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In the Media: “May December” and the Revival of Mary Kay Letourneau

By Isabel Ranney This year has been marred with what appears to be an increase in teachers facing allegations and charges for inappropriate conduct with their students. Particularly, female teachers having sexually inappropriate relationships with their students feels to be more prominent in the media. As recent as September of 2023, a former female high […]

The Impact of the Department of Child Safety’s Document Failure on Parents

Originally Published on AZ Mirror on August 23, 2023 and on the Arizona Capitol Times on August 24, 2023. By Deandra Arena  On Aug. 21, a letter from the state attorney representing the Department of Child Safety (DCS) went out to all presiding judges across Arizona requesting that they “suspend any trials and severance proceedings” […]

In the News: Lack of Discovery Revealed in Thousands of DCS Cases

By Woodnick Law Originally reported by 12News on August 21, 2023. On August 21, 2023, a letter from the Division Chief Counsel representing the Department of Child Safety (DCS) went out to all Presiding Judges across the state of Arizona. The letter requested that they “suspend any trials and severance proceedings” set in the next […]

Fast-Tracked Termination: What is Happening in Arizona

By Woodnick Law  Once a child is born, its parents are endowed with a “fundamental right to parent.” This means that like other fundamental rights (e.g. right to privacy, right to marry), there is a higher scrutiny placed on any attempts to interfere with that right and the presumption is that the right will remain […]

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 […]

So You’ve Given Birth to a Substance Exposed Newborn

By Deandra Arena and Isabel Ranney 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. […]