CPS Sanctioned By Texas Judge for "Groundless" Removal of Child

A Texas judge has sanctioned Child Protective Services (CPS) and ordered the agency to pay just under $28,000 in attorney’s fees in relation to the “groundless” 2014 removal of a child from her home without a court order. Harris County Judge John Schmude issued a scathing reprimand of CPS, claiming that the agency “deliberately misled the Court” and based its decision to remove the child on “incorrect assumptions which they made no effort to confirm.” In addition to the sanctions, Schmude also ordered all involved CPS personnel to read the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the Texas Constitution and submit a sworn statement of their future compliance.

This is not the first time that CPS has found itself in hot water over abuse of power accusations, having been the subject of a 2014 class action lawsuit and having been similarly penalized in 2011 by Judge Michael Schneider in the 315^th Juvenile Court. As a result of CPS’s history of infringing upon the rights of families and parents from warrantless government intrusions under the Fourth Amendment, it is estimated that at least eight separate bills will be filed in the upcoming legislative session to reform the agency’s powers.

Judge Schmude’s actions were the result of the work of Attorney Dennis M. Slate, who filed the motion for sanctions on behalf of the child’s father. Having been representing the rights of parents and families throughout Houston for more than a decade, Attorney Slate has established himself as a highly respected authority in all variety of CPS-related cases and custody disputes. For more information on this story, visit the original article published by Breitbart Texas.

Attorney Dennis M. Slate is a Board-Certified Family Attorney providing premier-quality legal representation clients throughout Houston and the surrounding areas. To find out more about how he can help you with your pressing legal matter, call (281) 407-9254 or schedule a confidential case review online today.