Tag: child abuse

A Position of Trust II: Teachers Facing Prosecution for Failure to Report Child Abuse

By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney When mandatory reporters fail to report suspected child abuse, they are complicit in letting the abuse continue. Educators, in particular, have such a unique and consistent level of interaction with children that makes them a reliable source of child abuse/neglect reports. Due to this, nearly all states, including Arizona, lists […]

A Position of Trust: Teachers Accused of Sexual Misconduct with Students

By Sabra Barnett and Isabel Ranney  Due to their close proximity to students, teachers and school personnel are often the first line of defense when it comes to identifying signs of child abuse and they are often blamed for failing to detect abuse sooner. Teachers are expected to act as detectives – to notice and […]

Putting Maury Povich Out of Business: The Economics, Science, and Efficiency of Maternal Blood Testing

Originally published in the Spring 2022 AZ Family Law Newsletter.  By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney  Paternity drama has plagued humankind for years. There is lore amongst evolutionary biologists that babies look more like their fathers because maternity is clear, but paternity is in doubt. Perhaps this has no roots in truth, but it is […]

Preventable: The Legal Consequences When a Child Accesses a Gun in Arizona

By Isabel Ranney It started with a loud popping noise. Marie rushed into the bedroom and found Reggie lying on the ground, blood pooling around him. Her two-year-old son stood nearby; a gun clutched in his hand. She immediately called 911 and began administering CPR while she waited for first responders to arrive. Reggie would […]

Allegations of Abuse Against Parents with Transgender Children in Arizona

By Isabel Ranney  Imagine you are in the middle of a contentious divorce with your soon to be ex. You have one child in common—an eleven-year-old named Sam—who was born biologically male but has expressed a desire to wear dresses and be referred to using she/her pronouns. Sam’s preferences were a major factor in the […]

Buzzfeed News Consults Woodnick Law Attorney

On April 27, 2022, Buzzfeed News published an article on child abuse registries and how they disproportionately affect people of color. While researching for his article, Buzzfeed reporter Scott Pham consulted with numerous attorneys, including Woodnick Law’s own Markus Risinger. Of note, Scott Pham did a thorough analysis after collecting data about central registries, which […]

Is it Me or is Everyone Talking About Parental Alienation?

By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney Things do not just “trend” in fashion or TikTok. They happen in courtrooms too. In the 1980s, the era of unlocking repressed memory had people suddenly remembering childhood traumas at a scientifically unsupportable rate, and with significant consequences. In the 1990s, guided imagery led to even more “recollections” of memories, […]

Understanding the Basics of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)/Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)

By Markus Risinger and Isabel Ranney Markus Risinger joined Woodnick Law as a law clerk in 2012. Markus graduated cum laude from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.  Isabel Ranney is a law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Associate Editor for the Law […]

Almost 40 Years Later: Key Takeaways from the McMartin Preschool Trials

By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney 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 […]

An Abuse Allegation Against You Has Been “Substantiated”: Now What?

By Gregg Woodnick and Isabel Ranney 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 […]