Christina is a socialite stay-at-home parent in a small bay community. Everyone in the community knows each other. St. Eves is a sunny beach community to raise a family. Being able to sit on the porch and see the ocean is one joy in life. She looks forward to waking up every morning having coffee with her husband, Clint. Client is a professional investment broker. His job requires him to make business trips to New York. They have two children, a six-year-old daughter named Haley and a seven-year-old son name Maverick. The family has a prestige reputation in the state.
Clint wants to run for the Senate in the past. He met Christina at a charity event. She was the host. It was a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers. The hospital costs about $2.8 million a day to run, and there is no cost for the patient to be treated. Chris, Christina’s nephew,was diagnosed with leukemia at two. Treatment depends on the type of cancer. Treatments can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes immunotherapy. Sometimes a patient receives over one of these treatments. The treatment of children with leukemias and lymphomas is complex and requires the coordinated care of experts, including pediatric oncologists, surgeons, radiation specialists, radiologists, nurses, and other professionals. Chris received his treatment at St. Jude. Every year Christina organizes a Spring Banquet dinner to benefit St. Jude. The restaurants in the area provide the meal.
Client had a family instead of running for Senate. Client focused on his family and building his business. He started as a real estate agent and continued to be an investment broker. He had a passion for the business and enjoyed traveling. The business trip allowed him to travel and meet exciting people. Christina became more involved in the community. She is on the board of directors for the Project Paws Alive. Project Paws Alive mission is to provide vital K9 equipment such as stab & bullet protective vests and first aid field trauma kits to law enforcement, fire, search & rescue, and military K-9s throughout the United States. They needed Guardian ad Litem for children in the county. Christina became a volunteer.
While working as a Guardian ad Litem, they assigned her the case of Molly. A “guardian ad litem”
GAL
is a person the court appoints to investigate what solutions would be in the “best interests of a child.” Here, we are talking about a GAL in a divorce or parental rights and responsibilities case. Molly was a six-year-old girl. They arrested both of her parents for drugs and sent to prison. They left Molly to be placed in a foster home. Christina recommends to the court that Molly live with her grandmother until her parents were out of prison. When the parents were from prison, they would have to prove the environment for Molly would be safe. She was required to spend one hour a week with Molly to determine if she was adjusting to the unfamiliar environment. Molly loved her grandmother and spent time with her before being placed in her custody. She missed for parents but enjoyed being with her grandmother. One day when Christina was visiting with Molly at her grandmothers, Molly’s dad Matt called from prison to talk to her. Molly talked to her dad on the phone. After she finished talking to him, she wanted to see him.
Christina had to determine if the phone calls were too much for Molly to manage or if they were a benefit to her. She talked with the Grandmother Alice to see how often he called. How Molly acted after every call. Matt called between five and six every night. He only talked to Molly sometimes. He used the phone call to talk to Alice. Matt requested to speak to the Christina to discuss what was going on with Molly regarding the court system. Matt wanted to know if he would have custody of her when he released.
Over a period of months, Matt built a friendship with Christina. Matt knew it was to his advantage to be friends with her. Christina could recommend the court return Molly to him when released. Clint was working long hours and started having longer business trips. This worked to Matt’s advantage. Matt called to talk to Alice at the same time every night. Matt noticed that every time he called Christina was there. Christina was spending time with Molly. Christina was visiting with Molly every day. He was concerned about it. He asked Alice what was going on. Alice stated they have become friends. She has children around the same age as Molly. Molly and Haley have become friends and spend time together.
Christina started taking Molly and Haley to the movies together. Molly would spend the day with Haley on the weekends. They would play together after school. Haley had a birthday party and Molly spent the night with Haley. Five times when Matt called, Molly was with Haley. Matt asked Alice to let Christina know he wanted to talk to her, and he would call tomorrow. Matt asked Christina if he could call her house to talk to Molly. She agreed. She sent her telephone information to classification. The paperwork stated she was the Guardian ad Litem for his child. She also requested to visit as a legal representative for his daughter. Stating she needed to discuss the issue with him regarding Molly. They approved her request to add the telephone number to his telephone contact list and her request for visitation.
Christina drove six hours to visit Matt. While processing Christina in to visit, she informed the staff on duty of her guardian ad Litem's status. Christina did not bring Molly with her for a visit. They alerted the staff that she was the Guardian ad Litem, but did not bring Molly for the visit. Christina and Matt’s visit was normal, with no abnormal activity. Matt returned to the dorm after visitation and started telling his friends, the State appointed Christina as a representative for his daughter. Her input in the court could decide if he would gain custody of this daughter. His wife, Julie, was also in prison. They arrested both at the same time.
