Friday, January 28, 2011

Children are our future? Then why do judges send them to live with abusers??

SIGN THE PETITION HERE:

http://womensrights.change.org/petitions/view/children_are_our_future_then_why_do_judges_send_them_to_live_with_abusers

Targeting: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, see more...

Started by: Kym Payne Lesley

There is a crisis in our nation's family courts.  Judges are awarding child custody to abusers and pedophiles and punishing the safe parent who tries to protect the children from harm.

Have you ever heard the saying "Good Mamas don't get their kids taken away from them?"  I heard it too.  Well... there is a catch... Good Mamas that left really bad men DO IN FACT lose custody of their children... all of the time....  In turn, the statistics will ASTONISH AND OUTRAGE YOU!

The reason why we have all of the petitions against ANY kind of violence is because these perpetrators learned it from somewhere....  today our government, law makers, police force, etc teach young minds that they deserve to be abused until they become the abusers too.  Violence is passable & rewarded in America.

If you know FOUR women, then you know someone who is going to experiece violence at some level in her life... and its your responsibility to sign and get four more people to sign it as well.  If not, the world will stay ignorant and our kids will be trapped as victimizers or victims.

FACTS: Like Father Like Son, Like Mother Like Daughter
1. Witnessing violence between one’s parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next... by becoming the aggressor or the victim who has learned through life... its acceptable.

2.Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.

3. 30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.

4. 1.3 million physical assaults are reported by women who are abused by their intimate partner... and to make it worse, msot cases of domestic violence is never even reported.

5.  Studies conducted by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), looking solely at court records, have found documented evidence of domestic violence in 20-55% of contested custody cases.

6. A survey of battered women by the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence found that courts awarded joint or sole custody to the alleged batterers 56-74% of the time (depending on the county).  Many of these cases involved documented child abuse or adult abuse.

7. A study of 300 cases over a 10-year period in which the mother sought to protect the child from sexual abuse, found that 70% resulted in unsupervised visitation or shared custody; in 20% of the cases the mothers completely lost custody, and many of these lost all visitation rights.

8. Abusive fathers are twice as liekly to seek sole custody of children.

9. In 2010, we are close to the 100 DEATHS mark due to the Family Court System awarding sole custody or joint custody to Domestic Violence offenders.

 

PETITION TEXT

Lenient Domestic Violence Laws: Why is our government scared of perpetrators?

If 9 out of 10 men that take mothers to court to obtain sole custody are domestic violence offenders... AND.... 70% of those perpetrators win sole custody... what is to become of our future?

Our children are dying at a rate of 5 a day due to child abuse.  75% are under the age of 4.  That rate almost doubled since 1995... so have the rates of Domestic Violence Offenders who gain sole custody.  This is our fault for not changing our world and saving our babies. 

Women who are "good mothers trying to protect their children" are being removed from their children's lives or getting only supervised visitation. 

Thousands of women are being muted by the Family Court System to not speak of her Domestic Violence experience.  Saying the problem is "embarrassing or shaming the children" by the mothers who speak out... when the problem is the fathers who are unable to show the children a real example of a "man".

Children are learning that violence is rewarded.  So... their problem solving skills are being formed by our government that won't put a concrete boundary around the influence of violent offenders over our children.

You are a political figure with the power to make a change.  Leave a big footprint in the world please, if you won't stand up for our women and children...  they will never be able to stand themselves.

Take a closer look at the statistics.  Then take a close look at stiffer laws and more effective consequences for people who hurt the ones they are supposed to protect. 

Much Love.... I know you can help... and trust that you will.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE:

http://womensrights.change.org/petitions/view/children_are_our_future_then_why_do_judges_send_them_to_live_with_abusers

Rikki Dombrowski: Don’t Give Up – Love, Hope and Empowerment—The Sham in Shawnee County (Topeka, Kansas)

Your Mother Claudine Dombrowski Loves you and she is here for you when you can finally break free. She has not given up, she will not shut up and she will not go away!

“Granny died and her grand-daughter was not allowed to attend her funeral.”

