AUSTIN, TX, MAY 10– A tragic case is unfolding inside the 200th District Court in Austin, Texas, as a father, supported by the Austin Police Department and Texas Child Protective Services, fights for his daughter’s safety and custody. This is a case of protective order abuse that tragically led to a 7-year-old girl losing both her parents, first by denying a protective order that would have saved her mother’s life and secondly, by inexplicably ripping her away from her model father and into the hands of her mother’s abusers. Later today, a critical hearing will take place that could pave the way for a little girl to be reunited with her dad and her healing to begin.
The father, Howard Friedman, had asked the state of Texas to protect his daughter and ensure his wife received the help she needed. The court denied his protective order application, contributing to his wife’s death just 30 days later.
Due to the court’s inexplicable actions and rulings, Friedman has been unable to have unsupervised conversations with his 10-year-old daughter. He has sometimes been cut off from all communication for over two months.
Recently, evidence that irrefutably corroborates Mr. Friedman’s reputation as an outstanding parent and the evidence was inexplicably ruled “inadmissible” by the court, continuing this family tragedy. With a critical hearing scheduled for tomorrow in Austin, news of the court’s bizarre behavior and unfathomable judicial conduct has created a stir in the Lonestar state, with several high-profile journalists paying attention.
While Heidi, Harlan’s mother, and Howard’s wife suffered from severe depression and PTSD from her family’s abuse, they were happily settling into Austin after COVID with Harlan blossoming. She had perfect grades and was awarded “Kindest Kid” and “Most Thoughtful Kid” at her school.
Life took a turn when Heidi ran out of medication while traveling in Europe. When she returned, her behavior was increasingly erratic – so much so that she was arrested for domestic assault.
Heidi had re-engaged with her abusive mother, Deborah Jenkins, and her brother, Justin, whom she had previously had a permanent protective order against due to repeated death threats and Heidi’s complaints of abuse. For years, Heidi’s mother and brother had exploited Heidi, including two previous attempts by Deborah to take Harlan.
On February 3, 2022, Heidi absconded with Harlan and then secreted her to Deborah’s home in Maryland after being lured there under the pretense of an imminent family death.
Friedman had asked Texas to protect his daughter and ensure his wife got the help she needed. Tragically, despite Heidi’s recent arrest, long history of psychological issues, suspected drug abuse, and admitted failure to take her prescriptions properly, the court denied his protective order application, contributing to Heidi’s death 30 days later, with Harlan becoming the ultimate victim.
Exemplary of these inexplicable rulings, below are the screenshots of text messages between Howard Friedman and his daughter after she had been secreted away and after his wife’s death – which he was unaware of at the time because Deborah hid Heidi’s death for three days while secretly taking procession of Harlan — that the court ruled as “stalking.”
The two motions filed today can be found here and here.
