Tuesday, March 31, 2009

CALL TO ACTION - "Duncan and Jack Law" PLEASE FORWARD

 

LinkedIn

Myra Spearman has sent you a message.

Date: 3/31/2009

Subject: CALL TO ACTION - PLEASE FORWARD

Hello Everyone:
Today, I spoke with Illinois State Representative, Robert Pritchard. He is a long time proponent of abating domestic and family abuse. He needs to hear from everyone. I asked him to author legislation called, "Duncan and Jack Law" which would only allow "Supervised Visits" to non-custodial parents who have either
1). Violated Orders of Protection and/or
2). Received a Guilty Conviction stemming from domestic and or family violence.
Before ordering visitation, a judge needs to make sure that there was no abuse in the home. If abuse is determined, the non-custodial parent should either be granted Supervised Visitation or No Visitation Privileges at all. Please email him and let him know that you're in support of this legislation or similar legislation.
bob@pritchardstaterep.com

 
If you have something better to add please feel free... anything helps...
Duncan and Jack are the 2 little children that lost their lives this week at the hand of their father. You can read the story at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/ news/local/chi-missing-boys-dead-31-mar31, 0,3316104.story

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The Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series - Press Release

For Immediate Release March 6, 2009
For More Information: Kathy Rose-Mockry (785) 864-3552

 

KU establishes Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series
President of NOW- Kim Gandy, to give first lecture

www.1100torches.org

 updatebanner

 

  violence-diamond
LAWRENCE—The University of Kansas announces the creation of the annual Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series, in memory of late women’s rights activist and KU student Jana Lynne Mackey. Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, will give the inaugural lecture for the series on Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics on the University of Kansas campus.


"Jana dedicated her life to pursuing social justice and equality for women," said Kathy Rose-Mockry, Program Director of the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center at KU.  "There is no better way to honor Jana’s life’s work than by continuing to raise awareness and encourage others to ‘carry the torch’ related to those issues Jana was most passionate about. We are delighted to have Kim Gandy serve as our inaugural speaker since she shares a commitment to the success of women and their belief in the power of action to bring about social justice."


Gandy is currently serving her second term as President of the National Organization for Women (NOW), first elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. She has served as a national member of NOW since 1987 and in state and local positions since 1973. As president, Gandy serves as spokeswoman for the causes of NOW including advancing reproductive freedom, promoting diversity, ending violence against women, ensuring economic justice, and achieving equality for women.


MackDIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN / Hays Daily News
Curt Brungardt, stepfather of Jana Mackey, talks about carrying on Mackey's torch at her memorial service last July in Lawrence. 
ey, 25, was found dead in her ex-boyfriend’s home on July 3, 2008. At KU, Mackey was a second year law student and an active member of the Commission on the Status of Women. Dedicated to promoting a pro-women’s agenda, Mackey volunteered for GaDuGi SafeCenter, as a lobbyist in Kansas for NOW, and on several political campaigns. She received a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies from KU in the spring of 2004.  

 
The Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series is sponsored by the following KU entities: the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center; School of Law; Department of Political Science; Dole Institute of Politics; Student Bar Association; Student Involvement and Leadership Center; Commission on the Status of Women; Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center.

The Lecture Series also receives the generous support of the following community entities: the Jana Mackey family; GaDuGi SafeCenter; Women’s Transitional Care Services; and the Kansas chapter of the National Organization for Women.
The program is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Dole Institute is located on KU’s west campus, next to the Lied Center.

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Justice For Children -For Immediate Release: Don’t Fall for discredited “Parental alienation syndrome day”

Justice For Children WARNING: Don’t Fall for discredited “Parental alienation syndrome day”

www.JusticeForChildren.org

For Immediate Release             Contact: John Hrabe

March 27, 2009                                                                                   (562) 276-5898

Justice For Children WARNING: Don’t Fall for discredited “Parental alienation syndrome day”

(Houston, TX) – Justice for Children, one of the country’s leading child advocacy organizations, issued a warning to all 50 Governors and state legislatures against the latest attempt to legitimize a dangerous pseudoscientific theory by designating April 25th as “Parental Alienation Syndrome Awareness Day.” Judges, prosecutors, psychologists and child advocates agree that parental alienation syndrome is “junk science” that abusive parents commonly use to shift attention away from their abuse.  

“Parental alienation syndrome has been debunked, disproven and discredited by every major group and association involved with child abuse cases,” said Tom Burton, General Counsel of Justice for Children. “Even with nearly unanimous agreement, defense attorneys continue to propagate this bogus theory in order to protect abusive parents.”

