GUILTY NY - Thomas Valva, 8, autistic, killed, NYPD father & fiancee arrested, Suffolk Co, 17 Jan 2020 *arrests*

[sds71]

In a written decision filed Thursday morning, Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge William Condon said video evidence from surveillance cameras, along with the child’s soiled clothing, was permissible because the officers searched the home under the “emergency doctrine,” which allows police to make warrantless searches.

Condon also said the couple never objected to the cops’ presence at the Center Moriches home, while Michael Valva enabled detectives to retrieve his son’s soiled clothing after telling them he had placed them in a bag in the backyard


Video evidence allowed at ex-NYPD cop Michael Valva's murder trial

 

[Ruminations]

The abuse reported, that we are aware of, was minor. Children are not removed from a parent because of a missed breakfast or smelling like urine. They’re also not removed for one “spanking” that left bruises. It takes a lot to prove “failure to thrive” - (the weight loss) mandatory parenting classes are the standard.
This has nothing to do with the “blue wall”

Just think for a minute the number of children that would be removed if they ALL were for the allegations above. THERE IS NOWHERE TO PUT THEM. It’s a sad that children are safer with parents than in fostercare. Without broken bones, cigarette burns, open wounds, severe & massive bruising, kids are rarely pulled. IMO This is ANOTHER reason so many social workers that care, burn out so quickly.

I will never understand why “toileting issues” are the number one trigger of severe abuse. We know this. We need to do something about that specifically. If we could educate & change attitudes about it - a lot less kids would be abused.

all IMO

Wouldn’t it be nice if potentially neglected children didn’t have to leave their homes at all? Why not have a foster parent move in? Of course things will be different with a sranger in the house, but much more information can be garnered there!

Usually (and by all appearances, not in this case) even neglectful parents love their children more than anything, and their ability to do so effectively and safely is hindered, not helped' by pulling the children out of the home. Even parents who are unable to keep their kids safe, such as because of drug addiction, worry every (sober) moment about their children’s safety in foster care. Their fears are not unrealistic, even if their belief in their own parenting is" Such parents could be reassured because they can watch the foster parenting. Or, they can leave, and the protective agencies could gather information about motivation to parent.

In this case, after a few weeks of show, some fissures in the Brady Bunch facade would be exposed. It wouldn’t take a lot to see what all of those past reports were about..

 

[Ruminations]

The abuse reported, that we are aware of, was minor. Children are not removed from a parent because of a missed breakfast or smelling like urine. They’re also not removed for one “spanking” that left bruises. It takes a lot to prove “failure to thrive” - (the weight loss) mandatory parenting classes are the standard.
This has nothing to do with the “blue wall”

Just think for a minute the number of children that would be removed if they ALL were for the allegations above. THERE IS NOWHERE TO PUT THEM. It’s a sad that children are safer with parents than in fostercare. Without broken bones, cigarette burns, open wounds, severe & massive bruising, kids are rarely pulled. IMO This is ANOTHER reason so many social workers that care, burn out so quickly.

I will never understand why “toileting issues” are the number one trigger of severe abuse. We know this. We need to do something about that specifically. If we could educate & change attitudes about it - a lot less kids would be abused.

all IMO

Wouldn’t it be nice if potentially neglected children didn’t have to leave their homes at all? Why not have a foster parent move in? Of course things will be different with a sranger in the house, but much more information can be garnered there!

Usually (and by all appearances, not in this case) even neglectful parents love their children more than anything, and their ability to do so effectively and safely is hindered, not helped' by pulling the children out of the home. Even parents who are unable to keep their kids safe, such as because of drug addiction, worry every (sober) moment about their children’s safety in foster care. Their fears are not unrealistic, even if their belief in their own parenting is" Such parents could be reassured because they can watch the foster parenting. Or, they can leave, and the protective agencies could gather information about motivation to parent.

In this case, after a few weeks of show, some fissures in the Brady Bunch facade would be exposed. It wouldn’t take a lot to see what all of those past reports were about..

 

[Ruminations]

I’m giving it to you straight the way the system & judges and the law views it and the way CPS handles it.

I KNOW it’s horrific abuse & it all makes me sick.

As far as I can tell, authorities weren’t aware he was ever sleeping in the garage.
So we are left with missing breakfasts & reeking of urine and a one time bruised bottom reported.

The reality is....there are countless children, in this country, living in homes where this is the norm. especially so in impoverished areas. So so many, that now many schools offer breakfast and some even do children’s laundry.
Now we are down to a one time reported incident of a bruised bottom. No judge is going to remove a child for that. Open a case-mandatory Parenting classes it the standard.
IMO

I agree with you to a point that CPS may not have been aware of how horrifically these children were treated; the allegations from mandated reporters are not as bad as the reality.

