Children from fatherless homes account for: 90% of all homeless or runaway children and 85% of all youths sitting in prisons.

Rhonda Heise Faces Uphill Battle

An Open Letter To Our Concerned Government Officials

Posted July 2, 2004

I am writing on behalf of a friend and fellow victim of CPS. Her name is Rhonda Heise. She is a loving and devoted mother, of three beautiful children, who are being held prisoner by the state and especially by a very corrupt and abusive caseworker named Moe Randles.

I know Moe Randles personally, as she was my caseworker as well, until she was finally removed after I reached out for help outside of my county.

First I would like to say there is a serious problem with the public defenders here that are appointed to the parents involved with CPS cases and cannot afford their own attorneys. These attorneys are normally Dave Wecker (who gets appointed to all the women) and Anne Montgomery (who is appointed to the men) and Mr. Whitney (who gets appointed to whomever is leftover).

My original attorney was Dave Wecker. While he represented me, I was never able to speak to him except right before court, in front of CPS officials. I was unable to have any returned phone calls and his staff was extremely rude to me. When I wrote him a letter requesting that he do his job as required, he withdrew from my case stating it was due to a "Breakdown in Communication" - there was no communication and not because I didn't try.

Also, he had not investigated the reason I became ill and was hospitalized, which resulted in my daughter being removed, nor did he speak to any of my witnesses (this is also the case with my current attorney Anne Montgomery). I was told there was no money allotted to obtain an expert doctor to do this. At trial, none of my witnesses were called on my behalf and when I questioned Anne about this, she tried to have herself removed from my case as well.

CPS workers and Moe Randles have continuously lied regarding both Rhonda's and my own case. They have been allowed to present lies and heresy into evidence without any objection on behalf of our attorneys. Rhonda's attorney is Dave Wecker, the father's attorney is Anne Montgomery.

Since Commissioner Lowans does not allow us to speak in court we are not able to properly present our cases.

Compliance Yeilds No Results

Now Moe Randles is determined to terminate Rhonda's parental rights despite the fact that Rhonda has been working very hard at being in compliance with CPS demands.

Moe Randles lied to Rhonda and told her that the court ordered her to see Dr. Oleary, for a parent evaluation. Rhonda asked if she could do this at her own doctor and was told no, only Dr. Oleary could perform the evaluation.

I went to Dr. Oleary voluntarily and he gave me a very positive report. Then CPS called and told him I had a history of firing attorneys (a lie) and that dependency was not established yet. He changed his report completely.

Moe Randles lied in court about the urinalysis I took and stated that she was in my home on Dec. 4th, after my car accident when she was actually in my home on Dec. 2nd, the morning of my car accident. The night of my car accident I went to the hospital and was given pain medication. The next day I went to give a urine sample (which I have for a year and all have been clean) and showed them the prescription. Moe lied in court later and said that I was taking un-prescribed medication. She stated that when she was at my home on the 4th (it reallly was the 2nd) she asked me what medications I was taking and that I had lied and said none. This is just one of many examples of her dishonesty and perjuring in court.

Moe told Rhonda that she had to take parenting classes that were only offered on Wednesday nights. Rhonda is a janitor at the Bremerton School District and is working very hard to keep her job, to support her children. Her boss needed her on Wednesday nights.

Mrs. Randles actually called her boss and told him that Rhonda was lying. She told him that she had offered her the option of attending classes either Wednesday or Saturday. Rhonda's boss yelled at her and called her a liar. The fact is, there are no classes offered on Saturday. I took the same class and it was only available on Wednesday.

Moe has made remarks to Rhonda and myself (witnessed by both my therapist Cheryl Bell, at Kitsap Mental Health and by Bill Engle, at BJD Solutions D/A counseling), saying that in the previous three-years she has never recommended a child be returned home.

She also, spoke of growing up foster homes, her mother being a paranoid schizophrenic and of her father being a drug addict who abandoned her. She stated her husband had relapsed on drugs a few years ago and though he is doing well now, relapse is inevitable. Her husband is Tim Randles, a CPS supervisor at Kitsap CPS.