The police department arrived at the house with the emergency responders. When they entered the home, Julie had been making shake and bake. Also known as the "one-pot" or "shake and bake" method, in this scenario, they produce meth in a two-liter soda bottle. Cold pills are mixed with common but harmful household chemicals, producing enough meth for the user to get two hits. The shake and bake method requires only pseudoephedrine pills. Circumventing laws passed restricting the sale of copious quantities of over-the-counter decongestants, cold, and allergy remedies. But the shake and bake method is not safer than the old meth labs. If they shook the bottle the wrong way, or if any oxygen gets inside of it, or if the cap loosened too quickly, the bottle can explode, causing harm to anyone close by. Molly was playing on the floor. The bottle exploded and they severely burned Molly on her shoulders and back.
They rushed Molly to Shand’s Burn Center they admitted her to the hospital for treatment. All the dead skin and tissue from the burned area had to be removed. She required intravenous fluids containing electrolytes and antibiotics. Antibiotic ointments had to apply to her burned area. The hospital room had to be warm and humid. They placed her on a high-protein diet. She was in severe pain and required intravenous pain medication. As she healed, skin grafting was required. The area was, so they needed large skin grafting to close the wounds. They performed cosmetic reconstruction surgery to give Molly a normal life. The reconstruction surgery covered most of the scars. Molly had to stay in the hospital for months.
They arrested Julie for possession of drugs, and child cruelty. When Matt arrived at the house, they arrested him for possession of drugs. They sentenced both to prison. Matt’s sentence was five years. Julie’s sentence was seven years. He knew he had also been doing shake and bake in the house with Molly. The only difference was the bottle never exploded with him. Matt was heartbroken about Molly being injuries. He continued to write Julie in the prison. He was in love with her and wanted the two of them to be together. They would release Matt first. His goal was to gain custody of Molly.
Matt took the advice of Christina and enrolled in Narcotics Anonymous while in prison. He attended meeting inside the Medical Complex. The psychology department hosted the meeting. It is open to all inmates and provides a positive and drug-free environment for those trying to change. The inmates that attend the meetings become close because of the bonds developed by sharing their stories. It helps them to relate with each other and recognize the problems they share. By attending Narcotics Anonymous, it will show the judge that he is changing his life. He also committed to attending the meeting when released.
Matt wrote to Julie and told her about his plans to get custody of Molly. Julie supported him and continued to write back to him. They continued their relationship while in prison. They both wanted to be reunited with each other and Molly. He encouraged her to attend Narcotics Anonymous and enroll in self-improvement classes. Matt also enrolled in a parenting class offered through the Chapel. The prison version is appropriate for both incarcerated mothers and father who are parenting from prison. They developed parenting and drug abuse programs as part of the Re-Entry program. A program to assist inmates with entering back into society and become productive citizens. One goal of the parenting class is to develop healthy family relationships. The class also covers parenting topics such as bullying, cyber safety, and age-appropriate media. It also discusses correct ways to discipline your children. The discipline based on the severity of the behavior and the child’s age. It also extinguishes the difference between discipline and abuse. Participants in the program report improved perception of the important of fatherhood, increased parenting skills, and more frequent contact with their children.
Children with involved father are less likely to drop out of school, use drugs and alcohol, commit crimes, and become teenage parents. When fathers do not live in the home, the quality of the co-parenting relationship is still critical for positive child outcomes. Fathers in prison need skills and opportunity to establish positive contact with their children and improve their chances for health and family functioning upon release. We recommend parenting classes for anyone in prison with children. Matt knew the more he did toward self-improvement would help his chances of getting custody of Molly. He also strived to have a good relationship with Christina. Her testimony in court could help him get Molly.
After taking the class, he learned the importance of being a father to Molly. How she needed him. It also improved the relationship with Alice. Alice supported him with the goal of changing his life and gain custody of Molly. Alice did not want Julie to see Molly again. Molly suffered more than either of them would ever know. She was thankful that Christina was being a part of her life. The friendship Molly built with Haley made her feel like a normal person. They always dressed Molly in clothes to hide her scares. After she spend the night and Haley saw the scares on her back, she still treated her the same. Christina then knew it hurt Molly physically as well as mentally. When Christina took the case, she did not know about the burns. She was only told both of her parents were in prison for drugs. The burns were confidential medical information. She could not get the information before being appointed as the Guardian ad Litem with the Court System. Once she was the Guardian ad Litem, she did not read the entire case. The supervisor, prior to taking the case, informed her about the case. Christina asked Alice how Molly received the burns. Alice did not discuss it with her because she wanted Matt to get custody of Molly. Alice knew Julie wanted custody of him as well. The case worker had already told her that the parents still had their parental rights and could petition the court for custody when released. Christina found out from Matt how Molly received the burns.
Officer Jamison at the prison was concerned with the safety of Molly. She consulted with Classification and verified with Christina was the Guardian ad Litem in Matt’s case. Once the information had been verified, she started monitoring telephone calls Matt had placed. All inmate telephone calls were recorded and subject to monitoring and using the phone makes up consent to the recording and monitoring. They may use the recording as evidence in criminal investigations and be subject to disciplinary action. They also recorded the message to advise the called party. Acceptance of the telephone call makes up consent to the recording and monitoring. Jamison monitored the telephone calls for weeks.
