[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6359756,"mediaKeyId","2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb","parentId",2176042,"title","Judge admits Aguilar convictions; DFPS cites incarceration and noncompliance as grounds for termination and paternity adjudication","audioSeconds",87,"startMs",2746000,"endMs",2833000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb&start=2746&end=2833","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb/thumbnail_2746000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359756/Texas/Judge-admits-Aguilar-convictions-DFPS-cites-incarceration-and-noncompliance-as-grounds-for-termination-and-paternity-adjudication","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359756-c0df376b3813dcaa2c159b6b44f8d6f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775965307&Signature=GTA3mumToYQ5JmNJZ3HucWVsRHFE9D-v~SFu9ofk4StoliIBMkg~m68lkauLQ2HrDQ6epvRejDsjvmWuubdusjnd8tbCaihxa6rKRApPJKO-v3MKyBVxF5kHPoVPzWqNllqEB5Zlkz8COSvST-Beyn~jcDB-wt~QtUVHczLFA70bIGJTbx5N8RrTgMIkjLedtqYCNbx5dgNlCOLZbYvx6SomvxpAzug0Qy7OX8N8nFOYWw3QFzNgFDTI4t2NJQjb5KkLjG9wvzofmj-ZuuhkfB0NcPlnxwaJ1LpBXE78UhFF4WEsIj9nUziKQ2ZUc-lKghMMl7efHvDHnEdwcVj17A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-01-31T16:20:10.707Z","article","The court admitted certified copies of indictments and judgments showing convictions for Adam Aguilar and heard testimony that he is currently incarcerated and serving sentences tied to the September 2023 incident that led to the children’s removal.

Tiffany Brown, permanency specialist with Saint Francis Ministries, testified that Aguilar has completed only parenting classes while jailed and has not completed other court‑ordered services (OSR, TPC evaluation follow‑through, BIP, housing, employment, drug testing). Brown said his incarceration has prevented in‑person participation and visits. \"He was ordered to… locate and maintain stable housing, locate and maintain appropriate employment, to visits, parenting classes, maintain a drug free lifestyle, an OSR evaluation, a BIP,\" Brown summarized when describing Aguilar’s family plan.

The petitioners offered certified copies of Aguilar’s indictments and judgments as exhibits; the court admitted them (admitted as petitioner exhibits 7, 8, 9 and 10). On the record, Brown read portions of the indictments and the sentences: the aggravated‑assault conviction carries a three‑year sentence and another offense carried a 12‑month sentence; Brown confirmed Aguilar is serving those terms.

The department asked the court to adjudicate paternity for Arrow and Egypt in favor of Aguilar based on DNA results previously filed. The judge said he would take judicial notice of the filed DNA/paternity reports and “deal with that when appropriate.”

Why it matters: Incarceration and noncompletion of services are among the grounds DFPS cited to support termination requests. The judge’s admission of convictions and notice of the paternity reports make those records part of the court file the judge will weigh at decision.

What the record shows: Testimony and admitted exhibits show Aguilar’s convictions and sentences, limited in‑custody completion of services, and the department’s request to adjudicate paternity and terminate parental rights. The judge set a continuation for Feb. 4 to receive more testimony and argument.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Potter County Docket 1-30-25","oneSentenceSummary","Court documents showed that Adam Aguilar is serving sentences including three years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; DFPS told the judge Aguilar’s incarceration and failure to complete most services support a petition to terminate his parental rights.","taxTitle","High Plains Child Protection Court, District Court Judges, Judicial, Texas","taxId",66318,"location","Texas","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6359761,"Court record shows mother submitted letter claiming rehab completion; provider contradicted the claim",269,7066000,7335000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb&start=7066&end=7335","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb/thumbnail_7066000.jpg","/articles/6359761/Texas/Court-record-shows-mother-submitted-letter-claiming-rehab-completion-provider-contradicted-the-claim","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359761-647de89bf4924edb5251cd464300922c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775965307&Signature=ZM8TxHeBqPeo9~cI4wnKFFqxcTC0mjP-WlXX05KeSgSvWlbOtYoccOi4y5uqEkHaTUbOSBv291TTWvNftbZoQ6Abmu5xxwho1X5VlA85sLy9vwtJhf0BrWrQgvr-owTW-HV8hgPnJT4UqFhG7RffvFYksbohXbRvXto0DTmedJAiFuqvPU8bEz0N1U~pOaIGSx3PM-jFScCqsdUsLDNOGOLGsTt7f9DMbNQL77V9DQuVS23Y1-WmV7Zriwnk7tf3CX~Qrdz2R4m2HmkQYku3-z8FiWzzcjFaKqephXMJYyKl9wJo7lD7WkE8fEznxvCVb~Hr5uM1~UtWYDRAdK09fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Saint Francis Ministries told the High Plains Child Protection Court that a document filed by Laquisha Stotts purporting to show completion of court‑ordered inpatient substance‑use treatment was not accurate and that the treatment provider reported the mother had not finished the program.

