Attorney Jeffrey Nellis is doing great things for the families of MI. In an age where the system puts profits over the true best interest of our families it is good to see someone willing to fight the tough fights for our families.

I would like to thank the Ludington Daily news for publishing this story. This story is not only for me it is to let other fathers know thw the local courts are not the end of the line. It takes alot of heart breaking months of fighting and alot of time on the phone but there are people out there that can help you become reunited with your children. Don't ever give up!! I waould also like to thank my lawyer on the case, Jeffery Nellis for all of the hours that he put into my defense. He is a good lawyer and a good person.. Thank you....

While I have not read the court's decision, your story suggests that the Supreme Court has not found Mr. Rood to be a fit parent (although I have no reason to doubt that he is.) Rather the Court's decision is based upon the fact that neither the Department of Human Services nor the Mason county Court judge who decided the case gave Mr. Rood the opportunity to show that he was indeed a fit parent. I wonder how many other parents have have there parental rights terminated over the years solely because they did not have attorneys with the dedication of Mr. Nellis and Ms. Warner?

It's about time someone gave the Michigan Family Court a good contest. Michigan Family Courts have been screwing people over for years! If you don't believe what I'm saying read the book by Carol Rhodes "friend of the court enemy of the family" ... she used to work for the FOC and resigned because of the crooked business the family court runs to make millions of dollars from the federal government and people tied into the system.

It sounds like Darroll has decided to step up to the plate and be a Dad. Now keep it up. Your little girl is counting on you. I have no idea who you are but I respect you for sticking this out. I do know Jeff Nellis and I agree with your comment he is a good lawyer and a good person.

I am a fit father and I don't need the Supreme court to tell me that I am. I am currently raising another little girl the is nearly the same age that my daughter Ayden is. She is a well behaved, kind and full spirited little girl. I didn't decide to step up to the plate to be a father. I have wanted to raise my little girl since the day that I found out that she was dropped off by her mother and placed in foster care. I have been fighting with DHS over this matter for nearly three years. Raising my daughter is coursing throughtout my viens. That little girl IS my ENTIRE life and I will stop at nothing to get her home where she belongs......

I wish you the best Darroll!

does anyone know that this is breaking up sisters? they've been each others world since this whole thing went down. this is good?

does anyone know that this is breaking up sisters? they've been together through this whole thing, and are all each other has as a constant in life. this is a good thing?

I find the father to be very selfish, as if this child has not been threw enough she is now going to be ripped out of her home because her father decided to be a dad. If the courts are going to do what is in the best interest of this child it would be to allow the father visitation rights and leave her in her home!! His child would not be in this situation had he been there to take care of her. I think a child's right should over rule any parents rights. If fathers took care of their children the courts would not have to intervene. As for me, I will pray for the child and her foster parents.

Shame on you Patti Klevorn for reporting a story that is, to say the least, a gross misrepresentation of the whole story - it is clearly one-sided. The fact that this man has a history of violence in the past should raise the flag for anyone. In addition, it says nothing of what that little girl has gone through these past 4 years, or how it will affect her to be removed from what she has known as her family. There is clearly more to this story than this "poor dad trying to get his little girl back."

Here's a different perspective on this situation. Does anyone realize that this little girl has a sister who she's extremely close to ~ A sister who is deathly afraid of Mr Rood? And why is she so frightened of him? We need to know that! If Mr Rood wins this case, the girls will not only be permanently separated, but the man who affected the sister will have an opportunity to do the same to the 4 year old. I know parent's rights are the issue here, but the little girl has rights to be considered too. It's my understanding that the girls are well adjusted in a loving, stable home ~ together!! How would this upheaval affect both girls? They have rights too!

Well CHAD seeings that you seem to know the foster family, someone in DHS or the mother mrs. kops you should know that there were three children that the mother abandoned. The have been split from there brother. Just because she has a sister doesnt mean that she will never be able to see her again for the rest of her life.. Just because she has a sister doesn't mean that I give I give up my little girl???? A child needs to be with there bio parent.. She deserves to know that BOTH of her bio parents did not and will NEVER give up on her or EVER stop fighting for her. That will never happen. I would never keep my daughter from seeing her brother or sister. So them being seperated is not going to cause that big of a stir. And yes i care about them being split. If I could I would also adopt her sister too. The federal government requires that an adoption out of the foster care system should try there best to keep siblings together. If this is what I have to do then I will do it.

No offense sir, but it wasn't just the mother that did the abandoning. Your daughter wouldn't be where she is now if she had one of two parents that cared about her. This is no good; "Elizabeth Warner, a Jackson attorney acting as Rood’s legal advisor, said the state’s failure to allow Rood to have any visitation with his daughter these last three years is responsible for the difficulty she may have in understanding why she has to leave the parents she currently calls mom and dad." BUT, neither is this; "The higher court opinion states Rood didn’t do all he could to be a father of his biological daughter." "his lack of contact and support is evidence of neglect." Why hasn't your name come up earlier? Does it take that long to start fighting for your rights? I don't know. I just read this article and think that if I had a daughter, and her mother left, she would be with me. And if the state took her, I would have had a lawyer breathing down the necks of anyone who stood in my way the very next day.

I think that all of you need to take a step back and think as if this was your child and quit thinking as an out sider. Would you want someone else raising your child? Would you let someone else raise you child??/ I don't think that you would.. A child also has the right to be raised by their parent.. I DHS and the courts would have followed the state and federal laws then my daughter would not have even been plased into foster care. So all of you need to hop off of your pedistils and think about that.. Think about that for awhile. If you would like to comtact me directly for any reason my email address is darrollrood@att.net. please feel free to send me you comment or any thing that you wish for me to hear...

No one would be in the situation if as the ruling states DHS would have properly made attempts to reunite the father and child to begin with. DHS gets federal funds to remove children and adopt them outside of blood relatives. They also can increase these funds if they can put the children on medication and create a "special needs child". This is far from the first instance of the system putting profits before family restoration, but it is the first time a lawyer has fought the good fight. If you need court watchers to attend future court dates feel free to contact me. www.myspace.com/familyrights