Texas Lawyer Caught in Vile Plot to Bribe Pregnant Inmates for Their Children

We, as consumers of news, social media, and radio, are exposed to a lot of information daily. However, every now and then, something extraordinary captures our attention. This is one of those stories.

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Many people across the state, country, and world want nothing more than to have a child, and some of those people cannot so they choose adoption.  An adoption journey is very long, very expensive, emotional, and sometimes very heartbreaking.  Luckily, many agencies exist to help place children with loving parents.

Where It All Went Wrong

This story takes place in North Texas.  An adoption agency by the name of Adoptions International helped place children with loving families.  For the most part, these children were placed up for adoption by parents, who knew this was better for the child.

However, investigators uncovered a very illegal and unethical practice going on at this adoption agency.

In early August, a 68-year-old woman by the name of Jody Hall was arrested on two counts of Felony Sale or Purchase of a Child.  The adoption attorney was charged with trying to buy unborn babies from inmates.

How Much Money Was Offered?

According to Fox 4 News in Fort Worth, these were a few of the texts that were exchanged between Hall and an inmate.

"I've helped a lot of girls like yourself. We have families who cannot have children that would love to adopt your child," wrote Hall. "You can pick a family and start communicating with them now. We will put $100 weekly on your books, and you can spend part of it on the tablet or whatever you wish to buy."

"You will have $2,500 when you get out, or if you want me to put some on your books each week, I can do that," she wrote on another occasion.

Detectives in Tarrant County and the Texas Rangers began their investigation in May.  Hall was arrested on July 23, 2024, and was released the same day after posting a $50,000 bond.   The sentence for one count of Selling or Purchasing a child is two to ten years in prison, and up to a $10,000 fine.  The accused was charged with two counts.

This isn't the first trouble this adoption agency has seen.  It lost its accreditation on August 22, 2019.