Family Law Keyed to Weisberg
Baltimore City Department of Social Services v. Bouknight
Facts
Petitioner Maurice M. was an abused trial. He was hospitalized at 3 months with a fractured femur, and examination revealed several other partially healed bone fractures. Respondent Bouknight, petitioner’s mother, was observed in the hospital shaking petitioner and dropping him in his crib. Hospital personnel notified Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS). BCDSS secured a court order removing petitioner from respondent’s control and placing him in a shelter care. He was later returned to respondent’s custody subject to conditions. Eight months later, BCDSS related that respondent would not cooperate with them and had violated the terms of the protective order. They stated that petitioner’s father had recently died in a shooting accident, and that respondent could not provide adequate care for petitioner based upon a psychological examination and her history of drug use. BCDSS officials also petitioned for judicial relief from respondent’s failure to prod uce petitioner or reveal where he could be found. The juvenile court cited her for violating the custody order and failing to appear at the hearing. The court issued an order to show cause why she should not be held in civil contempt and issued a bench warrant for her appearance. Following a contempt citation, the court directed her be imprisoned until she either produced petitioner or revealed his exact whereabouts. The court rejected respondent’s claim that the contempt order violated the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee against self-incrimination.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.