Tiffany Brown, a permanency specialist with Saint Francis, testified that Stotts sent a cover letter and attached a certificate the mother said documented completion. Brown said she made a collateral contact with the treatment provider, Serenity, and received an email chain contradicting the certificate. Brown described the provider’s response on the record: the provider said Stotts had not completed the program and had been discharged.

The petitioners offered the email chain and the provider’s response as exhibits. The court admitted those documents (listed as petitioner exhibits SS9 and 12 / 11 and SS8 depending on the case record). Brown said the admitted email chain showed the provider’s version contained more detail and did not support Stotts’s claim of completion.

Brown told the court Stotts attempted inpatient treatment three times and was discharged or left before completing a full 30‑day program in multiple instances. “She says she could not find a provider that would accept her into their program, and she would not be finished with inpatient before the final hearing,” Brown testified when recounting Stotts’s explanation to staff.

Why it matters: Saint Francis used the provider‑verified correspondence to question the mother’s compliance with a specific, court‑ordered component of the family plan of service. Completion of inpatient treatment was a recurring court condition tied to the department’s reunification and visitation decisions.

What the record shows: The court admitted the provider email chain and the letter Stotts submitted; the provider’s response in the record explicitly said she had not completed the inpatient program. The court will consider those documents along with other evidence at the continued hearing on Feb. 4.","Saint Francis Ministries testified that a letter Laquisha Stotts submitted to suggest she completed inpatient treatment was falsified; the provider told the permanency specialist the mother had not completed inpatient rehab, and email records from the provider were admitted as exhibits.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6359766,"DFPS asks court to terminate parental rights for three parents; hearing continued to Feb. 4",12941,369000,13310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb&start=369&end=13310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb/thumbnail_369000.jpg","/articles/6359766/Texas/DFPS-asks-court-to-terminate-parental-rights-for-three-parents-hearing-continued-to-Feb-4","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359766-3ae640185c6af66b1ae83a6ccc38d79a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775965307&Signature=Qb9K5x~i6xmQWY38LjbNMtXyDGGHmEKATsZgimNVsAsS3jLCVqxEkNJfG8kBAPmSRpbTFpdrONL1jFl~C2PR-rtw2vuNV~UA7Ai8MERQ-g6VdZ2mW5~G3QSJIx0uGrOLntjAg~njzXhG5MkIFN8ZPnuL8~GenwaquCrO9tkJiJS7KHLJjDzwegu1J4q056erOHq4jXSYYU4xIrN4UJW1Kso3LQbmBaSMZEi4JHLsB9Iw2~L2aqXk9ImCajR1nXbvLAvs4XWr~QKJcVLUtkxeG9QPEheGLSN-h5QrVPBn16BkR-SW3y0BhfhI3xzi7puWj~1osR083uocTdaHr1mQIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services asked the High Plains Child Protection Court on Jan. 31 to terminate the parental rights of Cameron Shelton, Adam Aguilar Jr. and Laquisha Stotts, citing failure to complete court‑ordered services and concerns about the children’s safety.

The requests were laid out during testimony by Tiffany Brown, a permanency specialist with Saint Francis Ministries. Brown told the court the department seeks termination for Shelton “based upon his failure to work services” and for Aguilar and Stotts for similar noncompliance and constructive abandonment, including lost visits and drug‑treatment failures.

The department presented certified documents and service plans for each parent and argued the children have been in the department’s care longer than six months. Brown testified about Shelton that he “has failed to comply with the court order of the family plans of service,” and she described steps Saint Francis and DFPS took to offer services such as drug testing, parenting classes and counseling. For Aguilar, Brown said he “has been incarcerated for the majority” of the case and has completed only parenting classes offered in jail. Brown told the court she is asking the judge to terminate parental rights for all three parents at the final hearing.

