Sunday, July 17, 2005

MOTHER SUES STATE FOR RACKETEERING

Starletta Banks say officials kidnaped her children. Starletta Banks has not seen her children, Darius, 11, Danielle, 7, and Darren, 5, since the year 2000, but she says she is determined to have them come home again to her loving arms.
"Its been devastating", said Banks.

"Its been hard holding jobs and eating and sleeping. You can`t even imagine the Christmas`s and birthdays I`ve spent. When we get them back, whenever that is, it will be Christmas, because I KEPT buying presents for them all this time."

Banks says her children were essentially kidnapped by Governor Jennifer Granholm, Attorney Mike Cox, and various judges, adminstrators, and doctors, to be used as cash cows "for the benefit of the state`s child foster care system." That system is largely farmed out to private non-profit agencies who receive federal funds for each child. She says the alleged kidnappers have profited because they sit on the board of the agencies in the system.

On June 6 Banks filed suit in U.S. District Court under federal racketeering and civil rights statutues demanding her childrens' return, and calling for an investigation by the Justice Department into the alleged misuse of federal funds by the state of Michigan in her case and thousands of foster care cases.

"I am going to fight them with everything I have got until my children are returned to me, and I want other families to join me." Banks is so far is representing herself in the case. She resides with her mother and father Barbara and Leo Banks who are supporting her suit. The suit was inspired by a similar action in Los Angles County that opened an investigation into 30,000 foster care cases there.

"Plantiff was severely damaged and her family destroyed by the kidnapping under the color of law of her three children," read Banks complaint.

Defendant used the Michigan State system as a child for profit machine with eighty percent of their case load contracted out to private agencies who are paid federal monies by the case.

Defendant sat on the board of agencies that received federal monies for the care and custody of children while actively participating in or making judicial decisions on cases involving child custody or termination of parental rights including plaintiff`case.

BANKS: "I WILL FIGHT THEM WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE GOT!"