But CPS may have been biased and wrong to let their biases impact the way the processed the information from Mom. MOO.

She was not a “mandated reporter,” she was probably less pleasant to talk to than the murdering parent, and what she reported was so horrific that it could have seemed unlikely. CPS workers might think, “Yeah, right. She just wants custody so she can stop paying child support. She is so high strung, she probably drives those kids crazy. She probably has put it in her sons’ heads that they are being sexually abused by that loving father. There shouldn’t be bruises, the kids should be clean. but —3 kids, 2 with special needs, full time work, that beautiful house! He’s such a mensch, and obviously there is something wrong with her if she lost custody.”

We know, of course, that Mom is not high strung, she was appropriately afraid for her children’s well being. And she was up against Powerful people and systems, fighting in good faith, while the overarmed oppositions fought to preserve power. She lost because the fight was not fair, and one side forgot that everybody was supposed to take the children’s needs into consideration first.

There is a CPS process, and one could go through the motions, (required visits, interviews, releases, discussions with supervisors, court involvement if appropriate...) with varying amounts of depth.

CPS could have a “appropriate” investigation and, for instance for a report called in by the teacher, not talk to Mom, not check social media, etc. These decisions about what information to seek and what do do when some questions go unanswered are complex. In discussion with supervisors, the worker has to find the right balance of being thorough enough and respecting the the family’s privacy, not acting on or being responsible for passing on rumors or hearsay that may be false, or even invented just to harass the family.

I do not know if the Suffolk County CPS did appropriate investigations “on paper,” going through the motions. That doesn’ t take much, frankly.

I don’t know but tend to suspect workers were either tired of having to investigate the family and mad that calls were made. The attitudes of family court and CPS could have been in sync. It is also possible they were too resigned that they couldn’t do much against all that power, and went through motions in depression more than in hostility to the calls.

I don’t know but suspect that CPS made the wrong decisions with the available information. I suspect CPS felt they already “knew” the family and that this investigation was a was a waste, either because it was a “nice” family being harassed because it was not perfect, or because the family court would never help no matter what they did.

This kind of abuse can be hidden. CPS workers are supposed to know that going in. They also know that reports get called in often enough that are somewhat ridiculous. They have to approach the family with a balance of respecting the family yet wondering if this could be one of those rare, awful cases. It is possible that CPS did a fulsome investigation (although I suspect they rather went through the motions) and did not learn of this awful abuse anyway.

There is a point in your post with which I very much disagree. Such horrific, deliberate abuse does not occur more often in disadvantaged or impoverished communities. CPS gets called for petty things much more often in communities where “helpers” like schools, medical facilities, community centers feel superior to the community they serve. But there is no reason to think lower socioeconomic status makes a family more likely to be abusive. If anything, it affords monstrous parents the opportunity to hire alternative evaluators, change schools, doctors, daycares, network and influence systems, etc. If this family lived in a crowded project apt. building and could only find one clinic that took Medicaid, and had a school that treated the families with disdain because they don’t take a day off of work and either spend a fortune on a cab or a lifetime on busses to come to a parent teacher conference...do you think this would have gone on so long?

Neighbors would have warmed and fed the boys.

Institutions would have had an easier time (too easy?) imaging the parents could be abusive.

A SIDS death on park avenue is seen as a tragedy. Everyone gathers around the grieving parents with support. A SIDS death in the projects is at least neglect.

If the parents put a toy in the crib, or gave into grandma and put the baby down on the tummy- and an infant died- this would be perceived very differently in the two neighborhoods. Part of this is confirmation bias because of beliefs like yours about “impoverished areas” and socioeconomic status. Maybe, if I am right in my suspicion that CPS felt they already “knew” the family, and if they thought the calls were harassing, which I think is possible, the thought that this couldn’t be going on in such a neighborhood contributed to their mistakes.

MOO.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Valva murder trial delayed to spring

The start of the murder trial of ex-NYPD officer Michael Valva and his onetime-fiancée Angela Pollina, who are charged with killing the former officer’s 8-year-old son Thomas Valva, was delayed again Monday because of court restrictions due to the omicron variant.

State Supreme Court Justice William Condon set an April 19 date for jury selection for the trial, which had been scheduled to begin Monday in Riverhead

 

[Cortne]

Lets roll!

 

[JerseyGirl]

Jury selection in trial of Thomas Valva's father, former fiancée set to begin April 27

Jury selection in the trial of the child's father, Michael Valva, and his former fiancée are set to begin on April 27.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Valva murder trial delayed again due to pandemic rules

Jury selection was set to begin next Wednesday in the trial of Michael Valva and Angela Pollina, but because the state court system is still mandating masks and social distancing, the presiding judge, State Supreme Court Justice William Condon, said he would push back jury selection to May 25 “out of an abundance of caution.”