Seventeen US states have issued proclamations honoring April 25th as “Parental Alienation Awareness Day.” This year, PAS radicals have targeted Texas Governor Rick Perry with an online petition. Child advocates like Justice for Children warn that such honorary proclamations give dangerous legal legitimacy to this debunked pseudoscientific theory.

The Children’s Protection Alliance shares on its website the story of Alanna Krause, one child affected by this bogus theory.

“Finally, one day my father threw me into a stone wall at school and a teacher called Child Protective Services. He’s never said as much, but my father panicked. He had worked so hard to build a delicate set of lies and twisted truths to present himself as the well-meaning parent whose “unstable” ex-wife had given his troubled daughter “alienating parent syndrome,” resulting in abuse “delusions.” The truth was his worst fear.”

The public can learn more about parental alienation syndrome from the attached fact sheet or by visiting the Justice for Children website at www.justiceforchildren.org.

For over two decades, Justice for Children has been the country’s leading voice for abused and neglected children. JFC provides free legal support for abused children, sponsors legislation to increase children’s right, and exposes the systemic failures of bureaucratic child welfare agencies.

###

 

Parental Alienation Syndrome: Debunked, Disproven and Dangerous Theory 

Abusive Parents Commonly Use PAS to Shift Attention Away from their Abusive Actions

National District Attorneys Association: Parental Alienation Syndrome is “Unproven Theory That Can Threaten the Safety of Abused Children”

“PAS is an unproven theory that can threaten the integrity of the criminal justice system and the safety of abused children. It is not capable of lending itself to hard data or inclusion in the forthcoming DSM-V.  In short, PAS is an untested theory that, unchallenged, can have far-reaching consequences for children seeking protection and legal vindication in courts of law. Prosecutors and other child abuse professionals should educate themselves, their colleagues and clients when confronting PAS in the legal realm.” (Source: National District Attorneys Association, Update - Volume 16, Number 6 & 7, 2003 “Parental Alienation Syndrome: What Professionals Need to Know”)

Parental Alienation Syndrome: “Unscientific Piece of Garbage,” “Not Research Based” & “A Great Injustice to the Family”

“Probably the most unscientific piece of garbage I’ve seen in the field in all my time. To base social policy on something as flimsy as this is exceedingly dangerous. PAS is not research-based, and it has done a great injustice to the family and the justice system.  The criteria that Dr. Gardner has developed are virtually useless. He operates on the premise that if you say a lie often enough, people will believe it.” (Source: Dr. Jon Conte, a psychologist at the University of Washington, “Has Psychiatry Gone Psycho” April 26, 1999, Insight on the News)

Past President of American Psychiatric Association: “Junk Science Used Nationwide by Batterers as a Courtroom Tactic to Silence Abused Children”

“Parental Alienation Syndrome has been used nationwide by batterers as a courtroom tactic to silence abused children by attempting to discredit their disclosures of abuse. This theory is not recognized as valid by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, or the American Medical Association. Parental Alienation Syndrome is not accepted as a psychiatric diagnosis, and has been rejected by the mainstream psychological community. Parental Alienation Syndrome is junk science; there is no valid research or empirical data to support this unproven theory.” (Source: Dr. Paul J. Fink, past president of the American Psychiatric Association, and Hon. Sol Gothard, retired judge and former faculty member for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 1, 2005)

Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family: Parental Alienation Can Be Used by Violent Parent Against Victim

“Noting that custody and visitation disputes appear to occur more frequently when there is a history of domestic violence.  Family courts often do not consider the history of violence between the parents in making custody and visitation decisions.  In this context, the nonviolent parent may be at a disadvantage, and behavior that would seem reasonable as a protection from abuse may be misinterpreted as a sign of instability. Psychological evaluators not trained in domestic violence may contribute to this process by ignoring or minimizing the violence and by giving inappropriate pathological labels to women’s responses to chronic victimization.  Terms such as `parental alienation’ may be used to blame the women for the children’s reasonable fear or anger toward their violent father.” (Source: American Psychological Association, “Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family” 1996)

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges: Parental Alienation Syndrome “Discredited by Scientific Community,” Should Be “Inadmissible in Court” & “Diverts Attention Away from the Behaviors of the Abusive Parent”

