On May 22, 2009 a Corpus Christi TX judge sentenced Grizelda Lopez-Hess, 38, to 90 days in jail. I wonder if she’s out yet. She plead guilty to making a false report of abuse.

According to reporter Mary Ann Cavazos, Grizelda Lopez-Hess phoned the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services on October 9 to make a false report of “indecency with a child”. She accused Ricardo Jimenez of molesting his girlfriend’s daughter, claiming she learned about the abusive situation from her daughter, a friend of the supposed child victim.

But Grizelda Lopez-Hess doesn’t even have a daughter! She made the whole thing up! And she was an investigator forensic interviewer for the Children’s Advocacy Center - a former CPS caseworker, child-taker, and supervisor! What a manipulator!

The victim of this lie, Ricardo Jimenez, is called upon to testify as an expert witness, and this false allegation has already been brought up in criminal cases wherein he’s been asked to testify as an expert. But this was not Grizelda Lopez-Hess’ motivation for making such a sick and dreadful false accusation of child abuse.

Grizelda Lopez-Hess said she made the false accusation in retaliation against Ricardo Jimenez’ girlfriend, Misty Guajardo. Grizelda Lopez-Hess blamed Misty Guajardo for a job transfer forced on Lopez-Hess’ husband. But county officials said that the job transfer (a demotion?) was done because Grizelda Lopez-Hess and her husband did yet another dirty deed: they tipped off a suspect in a criminal case. The suspect and his family members testified that indeed they had been tipped off by Grizelda Lopez-Hess and her husband.

Grizelda Lopez-Hess plea bargained. She was to get a two year prison sentence, but that was changed to three years probation and the 90 days in jail. Plus she has to pay a fine and complete 100 hours of community service and attend anger management classes.

Hess’ husband tried to get her off easy. He testified that Grizelda Lopez-Hess would be in danger because while she was in a holding cell two fellow prisoners recognized her as a child-taking CPS agent! But she went to jail anyway and was to be isolated from the other prisoners. Solitary confinement for 90 days? I hope she’s still serving the entire 90 day sentence and that she’s had plenty of time to think about what it means to LIE and falsely accuse people of child abuse.

So there you have it, folks… the truth coming out about a really bad character that the county used against American families. They put Grizelda Lopez-Hess in a position of power and she used it to knowingly harm and harass decent people.

This is the tip of the iceberg! There are THOUSANDS of false accusations happening in this country… and it is time for all these lying idiots to get investigated, prosecuted, and IMPRISONED. Forget jail! One year isn’t enough to pay for the massive amounts of grief they’ve caused!

Every child taken away from a parent due to a false accusation of child abuse is a child that is being abused by the government child protective services agency and its agents.

So now you have my opinion. What’s yours? What would be the proper sentence for a child protective services social worker who knowingly makes a false accusation of child abuse or neglect?

Source: Former CPS Supervisor to Spend 90 Days in Jail by Mary Ann Cavazos, published on June 1, 2009 at Caller.com.

I received this email from Greg Smart of “No More Family InJustice”. He is working to build a nationwide organization for victims of CPS false accusations.

Yesterday I received an email from someone who had been accused of child abuse in Oregon. It was a former foster parent. I have always placed information from news articles onto this site when it involves abuse of foster children because I want to show that children placed in CPS custody are not necessarily safer than children in their natural homes. In fact I believe it is established that children are worse off in foster homes even when there are serious problems in their natural family homes. (This of course has nothing to do with the rare actual severe physical abuse cases that do require intervention by law enforcement officers.)

The man who wrote to me yesterday was accused of abuse against a foster child four or five years ago. Since then he’s made major changes in his life and now has custody of his children. He objected to having his name on my site and said it was harmful to his children. I am aware that foster parents are as likely to be falsely accused of abuse as are natural parents–perhaps even moreso because they intentionally (stupidly, in my opinion, in their desire to ‘do something nice for children‘) place themselves within the scope of child protection authorities and subject themselves to children who have been harmed and corrupted by the system. Sorry to say some of these children do make false accusations because that’s what they’ve been trained to do by evil systemites.

When I received this man’s email I immediately removed his name from this site. I left the article with the child’s information, but I have no reason to leave criminal accusations against innocent people, and he should not have his name on the internet in this context if he is innocent…. just like 90% of the people on CPS’s evil Central Index lists should not be maligned by being named there, myself included.

