Family Court Crisis-Abusers Getting Custody!

Kansas: Fatherhood Funding, aka Daddy Welfare, Domestic Violence and Sam Brownback’s Cash Cow

2012-01-16T07:07:00.001-08:00

State’s proposed domestic violence contract widely criticized

At the center of criticism

A proposed SRS contract contains two controversial sentences: “The vendor will be encouraged to work with faith-based and community supports to increase the unification of two (2) parent families and promote pregnancy prevention through abstinence based programs.”

“The Contractor shall administer TANF funds to promote healthy families, parenthood initiatives and pregnancy prevention through abstinence based program services to encourage the formation of two parent families within the confines of keeping individuals and families safe, reducing both child abuse and domestic violence.”

A proposed state contract for helping low-income abused women has drawn widespread criticism because of fear that it would require domestic violence programs to promote two-parent families.

The controversial language could end up pushing more women to stay in abusive relationships, having the unintended consequence of endangering them and their children, critics say.

The same contract – which also would provide services to sex-assault victims – calls for abstinence-based programs. Critics say it would be insulting to tell a woman who has been raped that abstinence is part of the solution.

The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, which is handling the proposed contract, said the language supports goals of a federal program and is not meant to steer women into staying with abusers, that its intent is to encourage healthy relationships that prevent violence.

The concern stems from new language the state has inserted in a proposed contract for providing services to low-income victims of domestic and sexual violence who receive cash assistance from the state. The controversial terms include specifications encouraging a vendor to work with faith-based groups, to promote “unification” or “formation” of two-parent families and to pursue abstinence-based pregnancy prevention.

Those voicing the concerns — including Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston, state and national domestic violence experts and lawmakers in both parties — say such language is confusing, contradictory and insulting. A woman in crisis often is torn about whether to leave her abuser, and if she has decided to leave, worries how she will survive economically.

Such language is not common in domestic violence services contracts around the nation, said Anne Menard, executive director of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, in Harrisburg, Pa. In domestic violence services, the “primary interest that needs to be addressed is safety,” Menard said.

Juliene Maska, who dealt with domestic violence issues for 22 years while working for Attorneys General Bob Stephan and Carla Stovall and Govs. Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson, said of the new stipulations: “All of the sudden, you’re adding some additional requirements that don’t seem safe.”

Because the language appears in the proposed contract, it likely means that, one way or another, a provider would have to convey the language to victims, Maska said.

To a victim, a requirement promoting two-parent families could send the message that maybe she should go back to her batterer, or that she should find another partner, Maska said.

“I’m not saying that the state is saying that,” but the message could easily be interpreted that way, she said.

State Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, disagreed, saying victims won’t be aware of the language and won’t be affected by it. Landwehr, chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee, said the controversy over the language is “strictly politics.”

Maska said the new specifications also appear to set up expectations that the contractor will have to show how its efforts led to two-parent families and how it involved faith-based groups.

Despite the concerns, the state does not plan to change the wording, said SRS spokeswoman Angela de Rocha. In the next few days, SRS expects to post an amendment to the proposed contract, clarifying the intent of the language, de Rocha said Friday.

“We’re not telling people they need to stay in an abusive relationship,” de Rocha said.

“We believe that healthy families and healthy relationships are universal values.”

Extensive research indicates that children do better in healthy two-parent families, she said.

“This is not a religious precept,” she said, but is backed by statistics.

Contract language absent in other states

But the two sentences are still inappropriate in a proposed contract for domestic violence services, no matter the rationale, said state Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, ranking minority member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Public Health and Welfare Committee.

The inclusion of abstinence-based pregnancy prevention is aimed at young single women abused by boyfriends and at teens in families where domestic violence has occurred, to prevent unhealthy behaviors, de Rocha said.

The best model is a healthy, two-parent family, she said.

“In some of these families where there’s been domestic violence, the kids, the teenagers have never seen a healthy relationship. What we’re trying to convey to people is a solid marriage is the best place to raise children.”

The wording has not been in previous domestic violence services contracts because of an oversight, de Rocha said. But the wording reflects specific goals under a federal program — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, known as TANF — which provides funding for the state’s domestic violence program, she said. Those goals include “preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancies” and “encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families,” she said. The TANF money can be used only to support TANF goals, she said.

Other states use language that is similar to that in the proposed Kansas contract, de Rocha said.

In Colorado, domestic violence contracts do not contain language promoting two-parent families or encouraging involvement with faith-based groups, said Liz McDonough, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Human Services. In Missouri, domestic violence contracts also do not have such wording, but the state often partners with faith-based groups in helping to provide domestic violence services, said Seth Bundy, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Social Services.