“The theory positing the existence of “PAS” has been discredited by the scientific community. In Kumho Tire v. Carmichael , 526 U.S. 137 (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that even expert testimony based in the “soft sciences” must meet the standard set in the Daubert case. “Parental Alienation Syndrome” does not pass this test. Any testimony that a party to a custody case suffers from the syndrome or “parental alienation” should therefore be ruled inadmissible. The discredited “diagnosis” of “PAS” (or allegation of “parental alienation”), quite apart from its scientific invalidity, inappropriately asks the court to assume that the children’s behaviors and attitudes toward the parent who claims to be “alienated” have no grounding in reality. It also diverts attention away from the behaviors of the abusive parent, who may have directly influenced the children’s responses by acting in violent, disrespectful, intimidating, humiliating and/or discrediting ways toward the children themselves, or the children’s other parent..” (Source: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. (2006). Navigating Custody & Visitation Evaluations in Cases with Domestic Violence: A Judge’s Guide, 2nd edition Page 24)

Professor of Pediatrics and Child Abuse Expert: Parental Alienation Syndrome is an “Atrocious Theory with No Science to Back It Up”

 

“Dr. Eli Newberger, a Harvard University Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, states, “This [parental alienation syndrome] is an atrocious theory with no science to back it up.” Harvard’s Dr. Eli Newberger, an assistant professor of pediatrics and an expert on child abuse, said he’s been called on by state child protection agencies to evaluate ambiguous disclosures of abuse in divorce cases and believes that PAS deflects any real investigation into such allegations.” (Source: Talan, J.  Richard Gardner and Parental Alienation Syndrome: In Death, Can He Survive? Psychiatrist Richard Gardner’s theory Used by Parents in Child Custody Battles Gained Prominence — And Critics. Newsday, 07/01/03.)

American Medical Association Does Not Recognize Parental Alienation Syndrome

“PAS is not listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) as a psychiatric disorder and is not recognized as a valid medical syndrome by the American Medical Association, or the American Psychological Association.” (Source: Dr. Jon Conte, a psychologist at the University of Washington, “Has Psychiatry Gone Psycho” April 26, 1999, Insight on the News)

Posted in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Australia, California, Canada, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, India, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Russia, South Africa, Tennessee, Texas, UK, US, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C.. Tags: parental alienation, custody, Mother's Rights, Human Rights, Family Court, fraud, scam, false allegations, visitation, father's rights, child abuse, visitation refusal, domestic violence, failure to protect, abuse, divorce, scandal, psychologist, fictitious syndromes, corruption, domestic abuse, unethical, sexual abuse, Maternal Deprivation, child sexual abuse.

“Special Report: Riggs Explains Why She Took Her Kids.” Kansas City

The Case of Shirley Riggs

They jailed mom for protecting her children from abuse.

The children, all four of them, are currently in Foster homes-

 

“We Love you Mom”

http://www.onemothersvoice.org/Links.html

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.803124&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

 


Special Report: http://www.kctv5.com/news/18288843/detail.html 

MORE COVERAGE

  • IMAGES: Shirley Riggs Shares Family Pictures
  • VIDEO: Mother Agrees To No Contact With Kids In Guilty Plea
  • VIDEO: Shirley Riggs Speaks From Jail
  • PDF: Independence Police Statement
  • LINK: Operationmorningstar.org

    By Carrie K. Hutchens on February 2nd, 2009

    Shirley Riggs

    Shirley Riggs

    Shirley Riggs is accused of unlawfully taking her children and leaving the state triggering an Amber Alert, which is detailed in KCTV5’s “Special Report: Riggs Explains Why She Took Her Kids.

    The report says in part, “On Sept. 20, during an unsupervised visit with her children at her mother’s house, Riggs piled her four children into a van and took off in the middle of the night. They drove to Washington state and spent two weeks in hiding.”

    According to the report, Riggs alleges she originally left her husband in 2004 due to abusive behavior and does believe her husband acted inappropriately in the presence of the children. It appears she also believes there was inappropriate behavior between husband and child(ren). Whether this is true or not — the allegations have neither been confirmed nor have they been dismissed as unsubstantiated — why is the father accused and the mother in jail?

    KCTV5 reports, “On April 24, 2007, Jackson County Judge Stephen Nixon ordered Shirley Riggs to appear in court in person to discuss her husband’s divorce filing.

    “But I was in Oregon. I had no way to get to Missouri,” Riggs said.

    Not only didn’t Riggs show up, but her attorney quit that same day, so she had no representation. At that meeting, Nixon ordered the children be placed in the temporary custody of their paternal grandparents.”

    It appears that Nixon also continued to allow the husband unsupervised visitation.

    What is wrong with this picture?

    It is easy for a court to order a person to appear, but it isn’t always reasonable to expect the person to be able to do so, especially when that person is in an entirely different state. Is that what happened here?

    Did the judge put Riggs in a no-win situation? Did he tell her, or make it clear, that the hearing was in regard to custody? Did he take into consideration that her attorney quit and she had no representation, before he turned custody of her children over to others and permitted unsupervised visits with someone accused of acting inappropriately with, and around, the children?