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If YOU have found your name on this site, and you are innocent of charges that were brought against you, please email me at the email address found at the bottom of every page. The email link is also at the top of the forum pages. I respond to my emails asking for removal of information. This site is now eight years old and I’ve got a ton of information here - most of which I don’t even remember at this point. If you want your information removed, do what this wise man did - SEND ME THE LINK to the information you want removed. That makes it 100 times easier for me to do a rapid information removal.

I also remove comments people made here that they no longer want on the site - but again, I need the links!!! If you find anything on this site that shouldn’t be posted, you are welcome to contact me about it. Your privacy and well being are important to me.

I strongly encourage parents having CPS troubles to use a fake name or handle when posting here. Also disguise your exact details. This is a public forum.

Hannah Overton, 30, the Texas foster parent and Christian homeschooling mother of five convicted to life in prison without parole for the murder of a foster child, is asking for a new trial.

She was convicted in September 2007 because she allegedly forced a four year old, Andrew Burd, to drink a mixture of two cups water, salt, pepper, chili powder and Cajun spices as a punishment. Hannah’s version of this is different. She says the child requested the “Zatarain’s Seasoning” and she put it in water instead of on food because he had an overeating disorder. She says she did not force him to drink it as a punishment. Source: Free Hannah Overton Website.

While many more violent foster parents have gotten off with a mere hand-slap, this young woman was sentenced to life without parole even though she had no intention to kill the child. She reportedly panicked when she saw Andrew wasn’t breathing, and waited an hour and a half to call for medical assistance. This is what the prosecutor said made her responsible for Andrew’s death. Source: Woman Convicted In Foster Child’s Death Seeks New Trial published on November 7, 2008 at KWTX.com.

A commenter at Sarah Walston’s blog article about Hannah Overton said that the actual time Overton waited to take Andrew to the hospital was only five minutes, not an hour and a half.

This case shows that foster parenting is a dangerous occupation. For years now I’ve warned people NOT to get involved with the foster care industry because of the risk of false accusations, and because of things like this where foster children die or are murdered, and there must be accountability.

One foster parent wrote on Sarah Walston’s blog:
“This story TERRIFIES me because I currently have 2 foster children living in my home, and now I’m forced to think ‘What IF this happens to ME?’ This story shows how easily some unfortunate twist of fate, can leave someone wrongfully convicted…”

There is a website created by Overton’s Christian supporters: Free Hannah Overton.

My opinion on this is that she got a much longer sentence than she deserved. Without a doubt, forcing a child to drink hot spices is a form of child abuse, and she deserved some prison time if she actually did that, but to put her away for life without parole is far too much time, especially for a young woman who is unlikely to be a danger to society if set free.

Another blog article, Suffer the Children, gives an opposing view, criticizing the “Free Hannah Overton” movement and pointing to perceived flaws in the thinking and writing of those seeking to help her.

For a picture of Andrew Burd: Corpus Christi Couple Charged in Death.

See also: Hannah Overton convicted of killing foster son.

This case has become a favorite cause for bloggers, especially Christian bloggers:
Hannah Overton :: Pray for Hannan Overton :: Release Hannah Overton :: Free Hannah!!! :: Hannah Overton Alleged Salt Poisoning Case :: Urgent Prayer Request for Hannah Overton :: May God Bless Hannah Overton and Family :: Free Hannah Overton :: Free Hannah Overton.

Other FightCPS articles about Hannah Overton: Texas: Fosterer charged with murdering 4-yr-old boy with hot pepper

Hannah’s aunt posted extensive information on her MySpace blog in which she said part of the conviction relied on a FALSE affidavit filed by a CPS social worker! See: The Wrongful Conviction of Hannah Overton.

What is your opinion? Should Hannah Overton be freed? Should her sentence (life without parole) be exchanged for something less harsh? Or do you think she got what she deserved?

As part of my outreach - my effort to help CPS victims find this site - I’ve joined a number of social media sites using either my own name, or the name of FightCPS.

I hope you’ll help me in supporting these efforts.