SRS now contracts with the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, whose network of subcontractors comprises 29 domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy programs across the state. According to the coalition, the network includes four Wichita entities: Catholic Charities Harbor House, StepStone, Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center and YWCA Women’s Crisis Center. The network also includes Family Life Center of Butler County in El Dorado, Harvey County DV/SA Task Force in Newton and Safe Homes in Winfield.

The coalition’s website says that one of its goals is to “confront and affirm issues of empowerment affecting women and children without regard” to a number of factors, including “marital/parental status.”

Coalition members declined to be interviewed, but gave this statement: “KCSDV’s mission is to increase safety for victims and to hold perpetrators of sexual and domestic violence accountable for the harm they cause. To that end the role that government plays in this mission is obvious, both in the criminal justice system and in the state welfare system.

“KCSDV is committed to working with national, state and local governments to further these goals. Our focus, however, will always be on victim safety and services. Because the harm caused by sexual and domestic violence and stalking is widespread and impacts communities across Kansas, the importance of the partnership with our state’s administration cannot be underestimated. Until proven otherwise, KCSDV will assume that our state government shares the goal of increasing safety in our communities.”

The current contract pays the coalition nearly $1.5 million annually to provide services to about 2,000 abused women. The coalition has held the contract since 1999. Bids for the new contract are due by Jan. 31.

Muddled message

Foulston, the Sedgwick County district attorney, said the new contract language would be confusing and patronizing for domestic violence victims.

It’s difficult enough for an abused, low-income woman to become independent, but under the new language, the message the victim might take is that she needs to stay with an abusive spouse for the sake of her children, Foulston said.

Another troubling aspect is the faith-based component, which doesn’t respect the separation of church and state, Foulston said. It raises the possibility of a victim being “subjected to some kind of lecture under a faith-based initiative,” she said.

There’s nothing wrong with abused women deciding on their own to get help from a religious organization, but “they don’t need to be told that they’re going to be healed through religious intervention,” she said. It “should be their choice, not the state’s choice.”

Deborah Gordon, associate professor of women’s studies at Wichita State University, said that while she is not a policy expert, “the language can be read different ways because there’s so many things going on in it. It muddles the waters of what message needs to be communicated to women and children about domestic violence.”

Victims struggle enough over whether to leave abusers because they worry about supporting themselves and their children, Gordon said.

Among lawmakers, there has been bipartisan criticism of the language.

State Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, said, “I’m not sure why we have that specific language for a program that is designed to protect women and children.” McGinn, who serves on the board of the YWCA Women’s Crisis Center, said the wording doesn’t belong in a domestic violence contract “because they’re serving a whole different purpose, which is safety.”

State Sen. Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, said that while he appreciates efforts by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to promote marriage and family, “I believe that obviously things change dramatically when you have a woman who is abused.”

Referring to the proposed contract, Kelsey said, “That language could have been stated more effectively, and they (SRS) believe that.”

SRS is working to “make the language more understandable, more agreeable to the people who work those issues,” he said.

“I am confident that the situation is going to be resolved to everybody’s satisfaction.”

I Too Have A Dream. That All Battered Mothers and Their Children Can One day Be Free.

2012-01-16T06:27:00.001-08:00

Every MLK Day, I always think of this snippet of Dr. Martin Luther King. Freedom, humanity, hope, the great struggle and ultimate revolution and victory. Wow what a wonderful concept.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

All over the Nation Battered Mothers and Their Children remain enslaved. We ARE NOT FREE. We have never have been free. We are being murdered, our children murdered at pandemic proportions. We remain tortured if we survive.

MLK didn't stand up for the Black woman and her children, he stood up for the black man. However, great was the cause.

Gandhi (and I am a great fan of his quotes) the same. They stood up for the India ‘Man’, not India’s women and children. However, great was the cause.

Women and children all over the world remain ‘owned’ remain enslaved by patriarchy, father rule sometimes known as fathers rights. Just ask any battered mother. When they thought they had the ‘human right’ to protect herself and her children from violence, well, they do not. And, her children like has been for over four thousand years - are taken from her with the blessings of whatever authority that be in place, and given to the abuser, the father, the slave master.

He who has the right to beat, abuse, maim and kill. (e.g. Topeka Decriminalizing Domestic Violence) This STILL Remains. In Fact as a result, Violent Crime has escalated out of control, not only to just women and children, but to the entire community, because you see when we as a society allow our families to be killed and tortured, we allow it to happen to our communities. Everything starts at home folks.

Did you know that the Leading Cause of Death to Mothers is Father Violence?

