In 2019, Lotus Brown* found out that she was pregnant with her youngest son, Samuel, while she was incarcerated. Ms. Brown had been arrested for armed robbery, even though she was the victim of a robbery at gunpoint in her own apartment. The charge was ultimately dropped after nearly a year of awaiting trial to prove her innocence.

“It was the lowest point in my life, but also a blessing in disguise,” she said. “I decided that enough was enough and I had to make a change for my kids.”

While facing her legal battle, Ms. Brown was released to a halfway house, and she started to make changes and work toward a brighter future for her growing family. She completed drug rehab, started going to therapy and attending Alcoholics Anonymous. She got a certification in customer service.  

“The whole time, all I wanted was to see my kids,” she said.  

But Ms. Brown had been forced to make a difficult choice when she was arrested: She consented to her sons Milton and Phoenix being placed in the sole custody of their fathers, desperate to keep them out of the foster care system. And although she saw Phoenix on visiting days every Sunday, Milton’s father refused to bring him.  

When the case against Ms. Brown was dismissed and she moved out of the halfway house, she faced a new fight to be reunited with Milton. His father, Derrick Jones*, used Milton against her, demanding money and sex in exchange for visits. This continued for two years.

“I didn’t think anyone would hear me or help,” said Ms. Brown. “I was so scared.”

In 2023, things reached a breaking point when Ms. Brown was allowed to spend time alone with Milton for his birthday. She was excited, but her son was withdrawn. Milton revealed that his paternal grandmother had been physically abusing him. Ms. Brown immediately called the police, and then Mr. Jones, demanding answers. Mr. Jones began screaming over the phone and threatened to kill her and all three of her children. Police arrived as Mr. Jones was trying to kick down Ms. Brown’s apartment door.  

She filed a report with the police that night and came to Legal Aid DC for help to obtain a Civil Protection Order (CPO).

Ms. Brown was matched with Melanie Sandler, an attorney from the Family and Domestic Violence Unit. There was an immediate need for a CPO, but Ms. Brown also wanted to get custody of Milton to keep her family safe and together. Melanie knew this would be an uphill battle.

“The custody case was always going to be harder because we’re fighting against Ms. Brown’s history,” Melanie explained. “Given the prior custody arrangement, it was our job in this new case to show that Ms. Brown had changed, and that she is the safest choice for Milton.

Legal Aid filed for the CPO, and Mr. Jones retaliated by claiming Ms. Brown had attempted to kidnap Milton. Melanie, an experienced family attorney, knew the best course of action – even if it didn’t feel right – was for Ms. Brown to temporarily give Milton back to Mr. Jones in order to be compliant with the original custody order.

It was an incredibly hard decision for Ms. Brown.  

“I felt safe, but Milton wasn’t. I felt so defeated,” she said. “But Melanie was adamant and said it’s not the end – she wouldn’t let me give up.”  

Ms. Brown and Melanie then argued to the court that Ms. Brown had taken her drug treatment seriously and passed a drug test weekly. Ms. Brown also went through intensive mental evaluations. The court conducted a home study at her residence to determine whether it was a safe environment for Milton.  

“None of it was easy for her, but she would do anything to get Milton back,” Melanie said. “She completely changed the narrative.”

Ms. Brown’s efforts paid off. She earned more and more time with Milton, which gave her further opportunities to demonstrate how she was ready to be the primary caregiver. Eventually, Ms. Brown was granted custodial time during the week, up from the occasional weekend.

At the same time, Melanie challenged Mr. Jones’ parental rights over Milton. Ms. Brown had multiple partners when her middle son was conceived – something Mr. Jones was aware of – and he had coerced her to list him as the father on the birth certificate.  

By late 2024, the DNA results were in and made it clear that Mr. Jones was not Milton’s father. Even more importantly, Ms. Brown had clearly shown she could be the parent that Milton needed. Because of this, Mr. Jones’ parentage of Milton was disestablished, leaving Ms. Brown as his sole custodian.

“Everything I had worked for, prayed for, struggled for – it was a beautiful moment,” she said. “We’re a family now and that wouldn’t have been possible without Melanie; she kept me strong and gave me hope.”

Melanie wasn’t surprised by the positive resolution.  

“I’m so inspired by how committed she was to doing everything the right way, even when it was hard,” she stated. “Ms. Brown is such a good mom, so focused on her three boys, and was so determined to do everything that the Court needed her to do so that she could have Milton back.”

With everybody happy at home, the three boys are starting to settle into routines. Phoenix, 11, and Milton, 9, even decided to share a bedroom and they’re both trying out for their school soccer team in the spring. 

*Pseudonyms have been used in this story