Hope4KidZ Inc., an Austin, Texas based, not for profit corporation, created to assist pre-adoptive parents and to improve legal protection of parents and children involved in adoption, played a key role in what resulted in a Federal court ruling against Connecticut Superior Court Judge Richard Damiani on August 24th. The issue is the Freedom of Speech of journalists and websites, such as Hope4KidZ.org, to report on unethical, if not illegal, activities. Hope4KidZ.org had already been through an emergency injunction to shut them down in Judge Molder's 313th District Court in Houston, Texas. This new attempt was underhanded and ruthless to put it kindly; some have called it extortion while, others thought black mail was a more fitting description.

The ruling was over a case involving an ongoing battle by Connecticut DCF to prevent the tireless efforts of a single mother to adopt a biracial child. DCF had placed the child in the care of the pre-adoptive mother on the day DCF took the tiny infant from the hospital. The child was to remain in the pre-adoptive mother's care until the adoption could be finalized. After raising her pre-adoptive daughter for two years, DCF suddenly and without cause removed the child from the only home she had ever known and placed her in a foster home with complete strangers. Because of the many inconsistencies and problems that are so common in cases of this sort, the pre-adoptive mother appealed her case to DCF to allow the child to be returned to her care or to reverse their decision to deny the adoption of the child she loved.

Parts of the case were heard in Judge Damiani's court. The pre-adoptive mother sought help from Austin-based Hope4KidZ Inc. and the story was featured on the Hope4Kidz website. Damiani issued a gag order in February 2000, demanding a website based out of Texas that had gone live around December 1999. The gag order specifically demanded that the pre-adoptive mother remove the story of her adoption efforts from the Austin, Texas website. Furthermore, he ordered that she not speak to her mother in California, any journalist, or anyone else, concerning any part of the case or seek advice or support for herself in making decisions, except from her attorney. Despite her repeated attempts to explain that she lacked the ability, authorization, or skill, and that it would be illegal for her to hack into the site to remove information that she did not control. True to form, Judge Damiani disregarded the illegal position he was placing her in and assured her that he would shackle, handcuff, and send her to prison for six months if the site was not removed before the next hearing date.

Joanna Wright, Founder and President of Hope4KidZ Inc., traveled to Connecticut with the hope that she was dealing with a rational, law-abiding individual and voluntarily appeared in Judge Damiani's court. Judge Damiani, who is reportedly known for abuses of power (reference the article "Bully In A Small Playground" by Andy Thibault and featured on www.law.com, Connecticut, August 24, 2001). When Mrs. Joanna Wright arrived, the preadoptive mother was seated, secured by shackles and handcuffs. Damiani told Mrs. Wright that unless the information on the case was pulled from the Internet, the pre-adoptive mother would go to jail. Furthermore, he told her that if any part of the story ever appeared on any site, in any state or country in the future, the pre-adoptive mother would go to jail. Judge Damiani was quoted as saying, "I have no control over Mrs. Wright, but I have absolute control over [the pre-adoptive mother]."

Under extreme duress, fearing that DCF would finally have reason to deny the pre-adoptive mother her child, (she would be in prison), Mrs. Wright agreed to pull the story. She contacted New York-based journalist A. Brown for assistance. Mr. Brown, with the support of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union, filed the case in Federal Court and was heard by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton. Mr. Brown was granted standing to challenge Damiani's ruling on the basis of his first amendment rights to hear the report on the story of the pre-adoptive mother.

At issue is the use of gag orders by Judges, especially in cases involving children in state custody and the use of these gag orders to prevent the reporting of the judicial process by journalists and others interested in exposing the Human Rights violations upon citizens who have committed no crime and their only reason for being in court is because they did not bow to the state organization who is obviously not using the issue of confidentiality to protect anyone but themselves. Orders of confidentiality were originally intended to protect the identity of the women who gave birth out of wedlock. Many believe that they are now used as a cloak of secrecy to protect state child protection administrators who abuse their power. We agree!

"My experience leads me to believe that the laws governing confidentiality in almost all cases involving minors are overly broad and vague. These laws seem to protect caseworkers and judges more than the best interest of the children who are the subject of the case," said Mrs. Wright. "Although the fight is far from over, this is a landmark ruling in Federal Court that will ultimately uphold the right of journalists and organizations like Hope4KidZ to report on what goes on in court cases involving adoptions of children in state care. Only through making the citizens of this great country aware of the problems will change begin to occur. That is the mission of Hope4Kidz. This court ruling represents a huge victory for freedom of speech, but most importantly for the many children in state care and those families seeking to adopt them."

The entire story, including supporting data, is in the process of being re-published to the Hope4KidZ.org website. Additional details, including the details of the pre-adoptive mother's court case, can be found at http://www.Hope4KidZ.org. The ruthlessness of DCF in making decisions that will affect this child, pre-adoptive mother, and too many others to list, long after you and I can recall the intricacies is criminal but what good are Policies and Procedures if only a few are expected to follow them; and DCF does not fall into that category!

Hope4KidZ.org, created in 1999 and seeking incorporation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (C)(3), is organized for public and charitable purposes. It seeks to improve the accountability of Child Protective Services (CPS) to those affected by its policy and procedures and to inform and assist all people involved in adoption and care of children. Hope4KidZ.org also seeks to make CPS policies readily available to anyone involved in any relationship with CPS.

Hope4KidZ.org is being reassembled after Damiani's havoc. Any assistance you might be able to offer is appreciated. Information about the work of Hope4KidZ, Inc., is available at its website, http://www.Hope4KidZ.org. Joanna Wright may be contacted at her email address, CEO@hope4kidz.org.