“This tribute video was made– for three generations lost—destroyed by the Family Courts.”

“Granny, Mom and Rikki three hearts united across the universe and above and beyond the Shawnee County Courthouse MAFIA.”

 

Hope Love Power and enlightenment

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

 

When you awaken in the morning’s hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

 

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there; I do not sleep.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

by, Mary Elizabeth Frye

 

Sham in Shawnee County (Topeka, Kansas)

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/sham-shawnee-county-topeka-kansas

Sham in Shawnee County (Topeka, Kansas) The last time I did court watch for protective mother CLAUDINE DOMBROWSKI, I called my subsequent posting on the experience "Showdown in Shawnee County." See the post here:

http://dastardlydads.blogspot.com/2010/02/showdown-in-shawnee-county-we-finally.html

I can't even call the hearing held on October 19, 2010 a showdown. It was just a sham.

Let's do a little review. Claudine is a battered mother who lost custody of her only daughter in an ex parte hearing in 2004. (Ex parte means the mother wasn't even represented at the hearing.) Since then, she has had very little visitation. The hearing in January 2010 (see post above) was supposed to fix that. And finally, Claudine was awarded two hours of unsupervised visitation on Sunday and telephone contact twice a week. We figured it was a start.

Well, this was not to be. And not because of anything Claudine did.

As Claudine testified, visitation went well. She taught her now teenage daughter to drive. They shopped. They went to Barnes and Noble. They talked about girl stuff. Boy stuff. Just like any other mother and daughter. In fact, Claudine was able to enjoy her first mother's day with her daughter in ten years. There were no negative interactions. In fact, it looked like some serious healing was going on.

And in that lays the problem. You see, abusers and their enablers don't like healing. They find that supremely threatening to their power and control. So of course, the process must be stopped lest their domination of the child and the overall "situation" be compromised.

So in May 2010, all visitation stopped at Dad HAL RICHARDSON's personal discretion--which he admitted during his own testimony. He made the unilateral decision that he would no longer take his daughter to the law enforcement center for visitation (presumably at her "request"--but more on that later.) He made sure that during the times of designated phone contact, the phone was never answered as it was set on fax. (67 Direct Contempt's Dad admitted under oath that the phone does go to fax mode when not answered--though he denied "inhibiting" phone access, which is not surprising. But then, how did Mom know to testify that the phone was set on fax when she called? Oh those little details....) But of course, Dad didn't exactly encourage or welcome contact either--that much was evident. In fact, it was pretty clear to me that he was extremely negative about Claudine, and doing his best to crush any contact between her and her daughter.

But like many abusers, he projected his own motives onto the child, now a teenager. SHE was the one who was "uncomfortable." She was the one who was "afraid." Afraid of what? Physical abuse, sexual violence? No, there was no evidence of that beyond vague innuendos about "fighting" that allegedly occurred in the distant past (These innuendos weren't even brought up in January. Must be a new game plan.)

Apparently we are supposed to believe that this teenage girl is "afraid" because Mom allegedly doesn't "follow the rules." What rules? Apparently the court's rules regarding discussion of this case.

All this was echoed by Guardian ad Litem JILL DYKES. And once again, just as in January, Ms. Dykes didn't even feign professional neutrality in this case, as she literally sat at Daddy's elbow the whole time.

Are you kidding me? The typical teenager would blow off a parent's attempt to discuss court matters--ASSUMING any such discussion took place, which Claudine denies. They certainly wouldn't be "afraid" of such a discussion. Annoyed perhaps. But not "afraid" or traumatized. This is just classic projection. That this teenager is such a hothouse flower that she is somehow irreparably injured by any possible or potential references to her parents' legal issues, which I'm sure she already knows all about anyway. Nonsense.

I would humbly suggest that it is Hall Richardson and his enablers who are "afraid" of any possible open or frank discussion of this case. Or any contact between this mother and daughter. And their little "feelings" shouldn't play any part of this.