    KCTV5 further reports, “Despite the sexual misconduct allegations against Raymond Riggs, Nixon continued to allow him unsupervised overnight visits with his kids, which is why Shirley said she took them this summer.

    “‘It seemed like all the abuse was being covered up and ignored,’ Riggs said.”

    Was it? Is it? Is this still another case of the system not working? Another case where there are little or no “fail-safes” in place to prevent injustice in the name of justice?

    “I didn’t really have an exact plan. I just thought someone would listen to me outside the state of Missouri,” Riggs said to KCTV5.

    Any action being taken by law enforcement authorities with regards to the allegations against Raymond are unclear.  The Independence Police Department did release this statement to KCTV5. 

    Perhaps Riggs wasn’t right to take the law into her own hands, but she does deserve to be listened to and her concerns earnestly investigated and addressed. The system must perform to the highest degree of standards and be held to even higher standards of accountability. This is, after all, a family at risk of injustice.

    This is the case of Shirley Riggs, but more importantly — this is the case of the children she took flight with. May justice be theirs.

    Carrie Hutchens is a former law enforcement officer and a freelance writer who is active in fighting against the death culture movement and the injustices within the judicial and law enforcement systems.

    Subscribe to this feedDiscuss on NewsvineAdd to Mixx!Email thisTwit This!CrossFeed ThisSphere: Related ContentTechnorati LinksSave to del.icio.usDigg This!Share on FacebookStumble It!1 comment on this itemAdd to Windows Live FavoritesSubmit to RedditGoogle Bookmark ThisFark ItAdd to Yahoo MyWeb2Buzz Up!

    Shirley Riggs Shares Family Pictures - Photos - KCTV Kansas City

     

    http://www.kctv5.com/news/18288843/detail.html

    JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. -- A mother accused of kidnapping her children and sparking an Amber Alert spoke with KCTV5's Matt Stewart from jail.

    Shirley Riggs said she had a good reason for kidnapping her four children. She said she wanted to protect them from her husband, their father, amid allegations of abuse.

    Riggs said she feels the justice system was wrong to take her children away from her. "I feel like I did what any other mother would have done," she said.

    Clad in an orange jumpsuit, Riggs sat in the Jackson County Jail with a stack of court documents that detail her story. She claims she is misunderstood, that the legal system is against her and that the proof is in those documents.

     

    "I was kind of at the end of my rope, not knowing what to do, where to go, where to find help for my kids," Riggs said.

    On Sept. 20, during an unsupervised visit with her children at her mother's house, Riggs piled her four children into a van and took off in the middle of the night. They drove to Washington state and spent two weeks in hiding.

    "I didn't really have an exact plan. I just thought someone would listen to me outside the state of Missouri," Riggs said.

    Independence police issued an Amber Alert and the media splashed their faces on television sets across the nation.

    When an employee at a motel in Olympia recognized Riggs' face, she called police, who arrested Riggs and sent the kids back to Missouri.

    "After I was in jail for a couple days, I kind of thought, 'It's time to start fighting again,'" Riggs said.

    Riggs said she has been fighting for her children for the past four years, beginning in the summer of 2004, when she left her husband, Raymond, claiming he was abusive toward her.

    She moved with the kids from Missouri to New Mexico and then to Oregon.

    Riggs also alleged that Ray Riggs acted sexually inappropriately around their children. She said three separate therapists who interviewed the children believe it to be true. The children, she said, told the therapists their father watched porn in front of them and walked around naked. Riggs said that's why she kept taking the kids, to protect them.

    "It was quite obvious, not just me to me but also to the therapist, that my children wanted no contact with their father," Riggs said.

    Raymond Riggs filed for divorce in November 2006 and shortly after that, a custody battle began. Raymond Riggs declined an interview request, but his attorney spoke on his behalf.

    Attorney Philip Zuspan said, "A lot of what Shirley Riggs has alleged is not true."

    Zuspan said Raymond has always complied with investigators and has never been charged with any sex crimes against his children. He said Raymond Riggs loves his kids and wants to be a part of their lives.

    "It is consuming to him. Every waking moment for the last couple of years, the thing on Raymond Riggs' mind is getting his children back," Zuspan said.

    On April 24, 2007, Jackson County Judge Stephen Nixon ordered Shirley Riggs to appear in court in person to discuss her husband's divorce filing.

    "But I was in Oregon. I had no way to get to Missouri," Riggs said.

    Not only didn't Riggs show up, but her attorney quit that same day, so she had no representation. At that meeting, Nixon ordered the children be placed in the temporary custody of their paternal grandparents.