 

[sds71]

Mother of boy who froze when father made him sleep in garage sues CPS

The mother of an autistic boy who froze to death when his NYPD father made him sleep on a garage floor has been given the go-ahead to sue CPS and school officials for $200million.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Last week, a federal judge advanced a civil lawsuit against various authorities whom mother Justyna Zubko-Valva claims should have intervened.

According to her lawsuit, Michael Valva, a former NYPD officer, subjected the 8-year-old and his brothers to “sadistic” punishments for years, forcing them to eat hot pepper, denying them access to a bathroom, and leaving them home alone without food or water.

“Forcing Tommy and [his brother] Anthony to sleep in subfreezing temperatures on a cold, cement slab in the garage was so common in Mr. Valva and Ms. Pollina’s household that they referred to the garage as the ‘kid’s room,'” U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman wrote in a 37-page ruling, summarizing the allegations of the complaint.

Court records indicate Tommy and Anthony were both autistic.

“While the barbaric acts of Mr. Valva and Ms. Pollina are directly responsible for Tommy’s death, there is an institutional actor that is almost as culpable,” Judge Korman continued.

Mother of Autistic 8-Year-Old Boy Who Froze to Death in His Father's Garage Can Press $200M Lawsuit Against CPS Officials and School, Judge Rules

The mother of an 8-year-old who froze to death in his father's garage can press her $200 million lawsuit against child protective services officials, the boy's school, the county and others, a federal judge ruled.

lawandcrime.com

Thomas and his mother Justina

A federal judge says the lawsuit Thomas’ mother Justina filed has adequately alleged Suffolk County’s failure to train CPS employees and it violated her constitutional rights.

ALERT CENTER: Federal judge allows part of lawsuit filed in Thomas Valva death to proceed

Justina Valva is suing the county and several CPS employees.

brooklyn.news12.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge: Valva case murder trial will start September 7

"That date is in stone," Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice William Condon told prosecutors and defense attorneys during a brief conference in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead Friday.

www.newsday.com

Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice William Condon said jury selection in the trial of Michael Valva and Angela Pollina will begin September 7, followed by a single trial with two juries to consider the evidence.

 

[BogieTown]

No explanation for why the trial was delayed yet again. Trial (jury selection) was supposed to begin May 25.

On May 25, defense attorneys asked the judge to allow the jury *at the beginning of the trial* to consider lesser charges (carrying as little as 4 years of prison time) & that is ostensibly why Judge Condon delayed jury selection for another month.

Prosecution stated it is very unusual to charge the jury at the *beginning* of the trial and that jury is normally told what charges to consider *after* all evidence has been presented by both the prosecution & defense.

Judge announced in June that he wanted to wait for the presentation of all evidence before deciding whether lesser charges can be considered.

Judge gave the defense 45 days to appeal his decision, but delayed trial by 2.5 months.

Judge William Condon is an ex-cop (federal ATF according to his pre-election publicity). I am concerned that the actual basis for all these delays my be related to the desire for all the furor to die down (this case was covered by local, state, national, & international media early on, and now only Newsday is covering it).

Dad seems to have been enabled all along by the power he had as a member of NYPD. Tommie's mom says certain elements of Valva's trial were set up in advance of court rulings & she has evidence that appears to prove it (posted on Twitter).

For instance, Valva's court-appointed private attorney was in place informally before the court ruled on providing him with a private attorney.

I'm very concerned that Tommie Valva & the other 2 kids will get justice.

 

[sds71]

• Jury selection in the murder trial of former NYPD Officer Michael Valva and his ex-fiancee in the death of Valva's son is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
• Thomas Valva, was eight years old when he died of hypothermia on January 17 after police responded to Bittersweet Lane in Center Moriches.
• Valva and ex-fiancee, Angela Pollina, are charged with second degree murder and child endangerment in Thoma's death. They pleaded not guilty.
• Judge presiding over the case ruled two separate juries will hear evidence in the trial, which he said is expected to take up to three months.

