Opinion ID: 2167237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lynn Appelt

Text: DCFS investigator Lynn Appelt responded to another hot line call in October 1994, informing DCFS of certain injuries to S.S. Appelt testified that in a telephone conversation on October 17, 1994, Diane advised Appelt that Marin was no longer living with her, that Marin was staying with a friend whose name and address she could not remember, and that she wanted nothing to do with him. Diane told Appelt that C.N. was with a baby-sitter, and that she wanted to give guardianship of C.N. to her brother. Investigation by DCFS revealed that C.N. was with Marin at the baby-sitter's home. Appelt determined that the babysitter was not an appropriate caregiver in light of the baby-sitter's prior contact with DCFS due to an injurious home environment. Appelt eventually located Diane, Marin, and C.N. at the Oregon, Illinois, home of Diane's father, where Appelt took C.N. into protective custody. Appelt later learned that the brother with whom Diane wished to place C.N. had sexually abused Diane, making placement with him inappropriate. Appelt also testified that she spoke to S.S. at her foster home in early November 1994, and observed an injury to the child's forehead, with 20 to 25 stitches. S.S. told Appelt that she had been hit on her feet with a stick, that she had been hit with a Mr. Big Stick, and that her mother had slapped her in the face. S.S. also stated that Marin would leave her and C.N. at home alone, and that she had told her mother this was happening. Diane denied slapping S.S., and told Appelt that Marin did not abuse S.S. Diane admitted that S.S. had been hit and sexually abused, but implicated a former husband and other men with whom Diane had been involved. Appelt testified that she took C.N. into protective custody because of the current injuries to S.S., the past history of abuse, Diane's lack of cooperation with DCFS, Diane's lack of judgment in suggesting placement for the minors with her brother, Diane's inability to protect her children, and Diane's inability to appreciate the dangerous situations in which she placed her children. Mark had not been implicated in the abuse and was not a subject of Appelt's investigation at that time.