    "There was no notice that custody was going to be discussed that day," Riggs said.

    KCTV5 News reporter Matt Stewart had retired Johnson County Judge Larry McClain look over the paperwork in the case. Judge McClain presided over domestic law cases for 19 years.

    "It seemed like kind of a drastic measure to me," McClain said.

    While McClain did not say Nixon made the wrong decision, he did admit he would have handled it differently.

    "Perhaps if I were in his shoes, I would have sent her a notice that I'm rescheduling that case management order, and she had 30 days to contact the court and if she did not do so, custody would be changed," McClain said.

    When Stewart asked Nixon why he gave away custody that day, an aide from his office wrote, "Judge Nixon cannot comply with your request because to do so would clearly violate his obligation not to discuss any pending case."

    Despite the sexual misconduct allegations against Raymond Riggs, Nixon continued to allow him unsupervised overnight visits with his kids, which is why Shirley said she took them this summer.

    "It seemed like all the abuse was being covered up and ignored," Riggs said.

    As Riggs awaits her February trial, she said she knows she may never see her children again, but she remains hopeful she will one day regain custody of them.

    "I know they need me. They need me now, they'll need me when this is over," Riggs said.

    Riggs' children are currently in foster care.

    Riggs and her kids are part Cherokee Indian. The Cherokee Nation is in the process of trying to get involved in the case to see if they can reunite Riggs and her kids through federal law.

    Independence police told KCTV5 News they are no longer investigating Raymond Riggs. They released a statement Monday saying they have closed the case.

    Copyright 2008 by KCTV5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Sunday, March 29, 2009

    Want to find a crooked Judge? Just call the Courthouse~!~

    How do you find a crooked Judge in Canada or the US?

    You just call the courthouse

    civilliberties

    The stupidity that runs amok within the circles of FR groups never cease to amaze me (or my blog stats!)

    batteredmomslosecustody

    An upcoming symposium is planned in March of 2009 to train 2000 more psychologists and lawyers to commit this fraud in court. To check out the website google Canadian Symposium on Parental Alienation - don’t want to give free publicity by linking. You can check out the video below to see how seriously this fraudulent theory is being propagandized. It has been appalling how the “Cottage Industry” of family law has culminated in this horrible scam which is really a profiteering fraud that is being pushed as some legitimate legal tactic. Sorry, but Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) is not a valid, medically accepted disease. It is the sick philosophy of one man, the Pro-Pedophilia Dr. Richard Gardner. Every person using this hypothetical theory is supporting the fraudulent perverse theories of a pedophile supporter. Everyone who has morals and actually cares about the well-being of children needs to be aware that PAS is a shield for child abusers.

    It is very lucrative for lawyers and therapists because the money to be made is in defense of criminals. Victims only cost the state money trying to defend them and protect the public, but defending child abusers - hey - there is real money to be made in that. What is totally disregarded in these cases is that there is a spouse and child/ren who apparently don’t like the way they were treated by the person they don’t want to associate with. Since batterers who abuse their spouse are more than twice as likely to abuse their children, when these so-called professionals claim the child has not been abused, they have NO RIGHT to discount what the child is saying whatsoever. So the whole theory of PAS is based on the person named as the abuser by a child and/or by a protective parent claiming that the people who say they are victims are lying. This is total crap. Why? Because if they weren’t abusive it would just be easier to stay together? This is just one of many reasons this theory is faulty. The reactions of an abused child are claimed to be the result of the protective parent’s actions rather than a reaction to the person they name as the abuser. It is Orwell’s 1984 coming true.

    The symposium claims to have the leading authorities on PAS. One of these so-called leading authorities is J. Michael Bone - the UNLICENSED mental health professional from Florida. What happened to his license? He had multiple ethics complaints against him for using this fraudulent and biased theory to perpetrate custody change fraud. These horrible evaluations that children are subjected to are with the sole intent of discrediting whatever the child and custodial parent say. It is similar to what a rape victim has to go through when testifying against there abuser, only these poor children cannot get away from these unethical people. They have infiltrated the courts and have cross referral relationships all over calling it collaborative law. It really should be called corruption, collusion, and cronyism.

    Another couple of speakers at the symposium are Pamela Stuart-Mills Hoch, and M.A., Bob Hoch, M.A. of the Rachel Foundation, which is currently the subject of a lawsuit for the following:

    The Children were mentally and emotionally abused by Pamela Stuart-Mills Hoch, Robert Hoch and Dr. Jack Ferrell.

