Social worker charged with perjury: the case was to determine whetheror not a mother's parental rights should be terminated.

Social worker charged with perjury
By JOSH NELSON, Courier Staff Writer

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2...f8004c5ace.txt

INDEPENDENCE --- A Buchanan County social worker was charged last week
with three counts of perjury for allegedly filing false child welfare
reports to the court.

Marie Mahler, 39, of Cedar Falls, filed three reports between Aug. 27,
2004, and Oct. 7, 2004, used in a juvenile court case that she "knew or
reasonably should have known were false" and that the reports would be
used by a judge to make a decision in the case, according to court
records obtained by the Courier.

Mahler entered a written plea of not guilty Thursday.

According to court records, the case was to determine whether or not a
mother's parental rights should be terminated. Mahler repeatedly
included misrepresentations of conversations, events and relationships
of the people involved with the case, according to court records.

Court records say she claimed that Jesup police officers were called to
the mother's home for a drug investigation in August 2004. Records
indicate an officer was called to the home not for drugs, but to prevent
an altercation between two siblings. No signs of drugs were found.

Roger Munns, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Human Services,
confirmed Mahler is an employee of the department. Mahler received her
social work license in 1998. She has no record of disciplinary action
and still is on active duty, according to department records. She has
been a social worker in Buchanan County since 1998.

In a parental rights termination case, the decision is made by a judge,
Munns said. People involved in the case, like biological parents,
adoptive parents or social workers, can give input to help the judge's
decision, he said. It's rare to have people charged with such a crime in
these cases, Munns said.

"This is really quite unusual," he said.

Munns did not comment further on the case.

Delaware County Attorney John Bernau has been appointed special
prosecutor to the case because of a conflict of interest. The Buchanan
County Attorney's Office has represented Mahler in juvenile court
proceedings.

Bernau said he couldn't comment on specifics about the case, but said
perjury charges often are hard to investigate.

While the offenses occurred in 2004, Bernau said Mahler is exempt from
Iowa's statute of limitations law because she is still a state employee.
In most felony cases, charges have to be filed within three years of the
offense. However, that three-year period begins for state employees only
after they are no longer working for the state.

Perjury is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Contact Josh Nelson at (319) 291-1565 or






CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 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.

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...