Court transcripts show officials missed chances to protect girl later stabbed to death

DETRIOT (WXYZ) - The 7 Action News Investigators have obtained court transcripts from key hearings on the case of that 8-year-old girl Tameria Greene, whose mother was later accused of stabbing her to death.

There are 22 pages of transcripts from two court hearings held in November 2012 at the Wayne County Juvenile Court.  At the time, Child Protective Services (CPS) was trying to remove Tameria and her siblings from their mother's care, after allegations surfaced that the mother had physically abused her daughter.

But according to the hearing transcripts, one referee said that even though the children should not go home because of the alleged abuse, he did not grant a CPS request to put those children in foster care. A juvenile judge signed off on that. The children were returned home.

7 Action News spoke to a child welfare attorney Elizabeth Warner who said Wayne County's Juvenile Court failed to follow the law and protect these children.

“The judges failed to protect the children,” said Warner.

“After making findings that the children were in danger, that they needed to be in foster care, they said contradictory things in the courtroom, had confusing orders so that nobody knows what the judged wanted to have happen, and the end result was the children--although everyone admitted the children were in danger from the mother--did not get taken from the home.”

It's clear from the transcripts that CPS officials did ask on November 23 that the children be removed from their home and put in foster care. But the referee on the case told protective services that there was no reason to remove them at that time.  He added that officials could return later and ask for removal on an emergency basis.

But then, five days later at another hearing, CPS officials did not seek removal of the children. Only in-home services were requested for 8-year-old Tameria.

Weeks later, police say she would be stabbed to death by her mother Semeria Greene, who was charged with murder.

We reached out to juvenile court officials late Friday, but they could not be reached for comment.