    The Children were also threatened on more than one occasion. Specifically, the Children were told that they would not be able to leave Texas nor would they be able to see their mother unless they cooperated with the Rachel Foundation’s “reunification” program.The Rachel Foundation, Pamela Stuart-Mills Hoch, Robert Hoch and Dr. Jack Ferrell applied numerous circumspect methodologies in their evaluation and “treatment” of the Children and have used their influence to purposefully harm Plaintiff, acting outside the scope of any implicit or explicit permission granted Defendants by Plaintiff or any court or other agency.

    As a result of Defendants’ misconduct, Plaintiff has suffered considerable emotional distress.

    Additionally, The Rachel Foundation employed people of dubious character, with Jack Ferrell who has two arrests, and Dr. Barry Bricklin who was charged by the FTC for fraudulent claims. There are also Ethics complaints against therapists at the Rachel Foundation with the psychology board.

    Anyone having information on any of the other speakers, please post a comment…

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    MO. Stacey Lannert –freed after 20 years for-killing her sexually abusive father







    http://abcnews.go.com/2020

    VIDEO: Woman's Life Sentence Commuted

    Woman's Life Sentence Commuted
    Stacey Lannert shot her father, then spent 18 years in prison.

     

     

    12:15 AM CST on Friday, January 16, 2009

    Supporters of the release of Stacey Lannert will welcome the news, after a meeting of the Missouri Parole and Probation Board earlier this week, Stacey is due to walk free from the W.E.R.R.D.C. in Vandalia at approx. 9:00am this morning.
    On Monday Stacey will be a guest of Good Morning America.
    Stacey will be promoting a new doll designed by herself and close friend Christine Peanick.
    In Stacey's words "I am very excited about getting this doll out there. The doll is very unique in that allows young children the opportunity to express themselves without judgment. Children are often intimidated or afraid to talk to adults about their problems and/or fears. Talking about something is the first step in the healing process. That is how I overcame my fears. I wasn’t offered an outlet for my feelings, but I want to ensure that other children are given that opportunity, even if it is through a doll. At least they will voice it, which in turn, may give them the courage needed to talk to someone else about it."
    Any persons interested in purchasing a doll may do so by either visiting their website, soon to be available online, or expressing their interest by emailing Christine Peanick.
    Any persons wishing to assist Stacey with financial suppport upon her release are welcome to forward donations to :
    Stacey Lannert Fund
    P.O. Box 142767
    St Louis, MO. 63114

    10:05 PM CST on Saturday, January 10, 2009

    JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Blunt has commuted the prison sentences of two women who killed the men who had abused them.
    "After an exhaustive review of the facts in both cases, I am commuting the sentences of Stacey Lannert and Charity Carey, who suffered extensive abuse before they took action against the men who raped them and subjected them to other horrible physical and emotional abuse," Blunt said in a statement.
    Lannert has been in custody for 18 years after killing her father in 1990 when she was 18. Blunt says Lannert was sexually abused by her father for about nine years, from the time she was 8 until his death.
    While the abuse issue was raised during her trial, the jury was told not to consider that as a mitigating factor. She was convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action and sentenced to life without parole.
    Four jurors signed affidavits saying they thought the sentence was too harsh, and Lt. Tom Schulte, the first officer to question Lannert after the slaying, told the governor's office that he strongly supported the commutation.
    "The night this happened, she was 18, alone, and I told her I'd be three for her," Schulte said. "It is 18 years later and I'm still there for her."
    The commutation reduces her sentence to 20 years, making her eligible for immediate conditional release. Blunt says he supports that release being granted.
    Lannert initially was offered a 15-year sentence as part of a plea bargain, but she refused to sign it because she would have had to say that she killed her dad for his money.
    Her case was brought to the attention of former Gov. Bob Holden at the end of his tenure in 2005 when people carried posters and pictures at the Capitol asking him to show her mercy, but Holden took no action.

    Outgoing Governor Matt Blunt is to be congratulated for his courage and integrity in making the decision. His decision not only paves the way for Stacey to enjoy a productful life after years of abuse and incarceration, but also reflects his genuine belief in the plight of all victims of abuse.

    Woman's Life Sentence Commuted

    Stacey Lannert shot her father, then spent 18 years in prison.

    More 20/20 Stories

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    Louisiana: Lawyer Brutally Murdered by her Husband

     

    http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/features/26105.html

    Lawyer Brutally Murdered
    28-Mar-2009
    Written by: Laura Anderson


    Attorney Chiquita Tate was stabbed 38 times, allegedly by her husband.
    The attorney was brutally slain, allegedly at the hands of her husband, according to CNN. The couple lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and had been married for 14½ months when the murder occurred.


