Jackie Boatright gives birth to Evelyn via emergency C-section after 12 hours of being stuck in the birth canal. Evelyn is born with molding of the head and caput succedaneum (swelling and bruising of the head), conditions common after traumatic births.

At six weeks old, Evelyn starts twitching and vomiting. Concerned, Jackie and Juan Boatright take her to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Initial medical notes from hospital staff state that there are “no signs of abuse/neglect.”

Four hours after the initial medical screening, an MRI reveals a small brain bleed, which the hospital’s radiologist immediately interprets as non-accidental trauma (abuse), despite not investigating alternative causes such as Evelyn’s traumatic birth. Minutes later, an X-ray reveals a partially healed rib fracture, another common symptom of certain traumatic births. Hospital staff again assumes abuse without investigating other explanations.

Jackie and Juan are defended relentlessly by attorneys Brad Scalise and Charlotte Staples and CPS Consultant Judy Powell, but they face 7 months of delays and obstruction by CPS, Cook Children’s, and the court system. 

Jackie and Juan’s CPS caseworker is fired after a series of corrupt actions, including Telling Jackie and Juan (falsely) that their family members are barred by court order from speaking about the case, fabricating evidence of domestic violence, failing to move Evelyn out of foster care when an extended family member became available to care for her, urging Jackie and Juan to split up, and lying to Juan by telling him she has seen Jackie with another man. 

Even though Jackie and Juan are deemed indigent (unable to pay for their own defense), the court refused to provide them a court-appointed medical expert. Their extended family comes to help, fundraising and selling used cars to scrape together enough money to pay for the expert’s retainer.

A medical expert testifies on behalf of Jackie and Juan, explaining that Evelyn’s injuries could have been caused by her traumatic birth or other natural explanations and that Cook Children’s appeared to have rushed their analysis and not considered these alternative explanations. Despite the expert testimony, the judge rules in favor of CPS. The judge also refuses to keep an official record of the case, preventing the family from getting help at the Court of Appeals.

The Family Freedom Project steps in, hiring appellate counsel, securing medical experts, and helping the family file motions for a new hearing. The case is moved to a second judge, but that judge also refuses to keep a record of the hearing, and then angrily throws the attorneys out of her court chambers. She later recuses herself from the case, leading to the appointment of a third judge.