I have been waiting for the go ahead on this from one of the leaders in OriginsUSA. Its a blogger blitz for Stephanie and Evelyn Bennett. I am also doing it for Allison Quets, Jamie Kiefer, Cody O'Dea, Joshua, Ibaanika, and Bryn. I am telling you now that we must never shut up until these folks have received JUSTICE. I may appear angry and bitter. Its the industry that has created this inside me. Its their consistent violation of our civil rights that infuriates me to no end. Yes it is also the adopters who constantly create the demand for children that adds fuel to this out of control fire. It is you that are also very culpable in this situation. You have the power to change things. Why do you allow the ignorance to continue? Why do allow them to violate the rights of the children you so desparately desire? Would you want your rights violated in the same manner as the ladies and gentlemen that I have mentioned?
Stephanie and Evelyn Bennett's story can be found here. Sadly this story has not been ended. It drags on courtesy of the courts, the adoption agency and the entitled adopters. No one understands that hearts are being broken and lives destroyed all for the sake of a buck. Yes it is for the sake of a dollar. This is courtesy of Sandy ~ the Musing Mother.
In April of 2007, Stephanie had a hearing in the Probate Court, and awaited the findings of the court. The agency said that was the court that would be the correct court for the hearing, and the attorney that Stephanie had at the time didn’t fight it. That court has YET to rule. In the meantime the Bennetts hired a new attorney to represent them. The new attorney who was familiar with Adoption Law, as their previous attorney was not, said that since both Stephanie and Evelyn were minors, the court with jurisdiction would actually be the Juvenile Court. On May 22, 2007 they appeared in Juvenile Court. Stephanie’s attorney came away from that hearing in very bad spirits, since it seemed that the Agency’s attorney, who is also married to one of the sisters who run the agency, was very friendly with the judge. She left shortly after the hearing to go on vacation with her family, and was using her down time to plan the appeal that she was almost certain would follow on her return. She returned to her office from vacation and found the judge’s ruling (attached) and was very heartened to find that it seemed that the judge was strongly on the side of Stephanie, and indicated that she would a) allow the results of the polygraph examination that Stephanie was required to take in to the court, not as evidence but as testimony, and b) that Stephanie had been used badly by the system and she was sensitive to the loss she had experienced. She ordered an Evidentiary Hearing be held forthwith, on the validity of the Mother’s consent. And, they waited, through the rest of May, all of June, all of July and into August. Stephanie’s attorney called and tried to set dates for the Evidentiary Hearing, but always something came up, another case, a vacation, a full docket, always something. Procedurally, the agency’s attorney should have filed an appeal if they were not happy with the judge’s ruling. Instead, they filed a motion for the judge to vacate her own order! With no hearing, no in-chamber meeting, nothing. Just out of the blue, or over a cocktail with the agency’s attorney, or hitting balls on the golf course, the judge decided that she wasn’t the appropriate court, despite what she found in her ruling, and no one bothered to tell Stephanie’s Attorney!!! So, they wait for the Probate Court ruling, which STILL has not been made, and it is now over 4 months ago!! During the time that they waited, the police stepped in and did a DNA of the putative father who voluntarily went into give it. They also agreed that the umbilical cord of Evelyn’s would be okay for a sample of DNA. However, since it is the police that are doing it, and it is for a criminal case, it takes longer than if it were paid for. So, it still hasn’t come back yet. It should be back very soon. In order to get the police interested, Stephanie had to undergo a polygraph which she passed with flying colors. The test was administered by the police department, but it was reviewed and analyzed by not one, but three separate experts who all were in agreement that Stephanie had told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In the meantime, Judy Bennett, Stephanie’s mother, got word from a “reliable source” that the Attorney General’s office is conducting an investigation of the agency, A Child’s Waiting. Judy called the AG’s office to find out if it is true, and was told that they could not give out information about current investigations, but that if it is so and the AG’s office is investigating, that not only will the agency lose its license, someone will go to jail. The Pap’s have left the state, and their whereabouts are unknown at this time. They know exactly what is going on, they know all the facts of the case, and yet, they still continue to keep this child, this precious infant, from her mother, and the family that loves her, and Stephanie, the mother, is left in a Hellish Limbo of Unknowing! She can’t talk about anything, she can’t do anything, even go to visit her cousin in the event that a hearing will be held and she will get her baby back. She is about to enter her Senior year in High School, a time when she should be worrying about her back-to-school wardrobe, planning her Prom, as an athlete, practicing her basketball moves, and checking out her possible college choices. Instead, she has been thru an ordeal that would, and HAS, broken many older, more sophisticated women. How long can this torture endure? How long can this teenage mother hold out against the machine that is eating her and her infant alive? She has been abused by the father of her child, by the system, by the agency, by the School Counselor, by the courts, and by the law that is supposed to protect her. Someone surely should pay for this abuse! Someone should be outraged at the continuation of this travesty and tragedy!! Someone needs to stop it, now. I am counting on the bloggers. I hope that when you read this you will be as outraged and as furious as I was at the treatment that this young woman has received at the hands of the unscrupulous and unethical agency and courts. Please write about this and make it abundantly clear how you feel.