Under Kansas law, visitation isn't shut off because somebody is "uncomfortable" for vague and specious reasons. If that were the case, then controlling and manipulative parents would be cutting off access for whatever reason they dreamed up that day.

Unfortunately, given the dynamics of domestic violence, children who are in the control of abusers often find it necessary to parrot what the abusers want for their own survival. Which makes if very difficult for this child to speak up and articulate what she wants--except in private to her own mother.

And frankly, this ordeal shows a complete double standard. Were this a custodial mother blocking visitation for such vague and specious reasons, she would no doubt be labeled as an "alienator" with "parental alienation syndrome" (PAS). And the situation would be addressed immediately--either visitation would be enforced by the courts or the mother would lose custody all together. But I digress.

So no visitation from May to the present. But this actually was a minor issue as far as the court was concerned.

No, once again our major concern was Claudine's political activity. The players in Shawnee County are very upset with how well known this case has become (my last blog posting on this case had readers as far away as Australia.) And they are blaming Claudine for all of it, even though when pushed, Judge DAVID DEBENHEIM fiercely denied that he was trying to "stomp" on Claudine's first amendment rights. (Huh. Could have fooled me.)

But even in cases where OTHER bloggers like Nancy Carroll at Rights for Mothers had discussed this case (http://rightsformothers.com/), Claudine was blamed. In fact, the opposing attorney submitted into evidence printouts from NANCY's blog to show that Claudine was out of compliance with their gag order. Message to the Hoffmans: Nancy is not Claudine. I'm not Claudine either, for that matter. And you can't shut us up.

And honestly, did the Hoffmans really have to embarrass their employee like that? They trotted out a young and painfully ignorant employee of theirs to "testify" about Claudine's "alleged" facebook and twitter activities. This fresh-faced young woman--no more than a high school graduate with a few "computer" classes--earnestly told us that every posting and link on somebody's facebook page had to personally "approved" and/or "posted" by that person. Yes, dear friends. She did say that. And meant it too, so far as I can tell. I won't give her name, though it's in my notes. I refuse to further humilate her. But honestly, your great aunt Rose probably knows more about facebook than this girl.

So the significance of this was what? There are supposedly "references" to her case on Claudine's facebook page! Oh the horror! And you know what? This blog may very well end up with a link on Claudine's facebook page, too--through an automatic feed mechanism. It will go straight to facebook--even when Claudine is sleeping or brushing her teeth. Or sitting in court. Because you know what? Claudine is a well networked activist with probably hundreds of facebook friends working on issues related to child abuse, domestic violence, human rights, and family court reform. Many of us have discussed this case before. Just as we have discussed many other cases like this one, where the courts have backed up the abuser and shut out or ignored the protective mother. And for your information, you'll find articles and links about those cases as well.

And all this policing of Claudine's personal and political activities on the internet is particularly hypocritical when you consider the following: Attorney JASON P. HOFFMAN and GAL JILL DYKES had no qualms about violating professional ethical boundaries and becoming facebook "friends" with this child! (I saw the screen shots.) Mom can't even post a photo of her daughter per court order, but these folks feel free to do as they like. Not that the judge was interested in this matter at all. Big surprise there.

And this is the crux of the matter. What the court in Shawnee County REALLY doesn't like is that--as they put it--this lady "has a cause." Or she has "become a cause." They don't like the "venom" (i.e. the truth) that has come out about this case, and the attention it has received nationally and even internationally. They don't even like Claudine's facial expressions! (Yes, the judge made a point of addressing this. "You are your own worst enemy!" he thundered at Claudine--apparently over some grimace or frown that I didn't see.)

So make sure you never show anything but a happy face in front of Judge Debenham, even when you are possibly losing all contact with your only child!

Claudine is supposed to hear later this afternoon what the court's decision is--after her daughter will presumably be allowed to speak her mind with the judge. But of course, she can't really speak her mind--not as long as she's a minor and dependent on her father.

We are not optimistic as to the outcome.

But you know what? In a little over two years, this girl ages out of the system's control over her life. Perhaps then, real change will come about.

Abusers and their enablers often win the battles. But they seldom win the war. That puts off any real healing in this case for another two years.

