December 19th 2000
For ImmediateRelease
To All News Media
From FL Cannabis Action Network
Contact: Kevin Aplin
(321) 255-9790, cell (321) 258-6857
Department of Children and Families seize five children over Mom’s Medical Marijuana use,
Friends and supporters of Judy Sherer a Deltona mother, will gather at 12:30 pm on Wednesday 20th of December in front of the Volusia County Courthouse at 125 S. Orange in Daytona Beach. Supporters will be demanding a return of the children to the family home in time for the Christmas celebration. Day two of the trial will begin that morning before Judge Julianne Piggotte.
Judy’s nightmare with investigators from the Department of Children and Family Services( DCFS) began in September when the department received anonymous tips alleging sexual abuse by a baby sitter and marijuana use by the mother. The sexual abuse allegations were quickly determined by the department to be unfounded.
However, after being ordered to take a drug test, Judy tested positive for THC (marijuana). This led to a court ordered case plan, which included random drug tests, mandatory meetings with counselors, guardian ad litems, psychiatrists and department investigators.
Judy is a single mother to her five children and works a full time job, owns her own home and provides medical insurance for all of her children. Due to scheduling conflicts this busy mother missed an appointment with the guardian ad litem, but was otherwise trying to comply with the court order. In November DCFS investigators seized her children from school and the home and have since allowed Judy only limited supervised contact.
Judy asserts that her use of marijuana helped control severe migraines and pressure related to a rare blood disorder.
Defense attorney Robert Dowd Jr of Orlando will try to re-unite this family before Christmas, by showing that there is no nexus between marijuana use and abuse or neglect of children, and that the DCFS did not follow their own protocols for informing Judy of her legal rights. Dowd has received hundreds of complaints from parents about their treatment by insensitive and poorly trained DCFS investigators.