Termination of Parent Rights

Moe is pushing to terminate Rhonda's parental rights, based on her belief that Rhonda refuses to give up her relationship with the children's father.

Even though I personally do not believe that it is any of Moe's business, I happen to know that Rhonda is in compliance with the court order and is not having any contact with him. This does bother her because he is their father and she does have feelings for him, but she has put her children first and is doing everything necessary to bring her children home.

Rhonda received a letter from her apartment manager concerning the father and threatened to evict her, if he was staying there. Not only is he not staying there but somehow Moe has obtained a copy of this letter. Rhonda has no idea how she got it. I suspect that Moe called her manager and told her he was staying there and requested a copy of the eviction notice. This is the kind of behavior Moe has consistently exhibited.

Contempt of Court

I am pleading with anyone who will listen and who cares about the people of this state to help Rhonda. She is a good person. I have seen her struggle to do all that Moe is demanding of her and to commit herself to her job and to keep working at bettering herself.

Moe was determined not to send my daughter home. In spite of my being in complete compliance, she refused to send her home. She lied in court saying that I did not go to an appointment that was court ordered for paternity testing, at the Kitsap OCS prosecutor's office. Without hearing what I had to say (telling me he would not going to allow me to speak) Commissioner Lowans said I was in contempt of court.

Not only was I not aware of the appointment, my attorney Anne Montgomery never informed me of it,

Again, contained here are but a few examples of the horrible corruption in Kitsap County. We are pleading with you for your assistance and request an investigation.

Trial To Begin with Lowans

Rhonda has court at the Juvenile Court house, before Commissioner Lowans on June 30, 2004 at 9:15 a.m.. We ask that you investigate immediately. Rhonda's trial to terminate her parental rights will be held on July 13th and 14th, 2004 in the Kitsap Superior Courthouse. Her attorney Dave Wecker is of little help.

Moe Randles has tried to force Rhonda to sign releases that she had a right not to sign. She lied and forced Rhonda to go to Dr. Oleary who is bought and paid for by CPS and does not provide truthful and unbiased reports to the court. The guardian ad litem and Casa work hand-in-hand with CPS and not in the best interest of our children.

My daughter was being physically and emotionally abused while in foster care. At every visit she would tell me how the other kids were hitting her, biting, pulling her hair, kicking her, throwing food at her and calling her loser and other names. She is a 5-year-old little girl. The older children living in her foster home were three siblings with developmental delays between the ages of 10 and 13. These siblings ganged up on my daughter and put her through hell. When I spoke of this with Moe Randles she said it was probably payback.

I found in my discovery (that was not provided to me, until after my daughter was returned home nearly a year later) that Moe had stated that my daughter described my putting seeds in her bottom and abusing her. My daughter was interrogated and was reported to be uncooperative because she wouldn't repeat these lies, that is because it never happened. Moe knew of Jessica's medical records that state that she was very ill and had to have suppositories because she couldn't keep any medications down orally. Moe tried to twist this in her sick way to say I abused my daughter. My daughter denies ever even talking to Moe and does not like Moe. She says, she hates the foster family and Moe, "they are bad and mean". I totally agree with her.

This woman is seriously mentally disturbed and needs psychiatric treatment, not a job that allows her to exert her power and demented control issues over others. She should not be allowed to cause damage to other families. This is a very serious matter and I am pleading for someone step-in.

Her supervisors Lynn Greenwall and Sophia Giles are very much aware of this problem and have done nothing. Her previous supervisors Tom Stokes and Kathy Ramsey also were aware of the situation. The OFCO (Mary Meinig) is also aware. The Constituents Relations (Pete Scott) is aware. What is aware? Turning a blinded eye so as not to deal with the problem. Where is the accountability?

Constitutional Rights Denied

Rhonda and her children are being denied their most sacred and constitutional right to be together by a crazy power-hungry woman who has been given this power by our state. Rhonda's court appointed attorney and Commissioner Lowans are doing nothing to assure her rights are being upheld. no one is acting in the best interest of these children. These children belong with their mother. They love her and need her. Moe is trying to alienate them and it is wrong. She already has the foster mother wanting to adopt the youngest child. She only wants the one child, which would effectually separate the children completely and permanently. And this is before her parental rights have been terminated - which should not happen at all.