But at least it's something to hope for.

Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Sham in Shawnee County (Topeka, Kansas) | NowPublic News Coverage http://www.nowpublic.com/world/sham-shawnee-county-topeka-kansas#ixzz1CN6yB4FW

 

Claudine Dombrowski and the love for her Daughter Rikki Dombrowski – Fly High Fly Free--- they can not chain the wind, no matter how hard they try.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Parental Alienation: It's About More Than "A Uterus, Divorce Papers and Bruises" Cathy Meyer Certified Divorce Coach, Marriage Educator and Legal Investigator

and a complete sock puppet to the whores of the court Dr. William Bernet, Dr. Richard Warshak, Dr. Richard Gardner.

.huffingtonpost.com/cathy-meyer/parental-alienation-its-a_b_807641 . html

 

Comments:

A recent study showed that 49% of Statistics are made up -- 'on the spot'.
as per your quoted: "Judith Ray, a licensed family therapist in Colorado Springs."- name your reference.


FACTS:
APA: The Evidentiar­y Admissibil­ity of Parental Alienation Syndrome: American Psychiatri­c Associatio­n http://www­.apa.org/p­i/pii/fami­lyvio/issu­e5.html
Evidence shows that women who raise concerns about family violence during custody litigation run the risk of losing their children to the bogus pseudo-non scientific PAS.
http://www­.leadershi­pcouncil.o­rg/1/pas/f­aq.htm
PAS only exists among men who have battered the mother and seek to further 'control' and 'punish' the mother for leaving. http://bit­.ly/cYjXEg
Domestic Violence (DV) by Proxy: Why Terrorist Tactics Employed by Batterers Are Not "PAS"
http://www­.leadershi­pcouncil.o­rg/1/pas/D­VP.html
There is valid research legal and psychiatri­c just to mention a scant few of the many: the American District Attorneys Associatio­n, The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges: Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases. http://www­.ncjfcj.or­g/images/s­tories/dep­t/fvd/pdf/­judicial%20guide.p­df
A very dangerous article- this gets people killed. Sadly, they are the domestic violence victims and or their children. http://bit­.ly/9yYhlB

=======

It once again seems that as in your article you do not separate PAS allegation­s and Domestic Violence. You lump then into one. It is wrong to dismiss domestic violence so nonchalant­ly.
Have read Dr Evan Starks 'Coercive Control" part of the book is on Google Books here is a intro to his book http://bit­.ly/fp1Pqh
The Civic Research Institute ( A Law Center) has also addressed this most recently in Domestic Violence, Abuse and Child Custody http://www­.civicrese­archinstit­ute.com/dv­ac.html

========

One of Dr. William Bernet's criteria is a child be an "independe­nt thinker." OMG, as a child who watched my mother get beat all the time, and not liking my father for it, which I independen­tly thought of myself, I am appalled!

=========

 

There is a problem with the author's analysis of domestic violence (DV) and its connection with PAS. It is shortsight­ed to say that the victim of DV has only an individual justificat­ion to limit a batterer's contact with the victim and not with the children.

Check any domestic violence research and you will find that DV is learned behavior. Allowing a batterer unfettered contact with the children condones the abuser's conduct and sends a message to the children to accept the abuser's conduct as being permissible and normal.

As an attorney with over 30 years experience in the field of family law, I would expect at a minimum that an adult batterer in a child custody case participat­e in anger management treatment and some form of family systems counseling to ensure that the children will not be replicatin­g the abusive cycle in their future adult relationsh­ips.

=============

 

The Children's Legal Rights Journal has an excellent piece on evidentiar­y admissibil­ity of "PAS"
http://www­.thelizlib­rary.org/l­iz/Hoult-P­ASarticlec­hildrensla­wjournal.p­df

 

===============

What is the reference for the statistic that PAS is 50-50? Somebody's word is not evidence. That's shoddy journalism­. It's nowhere in the literature­, while the fact that it's used against women in the majority of cases is.
Where is the background material on the FAthers Rights Movement - most consider them a backlash group to women's gains (antifemin­ist)- even scholarly writings.
This blog post is using NOW as a punching bag despite the fact that legal, medical and psychologi­cal organizati­ons have all discredite­d PAS.
Is NOW easier to attack? Easier to gain proponents­? That would be shame to use this tactic rather than the scientific merits of a so-called pschologic­al diagnosis.

