foster care

Judge Janis Jack, who called Texas’ foster care system 'broken' in a 2015 ruling against the state that started the process of federal court oversight, may not be done with the case she presided over for 13 years just yet.

An 11-year-old living in a hotel with CPS workers was taken by a man now charged with indecency with a child and trafficking. The girl escaped hours later, but no one had noticed she was gone.

The case is pending before Randy Crane, chief judge of the Southern District of Texas.

The court voted 9-5 against rehearing the case that voided significant portions of court oversight, removed the judge in the case, and nullified contempt fines.

Texas has succeeded in removing one of its fiercest overseers in Judge Janis Jack. Attorney's for foster youth say they will appeal.

Lawyers for the State of Texas on Monday tried to convince a U.S. appeals court that it should not be fined for failures in investigations of abuse and neglect of intellectually disabled children. The three-judge panel appeared to not need much convincing.

Alyssa Murphy turned 27 last week. She was 6 years old when she was placed in foster care. She stayed in 40 placements after that. She reflected on what the case she joined at 14 has done for foster kids, and why she wants Judge Janis Jack to stay on the case.

After 13 years of fighting a lawsuit over Texas’ troubled foster care system, state lawyers are trying to remove the judge from overseeing the case.And do you remember when a little girl fell down a Midland well in 1987? There’s much more to the story.

A 13-year fight between a judge and Texas over how the state runs its foster care system is back in court on Monday. Texas wants the judge off the case and her stiff fines canceled. The case is also part of a nationwide push back on judges who force states to take specific actions — decisions that, conservatives say, are 'corrosive to federalism.'

After 13 years, the state said Judge Janis Jack should be removed from overseeing its foster care system because she isn't 'impartial.'