Posted: August 2, 2004

Rhonda Heise
2500 McWilliams Rd. NE, Apt I-5
Bremerton, WA 98312

June 28, 2004

Kitsap County Court
Bremerton Office of CPS

Cause No. 03-7-00301-8, 03-7-00300-0, 03-7-00299-2

Re: Formal Complaint Against Caseworker - Moe Randles

To Whom It May Concern:

I wish to file a formal complaint against my caseworker, Moe Randles and her associated CASA workers.

I have not been able to resolve our differences and I believe she is not handling my case fairly or competently for the following reasons:

1. Ms. Randles has falsified reports to the court.
2. In a report by Community Family Services, it states that my daughters are in foster care due to abuse and neglect. This is not true. I agreed to a voluntary placement for 30 days in order to get myself on my feet and deal with work and financial issues. I was told that by doing this I would be able to get help and that whenever I was ready by children could come home.
3. Ms. Randles states that I am not in compliance due to my not terminating my relationship with my children's father. This is not true. I am not having any contact with him. My children are my top priority and I am working very hard to have them returned home.
4. I have refused to sign all releases by Ms. Randles because that is my constitutional right to do so.
5. I am scheduled to take the parenting classes in July. Do to a conflict in my work schedule I have not been able to do this until now.
6. Ms. Randles has made it very clear that she has no desire to return my children to me regardless of my efforts. She has made it has difficult as possible for me to comply with the court order.
7. Ms. Randles misrepresented the court and deliberately lied when she told me that the court ordered an evaluation be done by Dr. Oleary and then in front of other witnesses after I asked her if it was indeed court ordered she stated that no it was voluntary. This is one of many examples of her dishonest and manipulative behaviors.
8. She has made no reasonable efforts at reunification. On the contrary, she has made things as difficult as possible for me. She has not taken into consideration my work schedule as a factor in scheduling classes. She has resisted in putting my visits at KCR where location is closer to my work and home and would be tremendously helpful in my ability to spend valuable time with my children.
9. When my daughter was sent to have a surgical procedure done to remove her third thumb, I was not allowed to be part of that decision or to be there during surgery. In fact, I was not even told until the day of surgery.
10. Ms. Randles has made no reasonable effort in keeping my children together. At this time my son is separated from his sisters for an allegation made by Ms. Randles (which I believe confirms the fact that she has serious personal issues and biases) which were not only untrue but harmful to my son and his future. After I requesting to be involved in his counciling, Moe said he no longer needed it and was not a problem, yet will not let him and his sisters be together because the foster mother does not want him in her home.
11. On numerous occasions Ms. Randles has intruded onto my precious time with my children during visits, stating that she must talk with me now. This is invasive of my time with my children and manipulative on her behalf.
12. My children have been late to many visits.
13. Ms. Randles has repeatedly lied about me regarding such important issues as my compliance with the case plan, my current medical status, and my attitude.
14. Ms. Randles has repeatedly lied to me.
15. Ms. Randles has ignored the statements of my children regarding my parenting ability and alleged abuse/neglect. Ms. Randles also ignores and denies my childrens consistent plea's to be allowed to come home, statements which not only prove they were never abused or neglected but that (contrary to reports made to court by Moe and Casa) they desire and have all along to be reunited with their mother
15. Ms. Randles has repeatedly failed to return my phone calls.
16. Ms. Randles has misrepresented my status pertaining to the case plan - she tells me one thing and reports something else to the court and in the file. I cannot trust her to be fair and honest with me.
17. Ms. Randles has ignored or discounted collateral evidence that substantiates my claim that my children were not abused/neglected, and were to the contrary, happy, healthy children.
18. Ms. Randles has ignored or discounted collateral evidence that proves her claims were false.
19. Ms. Randles has not acted in the best interest of my children by traumatizing them with an unnecessary and illegal detention and keeping them from their home and beloved mother.
20. Ms. Randles has repeatedly violated the department's own policies and procedures as well as Washington and Federal Statutes during the entire course of this intervention.
21. Ms. Randles has repeatedly violated my and my children's rights during the course of this intervention.
22. Ms. Randles has overstepped her authority and she is actually practicing medicine without a license by second-guessing the diagnosis of my and my children's doctor and requiring more intensive medical and therapeutic supervision than is necessary.
23. Ms. Randles behavior reflects a negative bias against me based on my social and ethic as well as financial status as well as disability and she has projected her fears onto me. She has demonstrated an irrational fear of mental illness, which has caused her to make unreasonable, and abusive decisions about my case and my status and to inaccurately attribute my emotional state to some imagined or unjustified tendancy to anxiety and stress and violence/threatening. All of these actions are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
24. Even though I have complied with the case plan, Ms. Randles refused to honor her explicit promise that my children would be returned.
25. Ms. Randles has acted to forward her own personal agenda, prejudices, and biases instead of acting to protect the best interest of my children.
26. I believe Ms. Randles is unqualified to be a caseworker in cases involving children. She has made statements that she feels children do better in foster care; that in the 3 years she has done this work she had never considered returning a child to their home, and that all parents who do everything right are the ones she doesn't trust. She also stated that she grew up in foster homes, and was bounced around a lot, that permanency is the main issue. She has shared that her father was an addict and had abandoned her, her mother was mentally ill. She also discussed her husband's alcohol and addiction and relapses. She has shown a total disregard to my children and my rights. She has gotten extremely angry and irrational to the point of yelling at me when I was merely asking some questions to clarify some inconsistency statements she has made to me. She has tried to undermine my compliance with the case plan by fighting to have all of my support people removed from my case.
27. Ms. Randles has lied to my therapist about my diagnosis as well as lied to my employer about parenting classes being offered to me on Saturday (my day off). She becomes very angry, loud and defensive every time we talk and I ask her any questions. She has treated me rudely and unprofessional and I see no effort to communicate and work together to accomplish reunification. Actually I feel her behavior has always shown her to be against reunification and has in fact worked at thwarting reunification. I believe that for whatever reasons, she has personal issues that are affecting her ability to do her job fairly and properly.

