NSF Abandoning Arlington, Another Major Employer of Highly Trained Workers Escapes Its Lawlessness

National Science Foundation (NSF) Logo, reproduction allowed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Arlington County suffered another rejection by a major US government employer,  the National Science Foundation.    The NSF headquarters is currently located in Ballston, in Arlington, Virginia.   It will be moving within 3 to 4 years to Alexandria Virginia near the Eisenhower Metro station.

Comparing the quality of life between the two areas, in particular Arlington’s inferior judiciary, a sheriff’s department with a culture of violence against citizens (and now murder), and child protection agency of Arlington that removes kids from good families and destroys lives, the move is not surprising.    As any reader of this blog would realize, any family with kids would be wise not to live in Arlington County.

Not surprisingly, Arlington County put out a statement stating that NSF’s leaving the county was not in their “best interests.”   But, just like Arlington does not seem to know what is in the best interests of the children whose lives it has destroyed, it is clear that Arlington is out of touch with what is in the best interests of NSF.   Arlington needs to do some soul searching and to change its attitude before more smart people leave.

NSF is filled with smart people and they have the option to seek a better place, and they did.

Read More: NSF Leaves Arlington County

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• Arlington Deputy Sheriff Arrested On Murder Charges, Denied Bond….Hopefully Ending a Pattern of Excess Force and Abuse by Arlington County Sheriff’s Department! (arlingtonparentnews.wordpress.com)
• Court of Appeals of Virginia Hears the Appeal of the Mistaken Removal of Ashlie Mae O’Brien by Arlington DHS (arlingtonparentnews.wordpress.com)
• 2013 Taste of Arlington Shows Support for Ashlie Mae O’Brien (arlingtonparentnews.wordpress.com)

Court of Appeals of Virginia Hears the Landmark Appeal of the Mistaken Removal of Ashlie Mae O’Brien by Arlington DHS

Yesterday, in an open hearing in the historic Alexandria courthouse, the Court of Appeals of Virginia heard the three appeal cases for the CPS mistaken removal and separation of Ashlie Mae O’Brien from her loving family.   Delores Heffernan vs. Arlington DHS (Record 1471-12-4, and 1520-12-4) and Patricia Tackett vs. Arlington DHS (Record No. 1519-12-4)

Ashlie Mae O’Brien

The many Ashlie Mae O’Brien Supporters who attended were very complimentary of the polite demeanor and intelligence shown by the members of the panel.  (Honorable Chief Judge Honorable Walter S. Felton, Jr., Honorable Robert J. Humphreys, and and Honorable D. Arthur Kelsey).  After each case, the panel members showed tremendous humility and grace by getting up from the bench and personally greeting each counsel and pro se Appellant Delores Heffernan.

Other notable highlights of the hearing was the concession of Arlington Assistant County Attorney Jason McCandless that Ashlie’s parents were not provided any notice as required for the proper removal of Ashlie.   It was apparent that the court panel thought this was a major mistake by Arlington DHS.   It showed their disregard for the rights of Ashlie’s parents.

An unenergetic sounding Assistant County Attorney Mr. McCandless  also tried to convince the court that “past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.”     Apparently he did not think through the implications of his statement.   If a Freudian slip, it shows that Arlington County, in fact, considers no parent  “reformable,” and thus worthy of having their children returned — a clear violation of the federal law and Virginia law requiring that the goal be return of children to their families.   Mr. McCandless has personally been the primary impediment to the reunification of Ashlie with her family.   Although not a social worker nor having any qualifications as such, he personally vetoed allowing Ashlie to even have a telephone call with her sister or any other member of her family for the last year.   Mr. McCandless also made many false statements to the court that were not supported by any evidence or findings of the trial court record.

Karen Grane, GAL

GAL, Karen Grane looked severely depressed and disheveled.  She took typically two minutes to tell the court the same “boilerplate” statement to the panel that contributed nothing to the legal issues being discussed.

Sherri Brothers, the Arlington DHS supervisor, seemed more interested in texting during the hearing than paying attention to what was being discussed with regard to Ashlie’s fate.   Her fingers were feverishly tapping at her telephone keyboard throughout.    This, despite the warning on the court door that phones must be turned off in the courtroom.     Hopefully whoever she was texting (it is assumed it was texting, rather than playing a game) appreciated the devotion she had to her texting activity.

Attorneys Kramer and Tuomey did excellent jobs of representing their clients, Ashlie’s Mother Patricia Tackett and Grandmother Delores Heffernan, respectively.   Both helped the court sort through complex issues of “first impression,” that will no doubt set precedent for the Commonwealth.

