SIDS, commonly known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, has an air of mystery around it. Even though many people have heard of the SIDS diagnosis, they have no idea what it actually is. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (“SIDS”) is defined as the inability to make a diagnosis.[1] Physicians only label an infant’s cause of
My Arizona Criminal, Child Abuse and Neglect Attorney
Blog Authors
Latest from My Arizona Criminal, Child Abuse and Neglect Attorney
Coping with Failed Adoptions
Building adopted families is a dream for many people. Perhaps adoption is a choice in the wake of fertility challenges, perhaps adoption is the product of a relative who is unable to care for their own child through CPS, or perhaps building your family has always meant adopting. After all, there are far too many…
Tuscon TV personalities charged with child abuse
Generally, when a baby tests positive for illegal drugs, it is immediately after birth. That is to say, the drug for which the baby is positive is passed through the mother in utero. The story below shows there are exceptions to every rule. And you better believe the Department of Child Safety will be knocking…
Update on the case: DCS interview without parental consent
In February, the Department of Child Safety interviewed a child for a child neglect investigation without parental consent. This caused much debate, with the parents (and the Ombudsman) arguing that DCS lacked legal authority to interview their child without consent. DCS countered by pointing out that the Department routinely interviews children in neglect cases by…
To Catch a Predator: Scottsdale edition
Two weeks ago, six men were arrested by Scottsdale police after an undercover prostitution sting. According to court documents, the Scottsdale police placed “escort” ads on backpage.com and other websites, and the men responded looking for sex with underage girls. The men arrived at the place they believed to be meeting the girls and were…
Same-sex adoption made legal in all 50 states: What does this mean for Arizona?
In March, a federal judge ruled that Mississippi’s holdout ban on same-sex couples’ adoptions was unconstitutional, making same-sex adoption legal in all 50 states.
This ruling, like many court decisions involving same-sex couples’ rights, strains the relationship between state and federal law. Although states are obviously required to follow federal law, federal mandates cannot always stop states from…
New details emerge about Phoenix child abuse case
After a Phoenix mother was charged with six counts of child abuse, new details have emerged about what was observed when officers arrived at her home.
Officers were called to the scene of Alejandra Angel Flores’ house when her sister had called authorities about a domestic violence related incident at Flores’ apartment. When officers arrived,…
Proposed Senate bill wants to add omitted offenders to sex offender database
The Arizona Sex Offender Information Registry is a valuable resource for many Arizona residents. The database, maintained by the Department of Public Safety, lists information about individuals required to register as sex offenders pursuant to state law. The information includes basic biographical information, some information about the offender’s criminal conviction, and their most recent known…
Woodnick Law attorney by day, ‘Phish’ podcaster by night
For Brad TenBrook, being a lawyer is a passion, but when he’s not hanging around the office assisting clients or in court litigating, he’s working on his other passion: his nationally known podcast, the Helping Friendly Podcast.
Brad started the Helping Friendly Podcast (@HFPod) with his co-host and long-time friend, RJ. HFPod focuses on the…
DCS Policy: Did DCS violate the Arizona law?
In the news this week, the Department of Child Safety violated Arizona law by interviewing a child without parental consent, according to a report from the Arizona Ombudsman.
In October of 2014, a parent complained to Arizona Ombudsman Citizen’s Aide that their child had been interviewed by a DCS worker while at school without parental…