Do you have a MySpace profile? Fight CPS At MySpace wants you as a friend.	This is a blog promotion site. I’d very much appreciate your votes in getting FightCPS listed on the front page there so more people can find out about our issues with Child Protective Services false allegations.
Technorati is a site for finding blog postings that are on a topic you want to read about. If everyone who came here registered at Technorati and added this site to their favorites list, this blog might reach the top-100 list, and become an issue many thousands of Americans would notice.	Is anyone else here using Twitter? If so, feel free to follow me there: Linda at Twitter. This is my personal Twitter account and you’ll see I’m interested in numerous topics, not just fighting CPS - but that’s something I’m always willing to write about. If you want to get to know me better and find out where my head is REALLY at, this is the place.
Check out the Fight CPS Squidoo Lens for information about the history and goals of Fight CPS. You can make a Squidoo Lens web page to tell people about your CPS case and information. It is very easy to sign up and create a page, plus you may earn some money by doing it.	Fight CPS is on Hover Spot

If you’re a single parent, you must see this site. This is a fairly new website advocating for single parents. Site owner Tiffani Howard has applied for non-profit status for One Out of Many, and is actively working to improve the lives of single parents and their children. She has a lot to say about CPS injustice and parental alienation.

I’m particularly encouraged to see this promising site because for years now I’ve been saying that my site is not enough. I am one dedicated person, but this problem of CPS injustice is huge, and victims of false accusations by CPS social workers need lots of help - more than just one person can provide. I want to see as many new websites about CPS as people can make. I want this issue to be prominent all over the internet.

Thanks, Tiffani, for making such a beautiful site, and for working to help single parents who are victimized by CPS.

.

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Written by Linda Martin for Fight CPS.

I was reading through the comments this morning and noticed Cheryl wrote, “The stress that CPS has caused us is insurmountable.”

That brings back terrifying memories for me, and I’m sure all of you are experiencing the same thing. CPS workers find a family suffering through a difficult time, then figuratively KICK THEM WHILE THEY’RE DOWN, causing an overwhelming amount of added stress, only by this time we should be calling it TRAUMA.

CPS takes a family with a slight instability, then pours on the pain, takes the children, traumatizing them, perhaps for LIFE, and the parents of course are traumatized beyond what words can express.

By the time we parents get done working through a CPS case, we probably all have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and should be getting SSI payments instead of having to work. I actually know one woman who did apply for SSI on this basis after getting her step-child back. And yes, she got the money.

After everything the American Nation has done to stress us out, traumatize us, and make our lives a living hell, do you think they should PAY? After all, it is the majority of TAX PAYERS who are supporting these demons, turning their back on our suffering from harsh laws and false accusations. Our lawmakers don’t change the laws because MOST AMERICANS DON’T CARE.

Who should pay if we need financial help after our lives are torn to shreds? What are your thoughts on this?

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By the way, when you write your messages here, you don’t have to use your real name. Feel free to make something up as your regular ‘handle’ so you don’t ever have to be one of the people emailing me asking me to remove their names after they made comments here.

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Written by Linda Martin for Fight CPS.

Howard Hendrick, head of the Oklahoma DHS state agency, is under investigation for child neglect. His 13-year-old son was injured while they were burning brush at a lake house earlier this month.

According to an article on the Tulsa World website, an anonymous caller complained that the director didn’t act quickly enough to get medical help for his child. The director said the nearest hospital was 45 miles away, so they waited until the next morning.

Hendrick says he phoned a doctor immediately when the injury occurred. If the doctor recommended waiting, then that should end the case. Hendrick wouldn’t comment on how badly his son was injured but did say he is doing well. He also said, “I think he will fully recover.” To me that sounds like there’s some possibility he won’t. They have my sympathy … especially the injured child.

A comment on the Tulsa World article says, “I hope things turn out fairly for this family but I also hope the director sees how innocent families are treated poorly and lied to during the investigation process.” Honestly, I doubt that he’ll learn how DHS or CPS social workers treat poor folks. This case work will be under intense scrutiny and anyone working on it will be unwilling to lie and frame the man using false accusations. (Just my opinion on what will happen with the case.) I think it will be dismissed almost immediately. Yes, they got a report (probably anonymous) and he’s being investigated, but that doesn’t mean there were be an open DHS case against this man.

Source: DHS Director investigated after child injured - an Associated Press article published on the Tulsa World website.

P.S. - Speaking as someone who lives 75 miles from the nearest hospital - if my children were injured and the local clinic was closed, I could phone our local ambulance service. They check out injuries and provide transportation if needed, the entire way to the hospital. 45 miles is nothing - when a child is badly injured, he should be seen as quickly as possible. I’m sure the director of Oklahoma DHS had a good car and could have easily made the drive to town. This is not meant as a criticism of the parents’ judgment in this matter. I don’t know all the circumstances and have no intention to condemn anyone.