Delores Heffernan and Ashlie Mae O’Brien

Ashlie’s Maryland Circuit Court Appointed Guardian and grandmother, Delores Heffernan presented an emotional, but accurate, picture of how Ashlie’s removal and the subsequent process were violative of both moral and legal principles.   How Ashlie had suffered.   She also made the case how Judge Kendrick plageurized an affidavit from the JDR court proceeding for his findings and, possibly an indication of his failing mind, read statements that were complete non-sense.  As as result, it was shown that Judge Kendrick violated the requirements for a de novo trial in circuit court.  She also pointed out that Ashlie’s home state at the time of removal was Maryland.   Her mother was also living in Maryland.   Thus, Arlington took Ashlie without proper subject matter jurisdiction.

All and all, those who attended were impressed with the Court of Appeals panel, and found the panel a refreshing contrast to quality of what they had seen in the Arlington County courthouse below.

Ashlie would be proud of how her family is fighting for her return to her family and the broad support her cause is getting from many citizens.

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Julian “Was Our Balm and Our Rock”

Today, hundreds of mourners turned out to pay respect to Julian Dawkins, an employee of the award winning PBS Newshour, who was murdered by Arlington Sheriff’s Deputy Patterson.

Among those who spoke was Gwen Ifel of the PBS Newshour.   Her words began:

My name is Gwen Ifill. I’m honored today to represent my colleagues at the PBS NewsHour.
Julian was family to you. He was to us, as well.
I wish I could capture for you the outpouring of emotion that greeted the news of his passing. There were tears, yes. But there was also regret, and anger and fond memory.
I think it’s accurate to say it would have shocked even Julian what an impression his gentle presence left in our lives. One NewsHour Alum called him a “balm and a rock” for us.

and concluded:

Everyone remembers that smile. “Julian was definitely the sunshine on a cloudy day,” another colleague said.
And this: “Julian knew what was important — family. Even with a heavy load on his shoulders, he was an optimist and looked out for those close to him, especially his brother. Sounds like we all agree that we would do anything for one more day and one more smile from Julian.”
To the family: you should know that — just like you — his NewsHour family will not rest until we get the answers to the questions we all still have.
And even when we do, we will continue to grieve with you, pray for you, and consider you our family, too.
He was our balm and our rock.

The Arlington Parents News shares that grief, our hearts are with the family.   We hope this tragedy results in reforms in the Arlington County Sheriff’s department that gets rid of its  violent “goon”-style culture…one that has severely hurt and even killed many, now Julian Dawkins and even children like 13 year old Ashlie Mae O’Brien.

Read more: PBS Newshour Honors Julian Dawkins

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Arlington Deputy Sheriff Arrested On Murder Charges, Denied Bond….Hopefully Ending a Pattern of Excess Force and Abuse by Arlington County Sheriff’s Department!

Memorial for Julian Dawkins

Craig Petterson, a 17 year veteran of the infamous Arlington deputy sheriff’s department was arrested and charged with murder Thursday by Alexandria police in the shooting death of 22-year-old Julian Dawkins last week.  He was denied bond.  Police arrested Craig Patterson, 44, at a Spotsylvania County home Thursday evening, Alexandria police officials said on their Web site just before 11 p.m.   Mr. Dawkins worked for the distinguished PBS Newshour.

Arlington County Sheriff Patterson (Left) Charged with Murdering PBS Newshour Employee Julian Dawkins

Arlington County Sheriff’s Department is known for using excessive force, as it had done in the brutal beating and tasering of Ashlie Mae O’Brien.   However, unlike the Alexandria Commonwealth Attorney, the Arlington Commonwealth attorney failed to prosecute that crime by the Sheriff’s Deputy.    Observers speculate that a culture of condoning excessive force and abuse of power has evolved in the Arlington County Sheriff’s because of the Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney pattern of looking the other way at such abuse by the members of its Sheriff’s office.

It took Arlington County until May 31 (over a week) to place Deputy Patterson on unpaid leave.

Read more: Arlington deputy sheriff charged with murder in Alexandria shooting of shuttle driver

Related Stories: Arlington Sheriff’s Deputy Place on Unpaid Leave

Arlington County Sheriff’s Deputies After the Brutal Beating and Tasering of Ashlie Mae O’Brien

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• Craig Patterson, Arlington County Sheriff’s deputy arrested, charged with murder of Julian Dawkins (wjla.com)
• Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Murder (washington.cbslocal.com)
• Brutal Beating and Tasering of Ashlie Mae O’Brien by Arlington Sheriff’s Deputies

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  Ashlie Mae O’Brien, A Victim of Beating and Coverup by Arlington County Sheriff’s Deputies