==================

 

The man who created PAS was badly discredite­d and publicly shamed when his exaggerati­ons about his credential­s and his methods were exposed. Sad to say, he died a violent death at his own hands - a knife plunged into his throat and heart - and there are those who believe he suffered from a debillitat­ing and incurable painful illness, while others connect it to the profession­al and public shame he began to experience­. He made a great deal of money testifying in court, more often hired by attorneys representi­ng the father. Most of his work in identifyin­g "PAS" was based on the mother's behavior. In fact, most of his research was based on mother-per­petrated parental alienation­. It was not only individual­s, but gender-inc­lusive profession­al groups that declared his work to have no merit - including the American Psychologi­cal Associatio­n.
All in all, the behavior of trying to influence children not to freely love the other parent is despicable­. However, basing it on the work of Richard Gardner is like making apple pie out of rotten, worm-ridde­n apples. We've really got to look at gender-neu­tral, individual behaviors, rather than bashing advocacy movements like NOW and the Father's Rights groups. That just isn't productive­. Helping individual­s, however, is very productive­.

 

===============

 

And sadly experts have all agreed that there are many misdiagnos­is of Borderlin­e - in which BPD is being mistaken for PTSD. And quite simply the best way to cure PTSD is to remove the trauma. For many abused mothers it is recurring trauma to be forced to send her children to an abusive man. One need only look at recent headlines (http://das­tardlydads­.blogspot.­com) to realize that many many more men are hurting women and children than women hurting men and children. And it is really sad that a person's right to be free from abuse is trumped by a parents right to have a relationsh­ip with a child. I have passed along the posts made concerning this to a blogger who exposes female (mother) hatred and she has assured me that a post will be forthcomin­g.

=========

Cathy, the American Judges Associatio­n, the American Bar Associatio­n, the National District Attorney's Associatio­n and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges have all debunked "PAS" with the latter warning family court judges the last couple of years not to accept claims of "parental alienation syndrome" or "parental alienation­" because of its well know use by abusers to get child custody from their victims. This is their words directly in their judge's guide. It is horrific to have children go to a mother's abuser. I had it happen to me as a child, and again as a mother. It is a popular legal tool of abuse that is happening frequently­. A conservati­ve estimate of 58,000 children a year are given to abusers was released last year. Also, the American Bar Associatio­n on their website dealing with domestic violence and child custody said in their research, they found that among false allegation­s, fathers were far more likely to use false allegation­s vs. mothers (21% versus 1.3%). They indicated in this document that claims of "parental alienation­" from abusers were definitely a problem and they were getting custody of children with this favorite legal tool of abuse. This all comes not from a child and a mother who has suffered at the hands of an abuser getting custody, but from many profession­al organizati­ons seeing victims of abuse losing their children because of the psych's running wild through the courts, making lots of $$$ doing this.

=================

"I am more interested in protecting a child from the harm parental alienation does than protecting a few women who have suffered abuse. Especially since it would seem, the children are being abused by PAS at a higher rate than women are being abuse by a husband."

A few moms who have suffered 'abuse'??? 1-3 women will experience domestic violence in their life times.
How many of those 3 have children?


The leading cause of death to pregnant women is intimate partner violencehttp://bit­.ly/fpD4l4 WOW!!! How many women get pregnant?
This is truly scary on its own with out the 'control' of yet one more thing PAS, HAP or any other buzz word for leniency and dismal of physical crimes against persons. a Felony unless of course the victim is is your wife. then it becomes 'domestic'­ barely a misdemeano­r.

We as a society really do not care about our children to allow their mothers to be killed and their children taken when they do try to leave.

