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Understanding the Basics of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)/Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)
When an infant suddenly dies, the grieving parents (and often the state’s child welfare agency) want—and deserve—answers. Whenever an infant presents at the emergency room with (1) subdural hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), (2) retinal hemorrhages (bleeding behind the eyes) and (3) cerebral edema (swelling in the brain) (“the triad”), the answer has routinely been […]
Almost 40 Years Later: Key Takeaways from the McMartin Preschool Trials
As parents return to work, children across the nation are going back to school and back into the hands of caregivers, which creates an atmosphere ripe for abuse allegations (not to mention the continuous rise of QAnon). It is important for parents and caregivers to be reminded of the McMartin Trials as things return to […]
An Abuse Allegation Against You Has Been “Substantiated”: Now What?
A DCS Investigation Crystal is the mother of three-month-old Michael and six-year-old Grace. A few months ago, she was the subject of a Department of Child Safety (DCS) investigation when Michael fractured his leg after a fall in the park. The attending physician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital believed the x-ray showed a previous, healing break […]
6 years post-Obergefell: Same-sex parenting rights in Arizona
The path to the landmark ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) was a long and arduous one, filled with decades of small victories and crushing losses, many of which went unrecognized. When same-sex marriage was finally deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court six years ago, it released all of the pent-up energy that had been […]
How Long Does Arizona DCS Have to Investigate an Allegation?
Suppose five-year-old Lucas tells his Kindergarten teacher that his dad hits him and that is why he has a faint bruise on his leg. As a mandatory reporter under A.R.S. § 13-3620, Lucas’ teacher calls the DCS hotline and reports her “reasonable belief” that Lucas may be abused or neglected. A DCS Specialist is assigned […]
So You’ve Given Birth to a Substance Exposed Newborn
Imagine you have a friend, Chloe, a lawyer who was prescribed pain meds after a car accident four years ago and ever since suffers from an unfortunate addiction to oxycodone. Chloe is also pregnant with her first child. When Chloe starts to go into labor, she arrives at St. Joseph’s Hospital and the nurses notice […]
Both DCS and the Police have Questions for your Client—What Now?
Your client calls you saying the police and the Department of Child Safety (DCS) are at their door. You know your client is in the middle of a toxic divorce and brace for what is about to come next. “They say I touched Emma,” he says, referencing his four-year-old daughter. Of course, you tell your […]
10 Years Post-Sandusky: CAPTA and Mandatory Reporting in Arizona
After Jerry Sandusky’s arrest for child sex abuse in 2011, states across the United States began paying attention. Sandusky was a well-respected assistant football coach at Penn State and the founder of a non-profit charity dedicated to helping at-risk youth [1]. At the same time, he was molesting boys, some of which occurred in the […]
So DCS has invited you to a Team Decision-Making Meeting (TDM): Now what?
In the grand scheme of nearly indecipherable acronyms in child welfare investigations, one particular abbreviation stands out as being part of nearly every case but nonetheless being misunderstood by most parents. The “TDM,” or “team decision-making meeting,” is an important step in the resolution of child welfare investigations that proceed beyond initial screening. In nearly […]
How the Medical “Code of Silence” Affects Child Abuse Litigation
By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney Despite being the fifth-largest city in the United States, Phoenix only has seven board-certified pediatric orthopedic surgeons, five of whom work at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Because of their specialty, it is safe to presume that the surgeons all know each other from their professional community and any conferences they […]