Spokane City Councilman Bob Apple launched an outspoken attack on a CPS social worker he claimed submitted false court documents in a child welfare case involving a former employee and campaign volunteer, Daniel Morgan. The City Councilman stated that CPS kidnapped a 2-year-old child, and that the assistant attorney general should be jailed.

From the article:

“It’s a sham… If this is how the court system operates, then it’s broken.” - Bob Apple

Of course CPS said that the charges were “ridiculous” because they go to court and state that the child is “at risk of imminent harm”.

In this case the ex-husband of Morgan’s wife has made accusations against Morgan in a custody dispute.

From the article:

Since 2002, the state agency has received a “number of referrals related to parental neglect of the children and alleged physical abuse of the children by Mr. Morgan,” according to the court documents. A state spokeswoman said she could not disclose how many of the complaints were made by Allen…..The Morgans said Allen has used the referrals “as payback” and to gain custody of the two children he had with Robin Morgan.

Now, this next part hits home with me:

“Unfortunately, in this field, when the custody of children is involved, everyone involved is willing to lie,” said Dave Wood, a lobbyist for Washington Families United, a nonprofit group seeking reforms to the child-welfare system. “You don’t know what the truth is. Something has to change.”

I find that so true - that too many people are willing to lie to get custody. That includes social workers, ex-spouses, girlfriends of ex-spouses, etc. And I plead with each one of you that if you’re in this situation, stay with the truth. Lies lead only to confusion. If you tell the truth, at least when it is all over, you still have your integrity.

City Councilman Bob Apple will advocate for any citizen that contacts him. Perhaps you might want to print out this article and take it to your city councilman (or woman) to see if that person is willing to go to bat for you. I’ve contacted my county supervisor several times, including for an issue involving CPS, and every time she’s been a great help and everything turned out perfectly.

Source: Apple puts spotlight on CPS by Benjamin Shors for the Spokane Spokesman Review, published June 23, 2007

This site map is under construction. I have about six hundred more pages to add. In the meantime if you want to find something on this site, try using the search box on the left side of this page.

About Your CPS Case
Who Will Prepare Your Case?
Your Case Notebook: Is It Up To Date?
Don’ts and Do’s When Falsely Accused

Abuse of Foster Children
Michigan: Another Child Beaten To Death In A Foster Home
Texas: Foster Parent Convicted In Death Of 3-Year-Old Foster Child
Vermont and Ohio: Protecting Children From Abusive Fosterers
Ohio: Child Collecting Foster Adopters Sentenced To Prison
Texas: The System Is Maxed
Washington: Foster Parent Arrested For Abusing A Foster Child For Ten Years; CPS Caseworkers Ignored 15 Reports of Child Abuse!
Baby Bruised in Foster Care: What Will Happen To Sean’s MySpace?
Oregon: Innocent Baby Girl Brain Damaged By Foster Parent Child Abuse
California: Foster Parent Pleads Guilty To Child Molestation
Washington: Spokane Foster Parent Pleads Guilty To Criminal Mistreatment
Texas: Foster Parent And Son Jailed For Sexual Assault Of Foster Children
Florida: Child collector caught with nine abused, imprisoned children and adults adopted from foster care in New York
Michigan: Lawsuit Filed On Behalf Of Foster Children Endangered By DHS Negligence
Missouri: Foster Parent Sentenced to 15 Years For Sexual Abuse of a Young Boy
Connecticut: Foster Parent Neglects Children At Casino

Abusive CPS Employees
Georgia: DCFS Administrator Arrested For Child Cruelty
Indiana: CPS Caseworker Cory Heinzman Convicted of Molestation
Iowa: CPS Social Worker Charged With Perjury during TPR Hearing
Washington: Spokane City Councilman Exposes and Lambasts CPS
Social Workers Needed for child stealing saving
Oklahoma: DHS Director Investigated For Child Neglect
Ohio: CPS Social Worker Fired For Not Following Court Orders

Administrative Hearings
Filing For A State Administrative Hearing

Boycotts
Boycott Wendy’s Restaraunts

CPS - Child Protective Services
Parents: Do You Remember The Fourth Amendment?
What Do They Call CPS In Your State? - 6.5.07
Arizona: “New” CPS Risk Assessment Tool Called “Antiquated”
How Can We Solve The Problem Of CPS False Accusations?
CPS - What Does It Really Mean?
When You’re Dealing With CPS, Where Are Your Friends?
Don’ts and Dos when Falsely Accused of Child Abuse or Neglect
Tell Us About Your Favorite Web Pages For Information on Fighting CPS
Calling CPS

CPS Reform
Connecticut: Flex Funds Can Keep Children At Home

Central Index
Has your name been added to a child abuse list?