 

================

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women 18-24. At least 3 women die every day. In family court, estimates run high for domestic violence since family court is "the place" for high conflict and abuse.


Use of the term PAS does not only punish and harm women - it harms children. A study done by Harvard's Jay Silverman found that about 54% of cases involving child sexual abuse, a counter of PAS was used.
When any allegation of abuse in used in court - DV, child abuse, or child sexual abuse - PA can be used to counter the claim.


The web site on the Nat'l District Attorney's Associatio­n says PA harms abused children.


It would either be disingenuous or biased to say there is no harm to children from the misuse of PA.

Furthermor­e, NOW is a convenient punching bag - far more legal, scientific and psychologi­cal associatio­ns have warned against the use of PA.

The Women in Pschycolog­y web site lists several mental health claims that are biased towards women, including PA - - why weren't they attacked? Way too easy to attack NOW and not fair to readers to ignore all the organizati­ons that discredit PAS.

=======

So the American Judges Associatio­n, American Bar Associatio­n, the National District Attorney's Associatio­n and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges are hate groups? They have all debunked the use of "parental alienation­" in courts because of it's well known use by abusers in court. Do children get lied to and do parents behave badly? Yes, they do, but children aren't that guilable. One of the criteria in Dr. William Bernet's definition of "parental alienation disorder" is that a child is an "independe­nt thinker." Come on...as a child victim given to an abuser, I am appalled by this.

=====

Parental Alienation: It Is About "A Uterus, Divorce Papers and Bruises"

Cathy Meyer of the Huffington Post  – a pro abuser and pro pedophile used the title

Parental Alienation: It's About More Than "A Uterus, Divorce Papers and Bruises"

to once again Diminish Domestic Violence, protect the abusers, and pom-mom ra-ra for the psycho quacks like Dr. Richard Warshak who make a profit pushing this dangerous child and mother killing yet highly profitable ‘theory’  —

Sadly after the few articles that are factual in content get published as with below article – and Cathy Meyer -- in response to –  article as titled above--as is the trend with mainstream media. http://huff.to/dXUDKG -- Huff post really goes all out to protect these abusers, pedophiles and killers. HuffPo should be disgraced—but they are not.

So Cathy Meyer and HuffPo --here’s to you and your inept journalistic skills—fortunately there are other and better bloggers.

Parental Alienation and Domestic Violence

by Joan Dawson

  th_m_54606bcb550f7f79a7090e9dc49b7050

“I hope there’s more cases just like this, where people don’t want to let their spouses see their kids…I hope it happens more and more, until the law finally says you know what? There needs to be something done so these parents can be with their kids.”

These were the words fired by Randall Todd Moore as he denied having “not one ounce of remorse” for kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing his ex-wife.

But was his ex-wife ‘alienating’ the kids, as Moore alleged, or trying to protect them from danger?

This case is clear, but as those working in domestic violence and child abuse realize, all too often clarity comes at a price.

Parental alienation (PA, or PAS for Parental Alienation Syndrome), a topic pro-PA psychologist Richard Warshak recently covered on Huffington Post, alleges a parent poisons the mind of a child to fear or hate the other parent. The defamation results in a damaged relationship or estrangement.

Those opposing parental alienation admit parents can bad-mouth the other parent either deliberately or inadvertently; however, factors such as poor parenting skills or personality on the part of the mother or father and stages of normal development or reactions to divorce on the part of the child can also cause alienating behaviors.

Dr. Paul Fink, President of the Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence, and a former President of the American Psychiatric Association states, “Science tells us that the most likely reason that a child becomes estranged from a parent is that parent’s own behavior. Labels, such as PAS, serve to deflect attention away from those behaviors.”

More dangerously, parental alienation can mask domestic violence, child abuse and child sexual abuse. What is the difference between fearful or uncooperative battered women and alienating,” vindictive” mothers? If parents try to withhold access to children, are they alienators or protectors? If they try to provide evidence of abuse – interviews with psychologists, medical examinations or discussions with the child – are they gathering proof or further alienating the ex? What is the difference between alienated children and abused children?

