The County of Orange lost a United States Supreme Court challenge to a $4.9 million judgment in favor of a woman whose children were taken away because Orange County social workers filed false reports and withheld relevant evidence.
The County of Orange deprived Deanna Fogarty-Hardwick of custody of her two children for over six years based on reports filed by social workers Marcie Vreeken and Helen Dwojack. Fogarty-Hardwick accused the social workers of threatening to take her children away without valid cause. When she refused to be intimidated by the social workers, her child were placed at Orangewood Children’s Home, then placed in foster care. Neither social worker was disciplined, and Vreeken was even promoted.
Fogarty-Hardwick sued the county for violating due process, making intentional misrepresentations related to the dependency proceedings, and failing to adequately train the social workers. A jury awarded her $ 4.9 million, and the California Court of Appeal affirmed. With interest and attorneys fees, the County of Orange may have to pay up to $9.3 million.
Assigned social workers have significant power in dependency proceedings, and if the social worker doesn’t like you, he or she can significantly damage your case. That’s why you need a Southern California juvenile dependency lawyer to advise you, represent you in court, and protect you from overzealous and unreasonable social workers. If the social worker mis-characterizes information in his or her report, you need to bring this to the court’s attention and have it corrected as soon as possible because dependency courts place significant weight on social worker reports. Contact an attorney to discuss the dependency proceedings and ensure that your interests are sufficiently represented.
If you or someone you know has a child that is the subject of a dependency proceeding, you will need an experienced Southern California juvenile dependency attorney to aggressively represent you. At Wallin & Klarich, we have helped families going through dependency proceedings for over 30 years. Plus, we have had numerous clients who are the victims of false abuse allegation, and we have successfully represented them in their dependency proceedings. Call us today at (888) 749-7428. We will be there when you call.
