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Gravelles sue Huron County in federal court
By CHAUNCEY ALCORN | Thursday September 20 2007, 6:42am
NORWALK
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/09/21/front/414147.txt
The attorney for a couple convicted of abusing their 11 adopted
special-needs children says it's time for Huron County Job and Family
Services to be held accountable for its role in the case.
Michael and Sharen Gravelle filed suit against the department Thursday
in the U.S. District Court of Northern Ohio. The suit also names the
Huron County commissioners, sheriff's office, and Job and Family
Services employees Jo Johnson and Randy Sommers.
The suit claims the department falsified information about the living
conditions of the Gravelles' children to obtain a search warrant and
seized the children without obtaining a second warrant to do so.
Gravelle attorney Ken Myers said Thursday the two offenses violated his
clients' constitutional rights to due process and protection from
illegal search and seizure.
Myers said as a result of the county's illegal activity, his clients
have lost their children, lost their freedom and have been unfairly
labeled in the media as child abusers.
"The Gravelles have certainly been held accountable for their role in
this issue," Myers said. "Now it's time for the county to be held
accountable ... As Judge (Earl) McGimpsey said in the criminal case,
there's enough blame here to go around."
Huron County Prosecutor Russ Leffler, who represents Job and Family
Services, said the lawsuit is "chutzpah," and the Gravelles' attorney
has made the same claims before.
"He raised that in the criminal case, and Judge McGimpsey ruled there
was enough evidence to prove abuse," Leffler said. "And no matter what,
the officers had a right to go in and seize the children. I doubt he's
going to have much luck with that."
The lawsuit claims Job and Family Services employees misled a judge to
believe the "enclosures" in which some children slept were smaller than
their actual size to emphasize them as "cages."
He also pointed out the department knew about the so-called cages at
least two years before, but didn't believe then that the Gravelle
children were being abused.
Leffler agreed the department should have done more to protect the
Gravelle children.
"I made that very clear that I wasn't happy with a lot of things during
the trial, but the Gravelles aren't the ones to complain about it," he said.
The Gravelles are already appealing both their 2006 criminal convictions
and the Huron County juvenile court ruling, which revoked their parental
rights.
Myers said this new lawsuit cannot restore the Gravelles' parental
rights, but it does seek monetary damages for their strife.
"We were kind of hoping all the other litigation would've been done by
now," he said, "but it wasn't, and we were running into a statute of
limitations issue."
The Gravelle children were seized Sept. 9, 2005, and the statute of
limitations only gives the couple about two years to file suit, Myers said.
Leffler said Huron County Job and Family Services insurance lawyers, not
Leffler, would handle any civil lawsuit against the department.
Huron County Job and Family Services Director Lowell Etzler was
unavailable for comment Thursday.
Michael and Sharon Gravelle were each convicted in 2006 of four felony
child endangerment counts, five counts of child abuse, and two
misdemeanor child endangerment counts.
They were sentenced Feb. 12 to two years in prison, but remain free on
appeals bonds.
They are waiting on a reply from the U.S. Supreme Court as to whether or
not it will hear the juvenile court case regarding their parental rights.
The Ohio State Court of Appeals must decide whether to dismiss the
Gravelles' criminal conviction.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
Perpetrators of Maltreatment
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
By CHAUNCEY ALCORN | Thursday September 20 2007, 6:42am
NORWALK
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/09/21/front/414147.txt
The attorney for a couple convicted of abusing their 11 adopted
special-needs children says it's time for Huron County Job and Family
Services to be held accountable for its role in the case.
Michael and Sharen Gravelle filed suit against the department Thursday
in the U.S. District Court of Northern Ohio. The suit also names the
Huron County commissioners, sheriff's office, and Job and Family
Services employees Jo Johnson and Randy Sommers.
The suit claims the department falsified information about the living
conditions of the Gravelles' children to obtain a search warrant and
seized the children without obtaining a second warrant to do so.
Gravelle attorney Ken Myers said Thursday the two offenses violated his
clients' constitutional rights to due process and protection from
illegal search and seizure.
Myers said as a result of the county's illegal activity, his clients
have lost their children, lost their freedom and have been unfairly
labeled in the media as child abusers.
"The Gravelles have certainly been held accountable for their role in
this issue," Myers said. "Now it's time for the county to be held
accountable ... As Judge (Earl) McGimpsey said in the criminal case,
there's enough blame here to go around."
Huron County Prosecutor Russ Leffler, who represents Job and Family
Services, said the lawsuit is "chutzpah," and the Gravelles' attorney
has made the same claims before.
"He raised that in the criminal case, and Judge McGimpsey ruled there
was enough evidence to prove abuse," Leffler said. "And no matter what,
the officers had a right to go in and seize the children. I doubt he's
going to have much luck with that."
The lawsuit claims Job and Family Services employees misled a judge to
believe the "enclosures" in which some children slept were smaller than
their actual size to emphasize them as "cages."
He also pointed out the department knew about the so-called cages at
least two years before, but didn't believe then that the Gravelle
children were being abused.
Leffler agreed the department should have done more to protect the
Gravelle children.
"I made that very clear that I wasn't happy with a lot of things during
the trial, but the Gravelles aren't the ones to complain about it," he said.
The Gravelles are already appealing both their 2006 criminal convictions
and the Huron County juvenile court ruling, which revoked their parental
rights.
Myers said this new lawsuit cannot restore the Gravelles' parental
rights, but it does seek monetary damages for their strife.
"We were kind of hoping all the other litigation would've been done by
now," he said, "but it wasn't, and we were running into a statute of
limitations issue."
The Gravelle children were seized Sept. 9, 2005, and the statute of
limitations only gives the couple about two years to file suit, Myers said.
Leffler said Huron County Job and Family Services insurance lawyers, not
Leffler, would handle any civil lawsuit against the department.
Huron County Job and Family Services Director Lowell Etzler was
unavailable for comment Thursday.
Michael and Sharon Gravelle were each convicted in 2006 of four felony
child endangerment counts, five counts of child abuse, and two
misdemeanor child endangerment counts.
They were sentenced Feb. 12 to two years in prison, but remain free on
appeals bonds.
They are waiting on a reply from the U.S. Supreme Court as to whether or
not it will hear the juvenile court case regarding their parental rights.
The Ohio State Court of Appeals must decide whether to dismiss the
Gravelles' criminal conviction.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
Perpetrators of Maltreatment
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