The behaviors can be indistinguishable.

Indeed, it’s not just domestic violence survivors’ advocates who witness the problem with PA. The American Bar Association, American Prosecutors Research Institute, National District Attorneys Association, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges all denounce the use of parental alienation in the courtroom. The National District Attorneys Association says on their Web site, “PAS is an unproven theory that can threaten the integrity of the criminal justice system and the safety of abused children.”

That hasn’t stopped courts from using PAS, resulting in accusations against individuals, mostly women, of maliciously denying access to children.

Katie Tagle, for instance, sought a restraining order on Jan. 21, 2010 against her ex-boyfriend Stephen Garcia to stop him from having unsupervised visitation with their nine-month-old child.

She told the judge Garcia threatened to kill the infant. The court transcript records Judge Robert Lemkau as saying, “One of you is lying,” and later, “Mr. Garcia claims its total fabrication on your part.” Garcia also referred to it as “little stunts and games” that she used to deny him access to his son.

Even when she tries to produce evidence of the threats, he says, “Well, ma’am, there’s a real dispute about whether that’s even true or not.” And finally, “My suspicion is that you’re lying” (said twice). He denied her the order (as did two other judges). Garcia took their son that day and drove off into the mountains. Ten days later, they were both found dead.
The transcript is here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26434649/tagle-garcia-court-transcript-dent-protection-to-baby-now-bay-is-DEAD

This case clearly demonstrates another issue women have in courts: credibility. It’s easier to believe a woman is lying than to believe a man can abuse or kill a woman or child. In reality, in family court, denying abuse is more common than fabricating tales of abuse. Most allegations are made in good faith (see the American Bar Association’s 10 Custody Myths and How to Counter Them). And most denials are made by perpetrators, perpetrators skillful at manipulation – even of professionals.

Indeed, we must not forget family court is the place for couples with high conflict and abuse. The overwhelming majority (up to 90%) of couples create their own parenting plans. Those that cannot, go to family court.

Judges, though, have been known to downplay even well-documented cases of abuse and to give more weight to parental alienation than to abuse allegations. In the case of Jennifer Collins, for example, the judge told her mother to “get over” the abuse as at least two years had passed, according to Collins’ Web site. The judge reversed the custody decision because her mom’s fear was “interfering in his relationship with us.” Jennifer’s mother Holly took her two children and fled to the Netherlands, where they were granted asylum. (See also the Courageous Kids Network of children who were court-ordered into relationships with abusive parents.)

58,000 children a year go into sole or joint custody arrangements or unsupervised visitation with physically or sexually abusive parents, according to an estimate by the Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence. That’s over 1,000 children a week the courts place in harm’s way.

Giving custody to the supposedly alienated parent is one way to “solve” the problem of parental alienation. Jailing the mother is another.

Tiffany Barney and Joyce Murphy are two women who’ve been jailed; their cases were covered in the media. Both alleged child sexual abuse and neither were believed. Barney fought for five years, at times losing custody or having limited supervised visitation. Murphy was called “toxic” to her daughter and deemed the cause of the child fearing her father. She fled with her daughter. When found, she was jailed for felony abduction and later granted limited visitation. It wasn’t until three more girls came forward with molestation charges that her ex was finally the one jailed.

A few other cases making headlines include: Court Punishes Woman in Alienation Case; WI: Judge Jails Mother over Daughter’s Refusal to Visit Father and Judge Dismisses Abuse Allegations.

To sum it up, any behavior that does not promote access to children can be classified as parental alienation and punished with jail time or limits on/loss of custody. With this threat, parents are less likely to report abuse and more likely to share custody with an abuser.

It should also be noted that when violent partners make good on their threats to take the kids away, it’s referred to as domestic violence by proxy -a continuation of domestic violence – rather than PA or PAS. Some battered women who’ve lost custody use PA or PAS to describe their particular situation. This both minimizes the nature and scope of abuse women face and promotes the use of a dangerous weapon (PA/PAS) that can be used against them in court.

