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Judge grants six-month extension for Mandy Parks; orders hair and urine drug tests and mediation
Summary
A judge granted a six-month extension in the case of Mandy Parks, who is seeking reunification with her child, Zoe Parks; the court ordered hair and urine drug tests by 4 p.m. the same day, set a mediation deadline and scheduled a final hearing for June 17, 2025.
The court granted a six-month extension in the case involving Mandy Parks and her child, Zoe Parks, finding "extraordinary circumstances" because the mother is actively participating in an outpatient substance-use program. The judge set a final hearing for June 17, 2025, ordered mediation before June 1, 2025, required a hair follicle test and urine analysis to be completed by 4 p.m. the same day, and set a new dismissal date of Sept. 19, 2025.
Tate Eldridge, counsel for the mother, told the court his client has attended outpatient treatment and completed some classes. "She's done some of the counseling. She's finished her parenting classes. She's done her rational behavior class. She completed the OSR. She's did about 12 sessions of counseling," Eldridge said. He urged the court to give his client a chance and proposed mediation and a continuance rather than immediate final action.
The judge addressed the mother directly with a baseball analogy to stress the urgency of sustained sobriety: "Do you ever watch baseball? ... You know what 3 strikes do to you? In baseball? You're out. This is very similar. You're on strike number 2 with this rehab. If you don't successfully complete that and you don't stay clean, I really got my hands are kinda tied at that point." The judge said that because the mother is participating in treatment, he would grant an extension but warned that the additional time was conditional on demonstrable progress.
Court records and testimony showed the child, Zoe, has been in the same foster placement for about a year and is reported to be thriving; DFPS and the child's attorney recommended continued placement. Saint Francis staff and counsel said the mother had completed or begun several services but that documentation was incomplete: some counseling providers have not responded to requests for confirmation, and DFPS asked the mother to obtain verifications or sign releases so records could be obtained. The court ordered the mother to provide certificates or verifications for services she said she completed and authorized referral to an individual counselor who can address substance use, mental-health issues and domestic-violence concerns.
The court ordered mediation to occur before June 1, 2025, required the hair/UA test by 4 p.m. the same day of the hearing, and scheduled a review/final hearing for June 17, 2025. The judge also ordered a permanency conference or family-team meeting to assess grandmother as a potential placement and asked the parties to supply a list of remaining services the mother must complete.