    Tate was considered dedicated to justice and an impassioned defense attorney who failed to defend herself. A college friend of Tale, T. J. Crawford, reflected on her memory in an interview with CNN reporter Craig Johnson.


    “She just had an attachment to justice and doing what’s right by people. She was always very serious about that,” said Crawford.
    Greg Harris, 37, is being charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a dangerous weapon. His bond was set at $500,000. According to Harris’s attorney, Lewis Unglesby, Harris is innocent.


    “Greg Harris by all accounts . . . is innocent. I don’t know anybody that thinks he did it, except the police. There’s nothing in his background. He has cooperated completely with the police; he’s signed everything they’ve asked him to sign. He’s let them search his house, his car,” said Unglesby.
    The murder took place on Feb. 20. The police soon after discovered that there was a warrant out for Harris’s arrest due to a battery-domestic violence case that was brought against him more than a year earlier.
    The couple's history of violence is what led the police to suspect Harris.

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    Saturday, March 28, 2009

    The Low Road

     

    The Low Road

     

    What can they do to you?

    Whatever they want.

    They can set you up,

    they can bust you,

    they can break your fingers,

    they can burn your brain with electricity,

    blur you with drugs till you can’t walk, can’t remember,

    they can take your child,

    wall up your lover.

    They can do anything

    you can’t stop them from doing.

    How can you stop them?

    Alone, you can fight,

    you can refuse,

    you can take what revenge you can

    but they roll over you.

    But two people fighting back to back can cut through a mob,

    a snake-dancing file can break a cordon,

    an army can meet an army.

    Two people can keep each other sane,

    can give support, conviction, love, massage, hope, sex.

    Three people are a delegation, a committee, a wedge.

    With four you can play bridge and start an organization.

    With six you can rent a whole house,

    eat pie for dinner with no seconds,

    and hold a fund raising party.

    A dozen make a demonstration.

    A hundred fill a hall.

    A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter;

    ten thousand, power and your own paper;

    a hundred thousand, your own media;

    ten million, your own country.

    It goes on one at a time.

    It starts when you care to act.

    It starts when you do it again,

    after they said no,

    it starts when you say We

    and know who you mean, and each day,

    you mean one more.

    -Marge Piercy

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    Wednesday, March 25, 2009

    Misfire in Maryland: Guns accounted for more than half the deaths resulting from domestic violence

    Misfire in Maryland

    Arming abuse victims is the wrong way to curb domestic violence.

    Tuesday, March 24, 2009; Page A12

    THE PROBLEM: Guns accounted for more than half of the deaths resulting from domestic violence in Maryland from June 2007 to July 2008. The solution, according to some lawmakers: more guns. The Maryland Senate may vote as early as today on an amendment that would make it easier for victims of domestic violence to obtain guns. In theory, empowering victims could discourage potential abusers. In practice, adding guns to an already combustible situation is likely to lead to more violence. The Senate should reject the amendment.

    The provision undermines two potentially life-saving bills that would make it more difficult for suspected abusers to carry firearms. One bill would allow judges to strip abuse suspects who were subject to temporary restraining orders of the right to carry firearms. The other bill would bar abuse suspects who were subject to final restraining orders from possessing guns. In past years, similar legislation passed the Senate but died in the House Judiciary Committee. When the House passed the bills last week, free of amendments that would mar their effectiveness, it seemed that there were few obstacles left.

     

    Enter Sens. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's) and Alex X. Mooney (R-Frederick). The two lawmakers, members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, proposed an amendment that would expedite the process by which domestic abuse victims could obtain firearms. The committee approved the provision, which was tacked on to the bill that deals with final protective orders, by a 6 to 5 vote.

     

    Victims' advocates and law enforcement officers have serious concerns about the amendment. They worry that an abuser could discover a firearm hidden by a victim or wrestle away a gun during a dispute. It takes considerable training, police officials note, to be able to effectively wield a gun in self-defense. There's another wrinkle: An abuser could misleadingly claim to be a victim of domestic violence and file for a protective order. This would rush a gun into the hands of someone capable of violence. And police officers called to domestic disputes could find themselves in greater danger.

    Maybe backers of the amendment have seen one Jodie Foster film too many, but, in the real world, victims don't usually resolve dangerous situations with gunfire. Strong legislation to keep guns away from abusers, not easy-to-obtain guns, is the best protection for victims.

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    Outrageous Acts-Our Power to Create Change.

    Permalink 

  • What is Outrageous Acts?

    Outrageous Acts is a Ms. Foundation social networking, social change campaign that invites each of us to engage in, celebrate, and support acts in the cause of simple justice on behalf of women, families and communities.