I wouldn’t hand an angry man a gun, nor would I readily hand over a legal strategy to potential pedophiles, abusers or killers. Yet that is exactly what PA/PAS is doing.

For more information, visit:

The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence

Stop Family Violence

Center for Judicial Excellence

TONIGHT!! American Mothers Political Party Show- 5 PM CST, 6 PM EST -- CALL IN (347) 205-9977

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/americanmotherspoliticalparty/2011/01/27/still-standing

Call-in Number: (347) 205-9977

Watch more Videos at Vodpod.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AMPP is a social movement seeking justice and accountability within the family court system which includes DHHS/CPS, psychologists and other so called experts.

  • We as mothers demand CITIZENSHIP and our Rights to our Children.
  • We demand that our children not be used as pawns by our abuser in a custody dispute.
  • We demand that Mothers and Children be equally protected against court ordered visitation with an abuser.
  • We demand that Mothers and Children be given the same rights, privileges and voice that the abuser gets in family courts!
  • We demand that our President take action now as can no longer afford to be silent and we won’t.
  • We demand the same "rights and freedoms" to which all humans are entitled.

Behind the closed doors of the dirty little secret of the family court system, thousands of women each year lose child custody to violent men who beat and abuse Mothers and Children.

Family courts are not family-friendly and betray the best interests of the child.

Until Mothers and Children's voices are heard we will never shut up, give up or go away!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

ROBIN YEAMANS: DUE PROCESS, EQUAL PROTECTION, AND TAKING CUSTODY SCAMS TO THE FEDERAL COURTS

Interviews from the 2011 Battered Mothers Custody Conference

Robin Yeamans is one of three California attorneys certified as a specialist in both family and appellate law.   Her website at www.divorcecal.com features videos that help people without attorneys.  In this video, she answers Anne Grant’s questions about due process, equal protection, and taking custody scams to the federal courts.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/battered-mothers-custody-conference

 

THE WORST MISTAKES MOTHERS MAKE IN CHILD CUSTODY CASES

Some very good advice, from the Liz Library:

(1) Taking their children to therapists.  We have yet to see ONE case in which the mother is having continuing litigation mess that cannot be traced back to her choice or agreement at some point to her taking the child in for therapy. For whatever reason. Undoubtedly there are cases in which this is done and nothing bad happens (although we seriously doubt there ever is much benefit). However, in every single seriously fucked-up case we have seen, belief in psychology and bringing the child in for one reason or another is the first mistake, the domino that sets everything else in motion.

(2) Rocking the boat. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Women screw up by rocking the boat when it’s reasonably stable, usually by filing a petition for child support in a new paternity action, or for an increase in child support in a post-divorce action, and less often by filing a petition for modification for purposes of relocation or just because.

(3) Agreeing to joint custody or too much father custody (usually in mediation) at the time of the initial custody determination.

(4) Talking in conclusory language, rather than the language of the senses (what was actually seen and heard), e.g. “he’s abusive”, “the child was afraid”, and language of exaggeration (adjectives) and psycholingo, e.g. “very”, “disclosed”.

(5) Not looking at the big long-term picture. The immediate psychic reward of taking a negative action or saying something obnoxious isn’t worth it.

(6) Having discussions in writing with the ex. Writing should be avoided except to memorialize and confirm “what we agreed to” by telephone, and to send one- or two-sentence pleasant trivialities. “Hi Joe — Junior said he liked the movie you guys saw this weekend. Here’s a copy of the picture he drew of it…”

(7) Relying too much on the lawyer. Except in extraordinary circumstances, litigants should strive to never let the lawyer go to court for anything without being there. Litigants should insist that a court reporter be brought to all hearings and anything at which evidence otherwise is developed for a case. Litigants should never allow themselves to be pressured into making any agreement without time to sleep on it (if it’s really an agreement, it will still be agreeable tomorrow). Litigants should never give lawyers precious originals of any document. Litigants should inform their lawyers that -no- agreements whatsoever may be made which affect substantive claims in the case (as opposed to clerical and procedural issues) without their prior approval.