Amber Portwood’s Baby is a Ward of the State

The daughter of Teen Mom Amber Portwood has become a ward of the state, following a court hearing on Tuesday afternoon. This means that baby Leah’s guardianship will be determined by a judge, who appoints a government agency to oversee the girl’s affairs. Portwood and ex-fiance Gary Shirley were present at an Anderson, Indiana courthouse for the emergency child placement hearing, according to Radar Online (who seem to rely heavily on a source’s account, rather than hard fact). Portwood is under investigation for assaulting Shirley. If found guilty of the two counts of felony domestic violence and one misdemeanor, Portwood faces up to three years in jail and fines of up to $10,000. The felonies stem from the two-year-old witnessing some of the abuse, as shown on Teen Mom. The misdemeanor is for another assault, not shown by MTV. The police subpoenaed the unaired footage. Portwood, who now has a new boyfriend, cage fighter Clinton Yunkers, left baby Leah with Gary Shirley and his mother believing the child would be better off. To some extent, the courts seem to agree. Despite the ruling, Leah will stay in the home of her father and paternal grandmother.