Posted on 04/07/2010 10:37:35 AM PDT by Lorianne
Texans, beware: If you teach your kids that the “government is out to harm them,” police in Williamson County might just deem you an “unsuitable” parent.
That startling claim, leveled by officers in Child Protective Services documents detailing an investigation into an Austin-area activist couple, should be enough to give reason for pause to any staunch conservative in the state.
The allegation was made against drug reform activist filmmakers Barry and Candi Cooper, whose home was recently raided and searched after the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department claimed Barry’s voice was heard in the background audio of an allegedly false police report.
Once in the couple’s home, officers discovered a small amount of marijuana and charged the Coopers with Class B misdemeanors, resulting in both their arrests. Each immediately bonded out of jail and paid a small fine. Days later, while Candi’s youngest son was visiting his father in east Texas, Child Protective Services contacted the Coopers, revealing that the incident could cost them not only custody of the boy, but also their freedom on felony child endangerment charges.
After CPS interviewed the couple, Travis County Deputy District Attorney Dayna Blazey pronounced both Coopers to be fit parents, whose children are healthy, happy and “well cared for.”
“[There] is nothing to indicate that the kids are at risk,” she wrote.
A message requesting the deputy DA’s comment on this story went unanswered at time of publication.
Her conclusion, which falls at the end of documents published below, is almost odd following the numerous pages of text entered by police, who seemingly describe an alternate reality.
Among their claims — that Barry and Candi regularly give illicit drugs to their children, that they allow and encourage other kids to use drugs in their home, that they’ve mentally abused their children by telling them that marijuana is good and anti-drug efforts are riddled with lies — the most extreme is that the Coopers are “unsuitable” parents because they create an environment in which the children learn their “government is out to harm them.”
The allegation is found atop page five of the CPS report.
In another completely dumbfounding, ironic entry, Sgt. Gary Haston of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department — the officer whose testimony appears on the original search warrant affidavit — actually claims he observed the children “crying for no reason” as armed officers invaded their home. [Emphasis added.]
He also claims that Barry “hates” his father and does not believe in church, as though this information would somehow be relevant to the CPS agents.
Haston, who Cooper described as Williamson County’s “head of narcotics,” has an extensive history with drug interdiction as a police officer. He was even the 2008-2009 vice president for the Texas Narcotic Officers Association Central Region, according to a memo circulated by the association. It was his testimony that gave officers access to the Coopers’ residence and files for the alleged misdemeanor offense of filing a false police report.
A request for comment left with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department went unanswered at time of publication.
“In my 19 years of experience with criminal defense matters, a search warrant for a misdemeanor charge is certainly unusual,” wrote Minnesota attorney Maury D. Beaulier, who had no prior knowledge of the Coopers’ case. “It indicates to me that this is a targeted investigation. It may be targeted because it is believed to be a part of a greater crime or conspiracy, or, perhaps, because there are political motivations at work.”
While searching through the Coopers’ private data, police discovered a photograph of a minor in the shower, nude from the bust up. The image was a risque self-portrait shot by one of the adolescent children, who later took sole responsibility for the photo. Both parents claimed they knew nothing about it before the issue was raised to them by authorities. Ultimately, the photo held no bearing on their case and the minor was warned to be cautious with digital imaging equipment. Because of the individual’s age, all identifying information has been removed from the documents published below.
In a court hearing Tuesday, the Coopers were unsuccessful in re-obtaining custody of Zachary, Candi’s seven-year-old who is currently under the care of his father in Upshur County, Texas. The court did not issue a ruling, as matters of geographic limitations have yet to be addressed. Barry and Candi are seeking to have the custody battle in Travis County, but it’s still a matter of dispute. Lawyers for the Coopers and Zachary Johnston’s father brokered limited visitation rights for Candi, but Barry is required to stay away from the boy for the time being.
Because of the nature of Texas’ drug laws and their status as nationally-known political activists, the Coopers are facing the very real possibility of losing Zach entirely, with future contact only allowed in the context of supervised visitation.
“I just don’t know what I’ll do if we lose Zach,” Barry said. “That would be the most horrible thing to ever happen to me in my entire life.”
Perhaps you should have thought of that prior to impregnating a pothead.
I love America; I more or less despise the government.
Drugs users suck, I agree. I hate them.
They are selfish, lazy, destructive and generally dangerous to themeselves or others.
Destroying our country to save these idiots, however, is a waste of time and money. We’ve saved NONE of them. They still get drugs, get high, and do whatever.
All the drug laws in the world did nothing to prevent your wife or your daughter from wasting their lives.
Time to stop bothering.
This is one of the many ways government can punish dissenters.
You were there to know all about it eh. She showed no signs of being one prior to the moment. It would take a long story to get it across to someone that snaps off a retort such as yours so quickly, but then you probably would lose interest, and tune out before learning anything.