    Outrageous Acts reminds each of us of our power to create change. It also helps us imagine what’s possible when we link the power of our own outrageous acts with others’ nationwide. The more we inspire new outrageous acts and connect with other outrageous actors, the more power we‘ll have to bring about the kind of change we want to see in our communities, our country and our world.

    Outrageous Acts takes its inspiration from Gloria Steinem, a founder of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the many Ms. Foundation grantees who are organizing for justice and equity in communities throughout the U.S.

    Years ago, to further the power of grassroots organizing, Steinem began encouraging people across the country to turn their outrage into action, and to have fun doing it:

    “If each person in the room promises that…the very next day she or he will do at least one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice, then I promise I will, too. It doesn’t matter whether the act is as small as saying, “Pick it up yourself” …or as large as calling a strike….” [view video]

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  • Kansas Town Hall meeting-Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook to discuss Senate resolution S1609

    March 26th, 2009

    A matter of Federal over reaching: –“cease and desist”

    Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook to discuss Senate resolution S1609, which would re-assert Kansas’ and its’ citizens’ sovereignty from the federal government, with a town hall discussion with other legislators on governmental over reaching

    Sponsored by

    The Coalition of Citizen Advocacy Groups (CCAG), the November Patriots and Hope for America Coalition

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      

    RDFry

    816 853 8718

    A matter of Federal over reaching: –“cease and desist”

    Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook to discuss Senate resolution S1609, which would re-assert Kansas’ and its’ citizens’ sovereignty from the federal government, with a town hall discussion with other legislators on governmental over reaching

    Sponsored by

    The Coalition of Citizen Advocacy Groups (CCAG), the November Patriots and Hope for America Coalition

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                               

    Contact: Richard D. Fry

    March 16, 2009

    (816) 853-8718

    CCAG, The November Patriots and Hope for America Coalition are sponsoring a public presentation by Senator Mary Pilcher – Cook on Senate resolution (S1609), which she introduced this session. The Resolution re-asserts the State’s and the citizen’s supremacy over and sovereignty from the federal government. Senator Pilcher–Cook will discuss the circumstances leading up to her introduction of the resolution, its status in the legislature, its impact if passed and the possible follow up to its passage.

    A town hall discussion will follow the presentation, with other legislators as the panelist. The general theme will be governmental over reaching. It is expected that the topics discussed will include the current proposed state wide smoking ban and the use of eminent domain to take property away from citizens to give it to commercial interests. The November Patriots will moderate the event.

    The event is free and open to the public.

    Title: Kansas may declare its Sovereignty from the Federal Government: A Presentation by Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook and town hall meeting on Governmental over Reaching

    Date:               Thursday, March 26, 2009

    Time:              Doors open 6:30; Presentation begins at 7:00 P.M

    .
    Location:        Olathe City Hall, Chambers Room

    100 E. Santa Fe Street, Olathe, Kansas

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    Monday, March 23, 2009

    Judicial Abuse -In memory of those who have died from the Courts

    Judicial Abuse

    http://www.theanonymums.com/

     

    Introduction
    Judicial abuse occurs when the effects of law itself are damaging to the person access to justice. In the most severe forms, Judicial abuse often occurs involving the most vulnerable members of our world: Children. For some time, judicial abuse has occurred across systems and mostly against mothers and children. Considering that it was not that long ago that both women and children were seen and not heard, just as things were improving it seemed as though humanity was finally valuing each and every precious human life. Out in the public, such things would and do cause enough outrage for a sense of "natural justice". Away from the public eye, these human rights atrocities occur almost unseen and unheard like a thief in the night.
    Secrecy
    There are laws that prevent survivors from speaking out about their experiences. Whilst it is "for the children", children are not allowed to speak about the proceedings either. The media have written too few articles on the family court. To bring the case to the media, participants must seek permission from the court itself or face imprisonment. Controversially, fathers rights groups were allowed to heavily voice their stories of "no contact", "falsely accused of child abuse and domestic violence" and few were allowed to challenge that except in utilizing generalist terms and evidence based research. We are aware that most of these stories are not the case at all but are withheld by law to bring the public the truth.
    Family Court
    In the process of seeking more time with children and promoting what appears to be the most noble cause, has entrenched the rights of mothers and children in their ability to seek safety from violence. Heads have been quoted in the media for stating that "family violence is our core business". The propaganda that is spread about the voices of children and their access to justice promotes the profitability in manufacturing child abuse and domestic violence. They can do something about it, but it is not within their best economical advantage to do so. This will continue until something is done. ShareThis

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