Los Angeles County has agreed to pay the sum of $800,000 to the parent of kids who were taken to custody from home without a warrant by social workers and Sheriff’s deputy.

The payment is meant to settle a civil right violation lawsuit that claimed that the kids were unlawfully taken away from their parent’s residence at San Gabriel Valley about four years ago. The state kept the children for four months.

The lawsuit was filed by the parents of the two kids who believe that it was a case of a violation of their civil rights.

The parents, Mirtha Lopez and Sebastian Xoss leveled accusation against the county of unlawful, unreasonable and baseless removal of their 8 year old son and 6 year old daughter on February 10, 2011 from a hotel where they staying at the time of the event. According to the lawsuit, they went to the hotel in a bid to escape suspected violation of their daughter by an abuser who is a close relation of Lopez.

The lawsuit also states that the social workers at the Department of children and family services claimed that the parents created an endangering and detrimental home environment for the children. By falling short of their responsibility for providing immunizations and nourishing food for their children. They went on to accuse Xoss of having an untreated mental health problem that pose a threat to the children’s safety.

According to the case summary as prepared by the counsel to the country, staff from the Sheriff’s department’s social workers and Special Victims Bureau was responding to a complaint of abuse. It is, however, unclear who lodged the report.

The parents on their part denied the allegations claiming that they were fabricated. They said that they were raising their children in an academically, emotionally, loving, and financially supporting home. They also had letters from their doctors as proof that they were exempted from immunizing their children on the basis of their religious belief.

The parents made accusations in their lawsuit against the social workers and deputy that they entered their hotel room without having a search warrant to do so. The lawsuit reveals that the deputy mocked at the parents for not immunizing their children because of their religious inclination and also teaching them at home without sending them to school.

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The post Parents Receive $800,000 As A Settlement After Police Took Custody Of Their Children Without A Warrant appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.

ARE THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE TROOPERS OUT OF CONTROL? (Story from Oct. 7, 2014)

Is a $285K Settlement Enough After Being Shot for No Reason?
While this might not seem enough for some, South Carolina’s state Insurance Reserve Fund is paying Levar Jones $285,000 as a settlement for being shot by a state trooper during a traffic stop.
It can be remembered that last fall, September 4th, 2014, a report has been filed after Trooper Sean Groubert shot the unarmed Jones at Circle K gas station on Broad River Road. In the dash cam video that was released by the authorities following the incident, Jones is seen getting out of his vehicle when the trooper pulls up and demands to see his license. It was then that Jones reaches inside his car to get the said credential but while doing so, Tropper Groubert starts yelling at Jones to get out of the car, firing several shots at the same time.
According to the trooper, he pulled Jones over due to a seatbelt violation. One bullet hit Jones in the hip and after the shooting, he said that he was only getting his licensed as the trooper told him to. Apparently, Groubert might have thought that Jones was up to something when he reached inside the car and this made him freak out.

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National Investigative Report confirmed that the settlement has been reached in October, one month following the incident and part of it states that Jones agreed that no further lawsuits will be pursued against the state of South Carolina.
Right now, Groubert is facing charges in connection with the incident and is awaiting trial on a charge of battery and aggravated assault. Meanwhile, Jones is still on the process of recovering from the gunshot.

With the settlement made a month after the incident, it is safe to say that Jones was able to get the compensation that he deserves. But still, this case has brought light to some issues concerning the troopers and their real role in the society. The primary responsibility of these uniformed officers is to protect the public and guarantee the safety of the motorists but what happened is exactly the opposite, with Groubert being the one who brought harm to an unarmed motorist and causing physical damage, not to mention a possible case of emotional trauma.

Hopefully, this case will serve as a mind-opener not only to the officers but also to the whole public. Even though the case has been technically settled, still, Groubert will have to face the consequences of his actions and Jones, while currently in the recovery process, is left to lead an entirely different life after what happened.
National Investigative Report will continue to keep an eye out for similar stories and bring you more fresh updates about Groubert’s case.

The post Is a $285K Settlement Enough? appeared first on NIR News / National Investigative Report.