COMPROMISE OF AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IN CPS CASES

Table of Contents

Executive Summary i-ii

Position Paper 1-20

Appendices
A).       Listing of Members of the Supreme Court Task Force on Foster Care
B).      Judicial Ethics Commission Advisory Opinions
      57 (1983) Membership, Advisory Board Non-Profit Corporation
      66 (1983) Instruction of Law Officers on Cross-Examination
      86 (1986) Advisor to Public Task Force
      133 (1990) Meeting with County Commissioners concerning County’s Cases
      225 (1998) Judicial Neutrality Prohibits J.P. “War on Hot Checks”
      240 (1999) Judge on Board of Non-Profit Corporation which Trains Volunteers and Paid Staff to be Appointed by the Judge to Serve as Guardians of Incapacitated Persons
      270 (2001) Is it a Violation of the Judicial Canons of Ethics for a Judge to Serve on the Judicial Council of the Children’s Assessment Center
      281 (2001) May a Judge Serve on the Board of the Houston Volunteer Lawyer Program
C).Two flowcharts depicting Children’s Justice Act (CJA) and Court Improvement Project (CIP)
       Funding from federal government to CJA and CIP
       Funding and functions of CJA and CIP under TDFPS*
D).      Texas Court Improvement Project from DFPS website
E).      Open Records request from Gary W. Gates with responses
F).      Contracts and Amendments for reimbursements between TDPRS and Select Judges
G).      Memos from Virginia Ruiz, CJA Program Administrator
H).      Note on judge who refused to sign contract with DFPS
I).      Texas Children’s Justice Act from TDFPS website
J).      Open Records request from Gary Gates to CJA and CIP with response from
James G. Nolan, Sr. Attorney, DFPS Legal Services
K).      FFY 1999 1st Annual Program Report for the Texas Court Improvement Project
L).      Minutes of CIP Task Force Meeting on August 10, 2001
M).       “This bill …guts PRS as we know it” e-mail from Cathy Morris, Chief Attorney,
Field Operation of TDPRS to Carole Hurley, Director of both CIP and CJA and forwarding to at least seventeen judges or associate judges regarding HB 1752
N).      Court Improvement Project Strategic Plan 2000-2003
O).      Minutes of CIP Task Force Meeting of March 1-2, 2001
P).      Texas Court Improvement Program Contacts
Q).      Board of Directors of Texas CASA
R).      E-mail for judges to solicit funds for CASA
S).      Set #1 CASA e-mails attempting to circumvent Ethics Opinion
T).      Texas CASA board minutes from June 8, 2001 meeting
U).      Set #2 CASA e-mails attempting to circumvent Ethics Opinion
V).      Set #3 CASA e-mails attempting to circumvent Ethics Opinion
W).      Miscellaneous documentation on TDFPS funding of Texas CASA
X).      CPS document identifying funding recipients through CJA and ties of CIP, PRS,
CASA and Cluster Courts

*In 2004 the name of Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (TDPRS) was changed to Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS). The names are used interchangeably in the complaint with an effort to maintain the time frame of that change.


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