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Racial Disparity in Arizona DCS Investigations Receives National Attention
Conscious or unconscious, racial bias affects all aspects of life. The caseworkers and child welfare investigators (OCWIs) that make up the Department of Child Safety (DCS) are not immune from these biases. A recent article from ProPublica, which has received national attention, addresses how these biases have culminated in a disproportionate number of DCS investigations […]
Bypass: The Future of Abortion Access for One of the Most Vulnerable Populations
Gregg Woodnick: I was in the earlier stages of my legal career when I represented minors seeking an abortion through the judicial bypass statute. My job was to meet these young women briefly prior to their appearance before the judge in the small room at the Courthouse just outside the court room. Often, I knew […]
A Position of Trust III: When Members of the Clergy Fail to Report Child Abuse
The conversation between an individual and a member of the Clergy during a spiritual confession is sacrosanct. It is a time when the person confessing should feel that they can speak freely, without fear of reprisal. This act of confession is so valued that Arizona law permits members of the Clergy, who are statutorily mandated […]
A Position of Trust II: Teachers Facing Prosecution for Failure to Report Child Abuse
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 teachers as mandated reporters. But when […]
A Position of Trust: Teachers Accused of Sexual Misconduct with Students
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 question every bruise, every unwashed shirt, […]
The Importance of Pre-Charge/Pre-Indictment Counsel
Prior to working in private practice, I was an Assistant Federal Public defender. In this role, I received cases long after charges had been filed. Meaning, the opportunity for many of my clients to avoid being charged had long since passed. Grand Jurys had convened, statements were recorded, and the case had inertia ever before […]
Putting Maury Povich Out of Business: The Economics, Science, and Efficiency of Maternal Blood Testing
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 a myth that has become sucked into the vortex of paternity determinations, as the advent of […]
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 […]