse, neglect and dependency and to aid in achieving consistency in regards to the screening of CPS reports.

“A. Physical Injury Screening Tool Directions

Is the parent/caretaker causing serious non-accidental physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death, disfigurement, or impairment?

Fractures, subdural hematoma, dislocations, sprains, internal injuries, burns and inflicted injuries such as extensive welts, bruises, lacerations and abrasions would be indicative of abuse. The specific injuries listed are not intended to be an all-inclusive list, but are an indication of information that does warrant an Investigative Assessment. There may be instances where a child has bruises that do not rise to the level of abuse, but are considered improper discipline (refer to Improper Discipline Maltreatment Screening Tool), as well as situations where there may be bruising and there is no abuse or neglect. Physical abuse of a preschool aged child or a developmentally disabled child requires an immediate response.

The physically injury screening tool for use in assessing a report of physical abuse.

I. Improper Discipline Screening Tool Directions

Is the parent/caretaker using corporal punishment that results in any type of injury, cuts or extreme bruises?

...significant trauma and tissue damage, such as bruises, welts, or lacerations may be signs of child neglect (inappropriate discipline) or child abuse, depending on the extent of the injuries. Factors to consider regarding bruising include: location and severity of the injury, child’s age and developmental stage, and whether the bruises are consistent with normal play. Injuries such as these, not resulting from an accident, must be assessed. A definition of significant trauma is any injury beyond temporary redness of the skin. A practical guideline to use is that any inflicted injury which lasts more than 24 hours constitutes significant injury and requires an investigation. (PEDIATRICS, Vol. 110 No. 3, September 2002, American Academy of Pediatrics.) A reporter’s knowledge that this was the parent’s first time inflicting such an injury or that the injury is just a small bruise does not impact screening. Spanking and corporal punishment should be confined to the buttocks or legs and should not result in injury, scarring or bruising. Physical discipline that is administered to a child’s head or torso area presents a greater risk of injury. The child’s age and abilities are relevant to whether the discipline used is reasonable…”

Improper discipline screening tool for use in assessing abuse/neglect

If the appropriate response is in doubt, the social worker should respond in the most protective way.

Yet even though, Hal Wilson, thought it was improbable that the bruises occurred during a hayride, and knowing that this child had a hand shaped BRUISE on her inner thigh, and bruises on her stomach (a very dangerous area to hit) as well as other bruises…he chose to screen out this report of abuse because the child did not say she was being abused!

This is not how you investigate reports of child abuse, this is how children end up dead!

A look at the law…

“§ 7B‑302.  Assessment by director; access to confidential information; notification of person making the report.

(a)        When a report of abuse, neglect, or dependency is received, the director of the department of social services shall make a prompt and thorough assessment, using either a family assessment response or an investigative assessment response, in order to ascertain the facts of the case, the extent of the abuse or neglect, and the risk of harm to the juvenile, in order to determine whether protective services should be provided or the complaint filed as a petition. When the report alleges abuse, the director shall immediately, but no later than 24 hours after receipt of the report, initiate the assessment. When the report alleges neglect or dependency, the director shall initiate the assessment within 72 hours following receipt of the report. When the report alleges abandonment, the director shall immediately initiate an assessment, take appropriate steps to assume temporary custody of the juvenile, and take appropriate steps to secure an order for nonsecure custody of the juvenile. The assessment and evaluation shall include a visit to the place where the juvenile resides, except when the report alleges abuse or neglect in a child care facility as defined in Article 7 of Chapter 110 of the General Statutes. When a report alleges abuse or neglect in a child care facility as defined in Article 7 of Chapter 110 of the General Statutes, a visit to the place where the juvenile resides is not required. When the report alleges abandonment, the assessment shall include a request from the director to law enforcement officials to investigate through the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons and other national and State resources whether the juvenile is a missing child.

(a1)      All information received by the department of social services, including the identity of the reporter, shall be held in strictest confidence by the department, except that:…”

No where in the law does it state that the department of social services is to listen to the report and then JUMP to conclusions about how the bruises occurred!

Nor does the law state that the only reports that will be accepted and investigated are those where the child is saying that someone abused them.

Furthermore, there is no age limitations for investigating a report of abuse, meaning the age of the child does not matter, they are supposed to investigate reports of abuse of any child under the age of 18, who is not married, emancipated, or a member of the armed forces.

 If DSS receives a report of abuse saying that suspected abuse is happening to a nine year old, whether that nine year old is saying it is or not, they are required by law to investigate that report.

Unexplained bruises, some of which look like a hand print fit the criteria of suspected abuse and should be accepted for CPS investigation.

That is not what happened here.

And because that did not happen here, because of the obvious incompetence of this supervisor and the Wilkes County Department of Social Services, this child was left in the care of her mother, and the abuse was allowed to continue, while DSS turned their focus to shutting us up with a malicious, unethical, and illegal investigation!

The failure of the Wilkes County Department of Social Services to protect the child in this case, especially in light of their belief that it was improbable that the bruises occurred by accidental means, constitutes willful failure to follow the laws of North Carolina and America, as well as willful failure to protect a child from abuse.

I believe that breaking the law is a criminal offense, so why haven’t these people been charged with the crimes they committed?

Arrested for Multiple Sex offenses

Continue reading on Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/cps-in-winstonsalem/winston-salem-foster-mom-arrested-for-allegedly-having-sex-with-child#ixzz1fbVvCluh

If DSS has placed a child into your home, in a Kinship placement or if you have been made a legal guardian or given legal custody of a child, you may be able to apply for, and receive financial assistance through Work First.

Continue reading on Examiner.com “Child only” Work First benefits may help support child in Kinship care – Winston-Salem CPS | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/cps-in-winstonsalem/child-only-work-first-payment-may-help-support-child-kinship-care#ixzz1fapKICSU