I am pleading with the court for assistance in the problems with my caseworker Ms. Randles and ask that the court order a new caseworker appointed.

Sincerely,
Rhonda Heise

(Posted August 2, 2004)

In The Superior Court of the State of Washington
In And For The County of Kitsap Juvenile Department

NO. 03-7-00301-8, 03-7-003000-0, 03-7-00299-2

Declaration and Motion
Made by Natural Mother

IN RE THE WELFARE OF: Domenico Mapteucci, Rochelle Mapteucci, Nikkalena Mapteucci

__________________________________________

To: The Clerk of the above-entitled Courts; Michelle Witkoski; Guardian ad Litem and Anne Montgomery; attorney for father and Moe Randles; DSHS Social Worker and Garth Ahearn; Assistant Attorney General

Declaration as Follows:

I, Rhonda Heise, am the natural mother of Domenico Mapteucci, Rochelle Mapteucci, Nikkalena Mapteucci, and declare the following:

1. That I have been in compliance with the court orders.
2. That Ms. Randles had not been accurate and complete in her reports to the court in regards to my efforts to be in compliance.
3. That Ms. Randles has omitted pertinent information as well as misrepresented facts regarding my case with malicious intent to harm my efforts to have my children returned home.
4. That Ms. Randles had misinformed the court in regards to my compliance with the courts and has offered erroneous statements in order to portray me as not being in compliance.
5. That I have been unable to get Moe Randles to help me in working towards a successful completion of my ISSP and in fact she has diligently worked against my efforts at successfully complying with the courts and at reunification.
6. That I have requested copies of file held by CPS pertaining to my children and myself (see attachments dated June 28, 2004) and as yet have not received said copies.
7. That I have requested a copy of CPS policies and procedures manual and have not been given said copy.
8. That I have requested assistance from Moe in helping arrange visits that are at a consistant time and location that is near my work and home and have not been able to get her cooperation.
9. That I have requested unsupervised visits and weekend home visits, yet still have not gotten any response.
10. I have repeatedly requested that my children be placed together and have been denied.
11. That my son has been moved around to numerous foster homes and that this action is authorized by Ms. Randles.
12. That my children are suffering emotional abuse by being separated from each other.
13. That Ms. Randles is not acting in the best interest of my children.
14. That in a report from Community Family Services, it states that my daughters are in foster care due to abuse and neglect. This is false. I voluntarily placed my children in respite care at CPS suggestion in order to get help with my situation. I was promised that I would be able to have them returned when I felt ready. I have done everything possible to be a strong and capable mother. In spite of my trying to work with CPS and Moe Randles, I have been harassed, coerced, lied to and about and treated disrespectfully and criminally.

