🚀 go-pugleaf

Organization:


Some of you have questioned recent postings about Washington State's DSHS
system. Here are pretty much real-to-life scenarios that are happening to
people I know, starring yourself.



You are eating dinner one evening with your family. Two police come to the
door and say they want to talk to you for a minute. Not knowing why, you
let them in. One, seeing your family at the table, introduces himself, and,
of course, you introduce your family. He then says he has something for you
to read, hands you a slip of paper, and, while you start to read it, he goes
over and takes your three-year-old daughter. You suddenly realize something is
wrong, because the paper says they are taking her under allegations of sexual
abuse, and the other policeman has stepped in front to prevent you and your
wife from reaching your daughter (who of course is very upset and crying). They
tell you that they are taking her to DSHS, and you will have to get more
information from there. One suggests that you might need a lawyer. Neither 
seems to think that you're worth very much. They leave, and the two of you are
sitting there stunned. What is going on? Did somebody do something to her? Why 
did they have to take her? How *can* they take her?

Neither you or your wife sleep very well that night.

The next morning you find an attorney, and suddenly learn about *that* expense.
He seems to know the system, so he places a few calls. He can't reach the
people he wants, but does get something from some assistant about a child
brought in last night whose parents were sexually molesting her! You are in
shock, and sit there trying to think of anything and everything you might have
done that could be mis-construed as abuse. The lawyer laughs all of your 
suggestions off, telling you that it's much more serious than that. He also
tells you that there has to be a hearing within 72 hours (not including
weekends and holidays), at the juvenile court. Unfortunately, this is Thursday,
so you realize you have a weekend without your daughter ahead of you. He 
arranges to meet with you at the Juvenile Court Monday morning. Oh, and yes, 
he's going to need money. BIG money! First thing Monday morning!

You spend the rest of the day trying to come up with the thousand or two he
wants. Fortunately you had some money accessible, but it wipes out your "cash"
reserves. Any additional monies are going to take weeks to get ahold of.

You spend your weekend avoiding everybody you know. How can you tell them that
the State took your daughter away and is accusing you of molesting her? You
figure it's just a big mistake, which will come out at the hearing, you'll take
her home again, and all will be well.

Monday morning: You arrive at Juvenile Court, meet your lawyer, and sign in.
He finds the DSHS worker, and gets a packet of papers to review before you go
in to court. You start to read it.. and are shocked! You are accused of all
sorts of filthy abuses, which, it is stated, she told the case worker all 
about! Some of the things you don't even understand! The statements even
quote her using words she doesn't know! You suddenly realize that *something*
is very wrong!

You are called into court, and the judge, the case worker, and your lawyer
talk a bit. The judge grants DSHS 30 days to hold your daughter (who is not
there, by the way) while they start an investigation. You begin to realize that
you aren't going to see your daughter for a while. You start wondering what
people are going to think about you, when you (inevitably) have to tell them.
You wonder if you can "cover up" somehow, to avoid the shame of the allegations.

The lawyer has some ideas, some things he needs to do, before the next
hearing. He gets going on them. You start trying to lead some semblance of a
normal life. You *have* to tell some people, who are all shocked because they
know you, and cannot believe that you are capable of such a thing. One small
comfort. You just wish the State knew you so well, too.

Three weeks pass..

You are beginning to look forward to the next hearing, so you can clear things
up and bring your daughter home. It's late, you and your wife have turned in, 
and turn the light out. Suddenly there's a knock at the door. You open it, and
there's two policemen. They ask if they can come in to talk. You are tired, not
thinking clearly, so you say yes. Suddenly they've got handcuffs on you, and
are reading you your rights!! You ask what's going on, they tell you they are
arresting you on suspicion of child abuse (sexual), and that you're going with
them to jail to be questioned. After a little pleading, they finally allow you
to get dressed, and they drag you off. It's 11:00 at night. Sevral hours later
you are downtown, booked, and tossed into an (overcrowded) cell for the rest
of the night. Next morning you are finally allowed access to a phone (one 
phone for the entire jail, you have to dicker with other -other!- inmates to
get to it). Your lawyer says he will meet you in court in the afternoon. You
get to sit around idle, nothing to read, you don't feel like talking. You are
in an unconfortable jumpsuit they gave you last night after the strip-search.

You go into court, and they let you go on a promise (by your lawyer) that you
will show up for the filing of the charges in a few days. Suddenly you become
aware that they are going to try you in criminal court, as well as in
Juvenile, and that if you lose the case, you go to prison. MANDATORY five
years without any possibility of parole, plus whatever else the judge feels
appropriate.. up to life.

Time passes..

You are "in the system" now. You are waiting for the trial, your lawyer is
doing what he can to establish your innocence, but there isn't much he can do
because the State treats the case worker's statements as absolute fact. You
cannot see your daughter, nor can your wife. She is told that if she divorces
you, so that you will be guaranteed to not be around (and they'll be
checking!), she can have your daughter home. If not, your daughter stays in the
foster home, and could eventually be put up for adoption if you don't 
cooperate. You'll never see her again.


Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.



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