This petition was initiated prior to the conclusion of my termination of parental rights trial, at a time when I was unrepresented by civil rights counsel and unaware that the conduct I was experiencing constituted violations of my constitutional rights.

On June 25, 2019, the Circuit Court denied the State’s petition for termination, expressly finding that the Department failed to present competent, substantial evidence and did not meet statutory or constitutional requirements. My parental rights were preserved in full.

This petition reflects my lived experience during the pendency of the case and is not intended to restate judicial findings beyond those contained in the Court’s order. I am now seeking appropriate legal review to determine whether the conduct documented both here and in the Court’s ruling gives rise to civil rights claims under federal law.