Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

A federal appeals court is being asked to reconsider its decision to remove U.S. District Judge Janis Jack from a lawsuit over Texas' struggling foster care system.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling late Friday says U.S. District Judge Janis Jack's contempt ruling and $100,000 per day fine violates the constitutional limits of the power of the court over individual states. The appeals court also said Jack had disrespected the state and its attorneys and created an appearance of being unfair to the state.

'[They] have to believe other folks are caring for him,' one official said in instructing a staff member to put a different name down on paperwork, details court record.

A federal judge has taken the Texas’ foster care system to task for 13 years. Reforms have been made. Now armed with private legal fire power, the state wants the judge off the case.

After 13 years, the state said Judge Janis Jack should be removed from overseeing its foster care system because she isn't 'impartial.'

The letter from nine members of the state's congressional delegation comes as the state fights a nearly 13-year-old federal class action suit over alleged failures to ensure the wellbeing of children in foster care.

Both sides finished their arguments Wednesday after days of testimony over accusations that Texas agencies don't protect foster children.

A hearing in Bexar County around a child in state's foster care program raised questions about how the system is run and what damage a lack of placements has on youth.

An email from a former foster care official claims his colleagues are collecting big hotel rewards for booking youth in their care.

Advocates say better accounting of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the state’s care and better access to translators is needed.

The Texas Department of Family Protective Services confirmed DeSoto parents Temecia and Rodney Jackson regained custody of their newborn daughter Mila.

Temecia and Rodney Jackson say their newborn daughter Mila was wrongfully taken into Child Protective Services custody days after she was born. Local reproductive rights activists are demanding Mila's return.