Child Detentions
Texas: Pot Smoking Toddlers Sent to Fosterincarceration Facility

Family Destruction
TPR Trial - Day by Day Account at MySpace

Families Reunited
New York: Three-year-old Julia may be returned to parents soon
Jack and Casey He: Tennessee Supreme Court Upholds Parental Rights

Family Stories
Michigan: ‘My Name Is Lisa’

FightCPS Website
Major Site Update/Redesign Coming Soon
CPS Evil Kidnapper
Site Update Almost Done
Amazing What Some People Think I Have Time For!!!
Fight CPS on Web 2.0 Sites: Squidoo and MySpace
Policy On Copying Things Found On This Site - 8.12.07

Foster Parents
Build Suffering People Up, Don’t Tear Them Down

Grandparent Rights
Scotland: Grandparents Want Legal Rights To Contact Grandchildren
Pennsylvania: Non-Abused Child Ripped From Loving Grandparents

Guestbooks
FightCPS Guestbooks

Lawsuits
Possible Class Actions Regarding Psychological Evaluations
Class Action Lawsuit Planned
California Class Action Lawsuit Planned

Lawyers
Lawyers who take CPS defense cases
Make Your Court-Appointed Attorney Work For YOU
Post here if you need a CPS defense lawyer

Legislation
Indian Child Welfare Act - ICWA - Is A Disaster For Many Families
Dangerous Federal Legislation: The Mothers Act HR 20

Legislators
Vote for Family-Friendly Legislators
Contacting Your State Legislator For Help

Media
Stolen Baby Video At YouTube
DVD Review: Snap Decision
New American Magazine: Families Separated By The State
Michigan: WJR Radio Gives Parents Opportunity to Expose CPS
FightCPS Prayer Requests

Protests
DC Rally 2008

Research
Study Concludes That Kids Are Better Off In Troubled Homes Than In Foster Care

Running From CPS
Michigan: Parents Flee With Their Infant To Avoid CPS

Suing CPS and/or CPS Employees
Wisconsin: Federal Decision Against CPS Social Worker
California: Verdict Against CPS for 4.9 Million!
Washington: Children Sue CPS For Allowing Them To Be Abused By Foster Parent
New Federal Court Decision Against San Joaquin County, California CPS Social Worker
Texas: Katie Wernecke and Family Are Suing CPS, Six Social Workers, Nueces County, and Two Deputies
California: Former Foster Child, Adoptee, Files Lawsuit Against Los Angeles County

What are your thoughts about how CPS should be changed?

Please leave a comment here to tell us what’s wrong with the child protective services system and how you believe it should change.

One of my goals with this site is to enable people to find the help they need when fighting a CPS false accusation. Lots of my site visitors come from search engines, so for the last few years I’ve been working on making it easier for people to find Fight CPS. To do this, I use a software program for keyword research. It tells me what people are actually searching for, when they enter something into a search engine box, for example, at Google or Yahoo.I’ve never had this site show up on the first page for “CPS” at Google, mainly because there are so many other things the letters “CPS” can stand for, most of which have nothing to do with Child Protective Services. So I’m considering using an advertising program like Google Adwords to offer this site to people using CPS as a search term.

Today I got my keyword research software out and put in “CPS” as a search term, and got back all kinds of phrases people use when entering “CPS”. See the graphic below.

Click to see full-sized graphic

I was floored when I saw that in Overture searches, 39 people per month enter the search term, “CPS Evil Kidnapper”. And that means that three times that many are using the same search term at Google every month.

That’s a lot of people coming up with the phrase, “CPS Evil Kidnapper” every month! Wow. That many people feel about CPS the same way I do.

So I was curious. When they write “CPS Evil Kidnapper” in the search box at Google, what do they find? I Googled it. The first site that came up was one that encourages parents to stay together because children need both parents. The second site was a message board.

Naturally, I’m hoping that next time someone puts “CPS Evil Kidnapper” in the search box, this article will come up. Anyone who feels that desperately bad about CPS certainly deserves to find a community of like-minded friends such as the people who use the message forum here at Fight CPS.

If I can help more than 150 desperate CPS afflicted parents or grandparents find help every month because I wrote this article about the “CPS Evil Kidnapper” search term, I can go to bed happy tonight. May the families be reunited and the children and parents find joy and peaceful happiness in each others’ arms.