MOTION AS FOLLOWS:

1. CPS be ordered to supply Rhonda Heise with a complete copy of file as requested in letters dated June 28, 2004. Also that CPS supply Ms. Heise with a copy of the CPS Policy and Procedure Manual. That this be done within 15 days.
2. That the following proposed reunification plan be court ordered and that CPS be ordered to follow said plan:



1. That the above-mentioned children be placed together in foster care during the remainder of dependency.
2. That all visitations be at the Parenting Connection at KCR on Park Avenue and that the Visitations be increased in length and frequency.
3. That Ms. Randles not intrude on the valuable and important visitation between mother and children and that any discussions she needs to hold with Ms. Heise be done away from visitation so as not to take away from mother and childrens time together.
4. That family therapy for Ms. Heise and her children together be ordered immediately.
5. That the process of reunification be ordered and started immediately.
6. That Ms. Randles be replaced with a caseworker that is more effective and able to assist in Ms. Heises efforts and diligence to comply with the courts and to be reunited with her children.
7. That the aboved motion be made a court order and that it be carried out immediately.

Respectfully Submitted on June 28, 2004

Rhonda Heise,
Natural Mother of Domenico Mapteucci,
Rochelle Mapteucci, Nikkalena Mapteucci

(Posted August 2, 2004)

In The Superior Court of the State of Washington
In And For The County of Kitsap Juvenile Department

NO. 03-7-00301-8, 03-7-003000-0, 03-7-00299-2

Declaration and Motion
Made by Natural Mother

IN RE THE WELFARE OF: Domenico Mapteucci, Rochelle Mapteucci, Nikkalena Mapteucci

__________________________________________

To: The Clerk of the above-entitled Courts Michelle Witkoski; Guardian ad Litem and Anne Montgomery; attorney for father and Moe Randles; DSHS Social Worker and Garth Ahearn; Assistant Attorney General

Declaration as Follows:

I, Jennifer declares the following to be true:

1. I have known Rhonda Heise for over 6 months. We met at an AA meeting.
2. I have seen Rhonda struggle to comply with CPS requirements and that she is working very hard on her sobriety, on her being in compliance with CPS, on having her children returned.
3. I have known Rhonda to be living alone and having no contact with the father of her children.
4. I believe Rhonda to be very devoted to her children. She loves them and is working very hard to be the best mother she can be.
5. I personally have experienced the abuse of Ms. Randles as she was my former caseworker.
6. I have dealt with Ms. Randles dishonestly and manipulative behavior and irrational use of her position and power.
7. I know of Rhonda's struggles with Ms. Randles abusive behavior and believe that she should not be allowed to interefere in Rhonda's efforts to have her children returned.
8. I personally have felt the abuse by Ms. Randles and know her as not to be acting in the best interest of any child. My daughter was being physically, emotionally and verbally abused by older children in her foster home and Ms. Randles statement when told of this was it was probably payback. Ms. Randles refused to protect my daughter or to recognize my ability to parent my own child.
9. I believe that Rhonda is not being heard by the courts and that she is not being allowed to state her case in court.
10. I have personally experienced Ms. Randles perjuring statements to that court.

Motion as Follows:

I, Jennifer Sutton, make the following motion:

1. That Ms. Randles be taken off Ms. Heise's case immediately.
2. That Ms. Randles be investigated for fraud and perjury.
3. That Ms. Heise be given more frequent and meaningful visits.
4. That Ms. Heise and her children be ordered to reunification.
5. That Ms. Heise's children be kept together and that every step be taken to ensure their safety and union as siblings.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Sutton
Witness For Rhonda Heise

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