This Father did not, nor ever did do drugs. You got a problem with the Mother having the problem, and not the Father? You are the sort of person that causes the problems for those of us Fathers that try to do something for our kids with your holier than thou Feminist attitude.
Women are so perfect, but then that’s what I think of my second wife of 32 years. She never lied to me, nor ever did drugs like the lyin’ POS I married the first time did.
By the way she remarried to a guy that could put up with her, and everytime I went to pick up the kids for visitation their house stunk like “H” of dope, and they were high. One look in their eyes was enough.
Go for it. Call it BS. Her mother smoked that stuff right through to the daughter’s birth.
You’re the one that needs to get some education on what that stuff does in the blood stream to babies in the womb. My daughter is living proof.
No, his wasn’t stupid. I don’t give a crap if you’ve touched drugs or not - you clearly believe that they aren’t that harmful, and you’re wrong. And I never mentioned alcohol at all. Furthermore, I don’t give a crap if you’ve lost anyone to alcohol or not. It’s irrelevant. Drugs are harmful, period. Why the hell should I give a crap about your damn sob story when you can’t even extend the same damn courtesy t anyone else?
I never said that drugs are the only thing harming this country. That’s bullshit and you know it. Of course, you don’t have much of an argument (except for boo hoo, alcohol is so harmful, waaaaa) so you put words into my mouth. Figures. You types are all the same.
And this does not make you any less useless. So not only are you a useless druggie, you’re a useless alcoholic too. Nice, very nice. The fact that morons like you can vote is just flat out frightening, and it’s no wonder our country is in the shitter.
No, I don’t, I am very well aware of the available research. There may have been traces of it in her bloodstream, but she was NOT born “high”. Either that is your parental emotions speaking...which by the way is understandable...or you’ve been watching too many reruns of “Reefer Madness”.
I put words into your mouth? Pot, meet kettle what a maroon you are! Try reading what you posted to me first! I mean dang, do you need help remembering to breath too?
I extended my sob story the same as he did, then why is mine so wrong and his so right? You are the problem with America today, if I don’t think exactly as you, then I am a useless idiot who should not be allowed to have an opinion. Sorry, but it doesn’t work that way! Deal with the reality that we are equal and we all deal with “tragedies” and such in our lives differently.
I don’t blame my mother’s problems on Sonic, but he blames his divorce on drugs! Sorry, I don’t by it! If the child came out “high on marijuana” then the mom must have been smoking during delivery! And, if you believe that, then you are even a bigger effing idiot than what you have shown here on these posts!
BTW, alcohol is a DRUG IDIOT! And it has been linked to more deaths during recreational use than any other illegal drug! More importantly, I never said you mention alcohol - once again placing words into my mouth, but you don’t care; however, you want to espouse the harmfulness and dangers of drugs without realizing there are far more divorces, deaths and problems in America with the LEGAL use of alcohol!
Talk about a useful idiot! Go grow up and sob your sorry A$$ some where else! People like you are the worst kinds of humans - you think you know everything, when all you really see is your little speck of light that seldom wafts down into your dungeon! Go get back on mommies teet and maybe you can write more tomorrow!
You know, take a chill pill! If we can’t have some levity in our discussion, why bother? You are even more of a maroon than what I originally thought!
I did mock his experience with drugs and he did express that the drugs were the cause of BOTH items. Please read more slowly!
Since you are new on here from your DU days, I can understand you being a useful idiot! I cannot however understand you not understanding the use of bad language in a public forum. I can see that if anyone has a nerve struck, it would be you.
I see we will have to agree to disagree on this story. I gave a snarky post because he gave a BS story. Sorry if my heart does twang as easily as yours! And you got upset about my reply? Well too bad, for you.
I have seen the horrors of drug use - maybe if you had been on here more than a few months, you would see and know that. But, I will see what I can do so that you don’t continue to be a useful idiot on HERE! Please have a very nice day.
“...doesn’t twang...”
Man, you know how to make youself welcome here! LOL!
Let me be the first to say goodbye, 'cuz you won't be long here. Seesh.
inglorious_basterd zotted.
Oh, you can take my post down, it has a ranchy quote.
“By the way she remarried to a guy that could put up with her, and everytime I went to pick up the kids for visitation their house stunk like “H” of dope, and they were high. One look in their eyes was enough.”
And yet you didn’t intervene, started another family and allowed your daughter to live in that lifestyle.
Thank you for your quick reply and assistance. I have been on here since ‘08, and that was by far the worst reply I have seen in my entire time here!
I mean, agree to disagree, but DANG!
You’re welcome.
The raunchy response was so over the top it actually made me laugh. Nonetheless, it was uncalled for.
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