Valva murder trial set to begin Wednesday with jury selection in Riverhead

Two separate juries will hear the case against Michael Valva, an ex-NYPD officer, and the cop's ex-fiancee, Angela Pollina, who are accused of causing the death of Valva's 8-year-old son in 2020.

www.newsday.com

 

[JerseyGirl]

Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Ex-NYPD Officer Accused of Murdering His 8-Year-Old Son

It was Jan. 17, 2020. Police responded to a call about a boy who had fallen in the driveway of his family’s home on Long Island. When cops arrived, the child’s father, an NYPD officer, was performing CPR on him in the basement. The boy died. He was 8. His name was Thomas Valva. In the days after...

www.nbcnewyork.com

 

[sds71]

Ex-NYPD cop Michael Valva ‘had no emotion’ as 8-year-old son lay dying: paramedic

Ex-NYPD cop Michael Valva showed “no emotion” as emergency workers fought to revive his dying 8-year-old autistic son inside his Long Island home, a paramedic testified Thursday at the …

nypost.com

 

[tlcya]

Opening statements have begun in the murder trial of an ex-NYPD cop charged in the freezing death of his 8-year-old autistic son.
[snip]
“He’s cold,” Valva allegedly said after watching video footage of the incident. “Boo f—king hoo.”

During a text exchange, Pollina allegedly asked Valva if Thomas should stay home from school the day he was taken to the hospital.

“I have zero clothing for him, f—k that piece of s—t, Thomas,” Valva allegedly responded. “He’s not going anywhere.”
[snip]
D.A. Newcombe, on the other hand, pointed to Valva’s callousness, noting that, even after Thomas was rushed to the hospital, Valva allegedly told an employee that he’d “been through more stressful things than this.”

Newcombe asked jurors to be mindful of four numbers for the duration of the murder trial: 8, which was Thomas’ age; 16, for the hours Thomas spent in the garage; 19, for the temperature on the night of Thomas’ death; and 76.1, which was Thomas’ internal temperature after arriving at the hospital.
Trial Begins For Ex-NYPD Cop Accused Of Autistic Son's Abuse, Murder | Oxygen Official Site

 

[Marysmith]

Opening statements have begun in the murder trial of an ex-NYPD cop charged in the freezing death of his 8-year-old autistic son.
[snip]
“He’s cold,” Valva allegedly said after watching video footage of the incident. “Boo f—king hoo.”

During a text exchange, Pollina allegedly asked Valva if Thomas should stay home from school the day he was taken to the hospital.

“I have zero clothing for him, f—k that piece of s—t, Thomas,” Valva allegedly responded. “He’s not going anywhere.”
[snip]
D.A. Newcombe, on the other hand, pointed to Valva’s callousness, noting that, even after Thomas was rushed to the hospital, Valva allegedly told an employee that he’d “been through more stressful things than this.”

Newcombe asked jurors to be mindful of four numbers for the duration of the murder trial: 8, which was Thomas’ age; 16, for the hours Thomas spent in the garage; 19, for the temperature on the night of Thomas’ death; and 76.1, which was Thomas’ internal temperature after arriving at the hospital.
Trial Begins For Ex-NYPD Cop Accused Of Autistic Son's Abuse, Murder | Oxygen Official Site

Wow. I cannot imagine he will not be found guilty. He is such a horrible human being.

 

[tlcya]

Wow. I cannot imagine he will not be found guilty. He is such a horrible human being.

I am very irritated by his defense counsel attempting to downplay his own involvement and shift blame to his fiancé. Don't misunderstand, I find her despicable, but Michael was all in on the abuse. His own texts and videos highlight his extreme cruelty in regards to his sons.

I think what disgusts me most is this monster was a police officer, charged with protecting the safety of the public. And the whole while he was perpetrating the most heinous abuse upon his own children. I will never understand what creates individuals such as him.

 

[tlcya]

When Valva arrived at the hospital to see his son, he had no emotion, again, Lambert continued during testimony Thursday.

“There were no tears. There was no emotion,” Lamber continued, recalling when the suspect saw his son in a bed at a Long Island hospital.

“Somebody, a staff member came into the room and asked him if he needed a drink, a chair, to make a phone call. He turned and said, ‘No, I’ve been in more stressful situations.’”
‘He had no emotion’: Alleged Ex-cop Killer Dad Showed No Feelings as Thomas Valva Lay Dying, Forced to Sleep in Unheated Garage

How about now Michael? Are you feeling the stress yet? I hope so.

 

[Marysmith]

I am very irritated by his defense counsel attempting to downplay his own involvement and shift blame to his fiancé. Don't misunderstand, I find her despicable, but Michael was all in on the abuse. His own texts and videos highlight his extreme cruelty in regards to his sons.

I think what disgusts me most is this monster was a police officer, charged with protecting the safety of the public. And the whole while he was perpetrating the most heinous abuse upon his own children. I will never understand what creates individuals such as him.

I hear you. Hopefully that defense will at least not allow him to have any appeals granted.
This case is sooo disturbing. I’m sure he was *not* a class act at work at all…