Allison Quets' Story is another of adoption attorneys out of control. I will absolutely never shut up about her. They have stolen her children and her life. They have put her in jail as a result. They held her ransom in their offices for 11 hours without any respite. She had to call the police to help her. They have tried to make her out to be the bad guy. She is not. The Needhams were never held accountable for not allowing Allison to see her children during COURT ORDERED VISITATION. Its been suggested that Allison wanted money from the Needhams. NO I was wrong about that. It was suggested by the Demonic Patricia Stowbridge, adoption attorney, that she could recoup her expenses this way in order to lure Allison by plying her with money. Funny how the attorneys have made her look to be the evil one? How much money did they receive from the Needhams and other adoptive families? All for the sake of PRODUCT.
Of course there is Joshua, Cody, and Bryn. All from different states. All denied their rights because of one particular adoption agency. The Adoption Center of Choice. Remember them? One is from Georgia. One is from Indiana. One is from Wyoming. Did you know that this agency was actually banned from Illinois? Oh yes they were. Here is one link. Hopefully we will have news on Cody's case soon. Hopefully he gets custody of his child soon.
How many people have we not heard from? How many is going to take to get people to listen? ADOPTION IS NOT WIN/WIN/WIN when the rights of those living it have been consistently violated. ITS TIME TO STAND UP AND PAY ATTENTION TO ALL THESE STORIES. Would you want your children taken from you if you had fallen on bad times or if you didn't know the law? Its happening all over the world. Do you want your child to find out that they were wanted by their parents? That their parents fought for them? That you fought their parents for custody? With the help of the internet and folks like me, they will find out. Are you ready?
By the way, for all the agencies and attorneys that do troll the blogs, you might want to attend this event in Virginia. You obviously need to learn ethics badly.The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and Ethica, Inc.Adoption Ethics and Accountability ConferenceOctober 15-16, 2007Arlington, VirginiaConference Brochure Now Available The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and Ethica, Inc. are co-sponsoring an exciting and timely conference, Adoption Ethics and Accountability, in Arlington, VA. This is the second conference hosted by the Adoption Institute that focuses on critical ethical issues in the field today.Join us as we explore ethical issues in adoption with adoption experts and members of the adoption community. Conference participants will have the opportunity to attend panel discussions and workshops focusing on a variety of issues including birthfamily rights, transracial adoption, birthfamily and records searches, industry regulation, and best practices.Dates: Monday/Tuesday - October 15-16, 2007Fee: $325 full conference registration ($162 one day)Location: Marriott Crystal Gateway1700 Jefferson Davis Highway,Arlington , VA1-800-228-9290 or 703-920-3230When making your hotel reservation, reference Adoption Ethics Conference to get your reduced rate:$179 for single/double; $189 for triple and $209 for quad.Book now - Rates are normally $269 to $329 and higher.If you are interested in sharing a room with another conference attendee, please contact kjohnson@adoptioninstitute.org. We will provide your name and email address to those interested; however, you are responsible for making your own payment and accommodation arrangements.For more information, please contact Mari Cochran at 617.680.0808.
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