A man in Oregon called police and reported that his employee Nimrod Greene had sexually molested the man’s 7-year-old son. The son told police that Nimrod had touched his genital area, over his pants.The father then said that Nimrod had several times previously admitted to sexually mistreating his own daughters, S.G., age 9, and K.G., age 5. The boy’s mother said that Sarah Greene, Nimrod’s wife, had several times admitted that her husband had behaved inappropriately with the daughters.

The police arrested Nimrod Greene. Ten days later they called the child abuse hotline. Child protective services assigned caseworker Bob Camreta to investigate. Camreta learned that Greene had been released from jail, but did nothing for four days. On February 24, 2003, Camreta, along with Deputy Sheriff James Alford, went to S.G.’s school, had her removed from her class and brought to a room next to the principal’s office, where they questioned her for two hours.Alford was in uniform, and armed with a clearly visible gun.

S.G. told the investigators that her father did not abuse her and always treated her well. However, as hours passed, S.G. concluded that Camreta and Alford would not let her go until she answered yes – untruthfully – to their questions about sex abuse. When she finally did so, Camreta and Alford allowed her to leave and return home to her purported molester. Since then, S.G. has always stated that she was never abused, and that she felt forced to agree with Camreta’s untrue suggestions. A subsequent evaluation by the KIDS center, the child advocacy center in Bend, confirmed that neither S.G., nor k.G. had been abused.

S.G. was very upset by the interrogation and vomited when she returned home. She was also embarrassed in front of her schoolmates. She is still traumatized by the event.  S.G. and K.G. were later removed from their mother, Sarah Greene, for three weeks. S.G. and her mother sued, claiming, among other things, that S.G.’s two-hour detention and interrogation was unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment because there was no court order or warrant, no consent, and no exigent circumstances. The Ninth Circuit agreed that it was unconstitutional, although the court granted qualified immunity to Camreta and Alford.  Greene v. Camreta, 588 F.3d 1011 (9th Cir. 2010).  The sheriff and caseworker have taken the case to the United States Supreme Court, which granted certiorari.

We are seeking amici to support S.G. and other children from being subjected to the same experiences. If you are able to assist in writing a brief, or want to sign on to one, please contact us.  If you are unable to reach us, please contact Diane Redleaf at the Family Defense Center in Chicago, 312-356-3202 X11, or dianeredleaf@gmail.com.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-child-abuse-court-20100930,0,7965560.story

The article also appeared in the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader.
 
 

At the event, attended by, among others, New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman and Chief Administrative Judge of the New York City Family Court Edwina Richardson-Mendelson, Jill was lauded for her outstanding representation of clients in complicated custody matters and appeals.   A photograph of the event was featured in the New York Law Journal.

The firm also honored Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney for her activism in protecting women and girls who are victims of sex trafficking.