The court admitted multiple exhibits the department offered as records and business affidavits, including family plans of service and status and permanency orders for both the Stotts‑Shelton and Stotts‑Aguilar matters. The judge also agreed to judicially notice DNA/paternity reports filed in the Aguilar matter and admitted certified copies of indictments and judgments against Adam Aguilar.

No final rulings on termination were made at the session. The judge continued the hearing and scheduled the next session for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, to hear additional witnesses and finish testimony.

Why it matters: Termination of parental rights is a legal step that severs a parent’s legal relationship to a child and is generally pursued when a court finds that reunification is not possible. The department’s requests and the court’s decision will determine the children’s long‑term permanency plans.

What’s next: The court will reconvene Feb. 4 to continue testimony, consider additional evidence and hear argument before deciding whether to grant the department’s petitions.","At a multi‑party final hearing in the High Plains Child Protection Court, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services asked a judge to terminate parental rights for the two fathers and the mother involved in a child‑removal case; the court admitted multiple exhibits and continued the final hearing to Feb. 4 for further testimony.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6359752,"Indiana placed with maternal grandmother; Saint Francis cites visitation disruptions and sibling separation",1502,4134000,5636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb&start=4134&end=5636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176042-a0872a794ee5f54eb0c3d90104cc01bb/thumbnail_4134000.jpg","/articles/6359752/Texas/Indiana-placed-with-maternal-grandmother-Saint-Francis-cites-visitation-disruptions-and-sibling-separation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359752-2f7cb0dc881a487daa4cfcdd088664c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775965307&Signature=S9gdU~64bPOdytpnVhP7JnpsQHKCzOfYdecLEQhKLi7pQRkHfYU27bJeuHaPTQ4hOiY7iHMisNJ5htCMuB1iRwFRFAzQycGmHpcpuXD1rKEu31BnhKt8pn7bSyKepN1cmmWo04OgceEwwv~FJHyjWZkrXd0e8zxwy5ps0hbFHo7QuWQLsZbscDFJk8UK738E0IMlzWBVNgycHQvNrZce1wLv5bGOP7kmY~Fa~kqj-6A7pZrJLBV2Hxj-FQldu-XL2dH2FkVJMOYpxEbz2NN5gAip9jRiDR3jsDniCa6q9yc6kuaOGp70qOZWoWbEZrGsmGKve2lhX2UisaomIq8olA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The court heard testimony about current placements and visitation arrangements for the three children in the cases. Tiffany Brown, permanency specialist for Saint Francis Ministries, said Indiana is placed with maternal grandmother Lashonda Walker and that maternal grandmother has been cooperative and protective.

Brown said Indiana’s behavior has shown school‑based problems that previously led to more intensive services, and that Saint Francis has identified a legal‑risk adoptive placement and is seeking adoption as the permanency goal for Indiana with a concurrent plan to explore relative kin adoption with grandmother. \"For permanency, unrelated adoption concurrent with relative kin adoption,\" Brown said when asked about the goal in Indiana’s case.

Brown testified that the younger two children remain in Lubbock, that sibling visits were scheduled weekly on Thursdays but have often been missed because transportation requests could not be met, and that Saint Francis is trying virtual visits as a temporary solution. She told the court the agency had identified a potential adoptive/legal‑risk placement and requested a court order to proceed if appropriate. The court admitted family‑placement and status hearing orders documenting those goals and placements.

During argument, counsel for Cameron Shelton asked the permanency specialist to allow Shelton supervised visits; Brown said she opposed supervised or virtual visits for Shelton at this time because Shelton had not provided recent drug‑screen evidence and the agency could not assess risk without testing results.

Why it matters: Placement with a relative can affect decisions about visitation, reunification and whether reunification or adoption is the preferred permanency route. The court will weigh the agency’s recommendation against the parents’ efforts and evidence presented in the continued hearing.

Next steps: The court will review the admitted evidence and the agency’s placement recommendations when the hearing resumes Feb. 4.","The permanency specialist said Indiana is living with her maternal grandmother, whose home Saint Francis supports as a legal‑risk placement; sibling visits have been frequently missed because of transportation barriers and the agency is pursuing adoption as the permanency goal for Indiana.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Judge admits Aguilar convictions; DFPS cites incarceration and noncompliance as grounds for termination and paternity adjudication

Court record shows mother submitted letter claiming rehab completion; provider contradicted the claim

DFPS asks court to terminate parental rights for three parents; hearing continued to Feb. 4

Indiana placed with maternal grandmother; Saint Francis cites visitation disruptions and sibling separation