The Co-Knucklehead of the Day award Part One

Today there are too many knuckleheads to give just one award.

Our first winner is Florida's Department of Children and Families aka DCF. They get the award for the following.

Attorneys for the state of Florida continued to fight a $26.8 million jury award for Marissa Amora in a motion filed Thursday, saying they fear the precedent set by her case will "exponentially" increase the state's liability on similar claims.

Marissa, formerly named Moesha Sylencieux, was admitted to Miami Children's Hospital in 2000 with injuries later found to be bone fractures. The Department of Children and Families sent her home to Lake Worth with her mother before completing its investigation.

Weeks later, in January 2001, she was beaten so severely that she lost the ability to walk, swallow or learn more than a few words. Marissa celebrated her eighth birthday last month, but is not likely to develop abilities beyond those of a toddler.

The 4th District of Appeal upheld a Palm Beach County jury verdict in a unanimous ruling Nov. 15, saying there was enough evidence that the state was negligent in her case.

Late Thursday, DCF filed a motion asking the appellate judges to clarify and reconsider that decision. Attorneys for the state say that appellate judges failed to consider testimony from a doctor who reviewed the case at Miami Children's Hospital and thought Marissa's previous injury could be accidental.

The appeals court decision "legally and factually lowers the bar" for lawsuits against DCF for failing to take a child into custody, attorneys wrote.

Before its latest challenge, the state of Florida had paid a private law firm a total of $238,859.24 to contest Marissa's claim.

DCF continues to screw everyone associated with this tragedy. First Marissa who they allowed to be abused, then taxpayers who are going to pay for DCF's incompetence. They've lost the appeal and rather than pay up will waste more money fighting it. DCF bureaucray comes before living human beings, especially children and that's one sick puppy of a department for you. Florida's Department of Children and Families is today's first Co-Knucklehead of the Day.

Linked to- Adam's Blog, Blue Star, Bright & Early, Cao's Blog, Dumb Ox, The Hill Chronicles, Is it just me?, Jo's Cafe, Outside the Beltway, Pirate's Cove, Right Wing Nation, Samantha Burns, Stuck on Stupid, Third World County, Uncooperative Blogger, Wakeup America,