On this day, I ask each one of you to look around you, the world quite simply would cease to exist with out ‘mother’. Mother is honorable, Mother is the soul of humanity. Mother gives freely, there is no need to continue to oppress her.

“ I Too Have a Dream…… That All Mothers And Their Children Can One Day Be Free”

Full Text of speech here.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Family Court -- Unconstitutional Judicial Gag Orders - justice's posterous - Battered Mothers Justice

2012-01-06T08:10:00.001-08:00

Over the past decade, family court judges routinely have uttered broader and broader gag orders, forbidding parents in custody battles from talking or writing about their cases. The pretext for these orders is that they are needed for the protection of the child. Nevertheless, it's suspected that more often they are prompted by embarrassed officials who dislike scrutiny and criticism by internet bloggers in the wake of burgeoning out-of-control shoot-from-the-hip "therapeutic jurisprudence" in the family courts. The stated child protection rationale is specious because defamation, obscenity, violations of privacy, harassment, and other unprotected speech appropriately are addressed by the law after the fact when actual or potentially harmful speech can be specifically identified.

These orders are illegal under the First Amendment as violations of the constitutional prohibition against prior restraint. Now one mother, Faith Torres, has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union because of a gag order entered in her case by Judge Debra DeSegna in Providence, Rhode Island, July 29, at the request of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families. Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU's Rhode Island affiliate, called the order a "blatant violation of the First Amendment." Let's see some federal lawsuits. http://newsblog.projo.com/2010/08/judge-bars-ri-mother-from-talk.html

via justice.posterous.com

via batteredmothersjustice.posterous.com

Live Stream: The Ninth Annual ‘Battered Mothers Custody Conference’ Begins Tonight Jan 6, 7 & 8th, Albany, NY

2012-01-06T07:48:00.001-08:00

Battered Women, Abused Children, and Child Custody: "A National Crisis"

The Ninth Annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference:

BMCC IX, January 6th, 7th, and 8th, 2012

Friday evening through Sunday

###

You can watch the Conference live stream beginning tonight at 7 PM EST here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-ninth-battered-mothers-custody-conference Updated Conference Schedule P resenters

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. All Over America Battered Women Are Loosing Custody of Their Children To The Batterers When They Try To Leave To Protect Their Self And Their Children From Further Abuse. The Family Courts Are Routinely Giving Child Custody To Batterers And Pedophiles And Completely Separating The Mother From Her Child(ren).

About The Conference: Battered Mothers Custody Conference The Conference includes presentations, round-table discussions, and question & answer sessions with nationally distinguished professionals whose work is ...

Battered Mothers Custody Conference Interviews

[IMPORTANT: The following audiovisual piece includes real-life interviews featuring disturbing verbal content and statements on child abuse and domestic violence. Viewer discretion is advised.] Prof. Garland Waller produced "Small Justice: Little Justice in America's Family Courts" which is an independent documentary that explores the relationship between domestic violence, child sexual abuse and custody laws in America. To learn more about the stories of the women seen in this 10 minute clip, please go to http://batteredmotherscustodyconferen...Jessie Beers Altman, a graduate student in the College of Communication, was in charge of editing this video.For more information of Boston University's Department of Film and Television at the College of Communication, visit: http://www.bu.edu/com/ft

Now Available: Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Child Custody: Legal Strategies and Policy Issues Edited by Mo Therese Hannah, Ph.D. and Barry Goldstein, J.D.

Susan Murphy Milano Zeus Radio:

Protective Mothers and Custody Guests Barry Goldstein and Dr. Mo Hannah 1-5-2012

Both guests are battered women and custody experts and advocates, and they are the editors of the book “Domestic Violence, Abuse and Child Custody”, an in-depth look at domestic violence, child custody, abusers, and our court system. Their research will be presented at the Ninth Annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference in Albany, NY (January 2012). Barry Goldstein is an attorney, teacher, author and advocate for women abused by their partner (and too often the courts). Dr. Mo Hannah is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Siena College and has focused her interest in abusive dynamics and their impact on interpersonal relationships and in forensic psychology. (Read More)

Mothers File International Petition To Inter American Commission On Human Rights

Full Text of IACHR Petition. On May 11, just before Mother’s Day weekend, ten mothers, one victimized child, now an adult, and twelve leading national organizations filed a complaint against the United States with the Inter American Commission on Human Rights. Their petition claims that U.S. courts, by frequently awarding child custody to abusers and child molesters, has failed to protect the life, liberties, security and other human rights of abused mothers and their children. More http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org/info/custody-abuse/legal-documents/petition-to-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights

NATIONAL DOCUMENTARIES ON THE CRISIS IN FAMILY COURTS

Click the image or the link for the Entire Documentaries

Family Court Crisis; Our Children at Risk

2008 Family Law Documentary

by the Center For Judicial Excellence

PBS: Breaking The Silence; Children's Stories

by Tatge/Lasseur Productions and Connecticut Public Television

Faces of the Family Court Crisis

by James Hall Photography

Domestic Violence Continued in Contested Child Custody

Parental Alienation: What This Phoney Syndrome Does in Custody Battles Why More Fathers Are Able to Yank Children Away from Their Mothers Legally

2012-01-03T07:06:00.001-08:00

Yahoo! Voices

There are many instances that I could cite here where physically and sexually abusive fathers have gained custody of the children in custody battles, but instead I will list only a few of the more heinous crimes done to these children legally in divorce court. Sure fathers have rights to the children too but what about in these cases where the children are harmed? Does that not effectively prove to the court that they are unfit? Do these fathers still deserve visitation with these innocent, traumatized children? If you had been raped repeatedly as a child, can you imagine a judge forcing you to visit with the person who hurt you?

Father X was furious when Mother X filed for divorce. The judge forced the mother to take the kids for visitation anyway. Father X had made threats in court but the judge would not relent. Mother X came back to get the children and found them hanging by a home-made noose. The children survived barely. The judge in the case placed the mother in jail for refusing to allow any more visitation. The father eventually did go to jail for attempted murder but only after a year fighting for custody of the children.

Father X was recorded threatening to kidnap the children when he was allowed visitation. The mother would never see her children again. This was played for the judge in divorce court. The judge told the mother that if she did not allow visitation, she would go to jail. An arrest warrant was placed for the mother but she went through criminal court to have the father arrested for threats made against her children.

Father X raped his young teen daughter. Mother X refused to allow more visitation. The father cited parental alienation as the reason for the claims against him. He won custody and the mother is still fighting for her daughter.

There are websites that tell how fathers win custody of their children through citing parental alienation although they have physically and sexually harmed their children. Manuals are sold online to help fathers win custody or visitation of these children. Yanking even breastfed infants away from their mothers. Step by step directions on how to win in custody battles for fathers who have never been involved with the children. Children who never even saw their father before are being sent to a stranger's house basically. Can you imagine how horrifying and traumatizing this would be for a small child? Typically mothers do not fight in court for no visitation unless there is a good reason. Mothers who trust fathers to take good care of the children will not resist a visitation schedule. Mothers who have any qualms about it should be listened to by the courts. Mothers' instincts come into play here as well.

Small children need stability. Why judges do not take this into consideration is a puzzle to me. How they allow fathers who have never cared for a child before to take over full custody is beyond my comprehension. If a parent has been the full time caregiver, why would a judge change this? Parental alienation. A made-up term supposedly meaning that the mother has turned the children against their father. Strangely most mothers would never even speak to their children about grown-up issues such as an unfit father. They don't need to do that, these children know that their father is a stranger to them. They know when they have been abused. If a child is refusing to go on visitation, the judge should take a closer look as to why. Of course the father's rights advocates blame the mother, hence "parental alienation" claims.

If a child is alienated from their father, it could be for good reason and have nothing to do with the mother at all. This is centered more around mothers as it is rare that a father will be a full time caregiver. Usually it is the mother doing all of the caregiving while the father works. There are many reasons for this happening...for fathers to get custody and liberal visitation although there are health and safety concerns for the children. Most judges are men and side with the fathers. The woman's attorney is a cheap one as the mother can't afford a better attorney. The men's attorneys are highly paid attorneys, fathers are the breadwinners in most all cases. So mothers start out lower on the totem pole. The judge is already against her and the father has the better attorney. The deck is stacked against her. This isn't only about mothers though. It is about protecting our children from harm.

Divorce is not painful in and of itself. The pain for children comes from being torn away from their homes, away from their mothers. The children stop trusting adults when they are forced to go with an abusive parent. The judge ordered it after all, the mother didn't stop it, and the father wasn't placed in jail where he belongs. The harrassment of mothers needs to stop in family court. The traumatizing of children needs to stop in family courts around the United States. It is never in a child's best interests to be sent with an abusive father or a total stranger whichever the case may be. Judges need to look up and pay attention during custody disputes. Children of divorce depend on them to make the right decisions.

Published by Carolyn Foster

"Auld Lang Syne" Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ?

2011-12-31T21:19:00.001-08:00

Mothers Are Vanishing – humanity is at a critical threshold, teetering on the balance of survival or destruction. We - alone or together can and will be the answer. as we bring in the new year. Know that this may be the beginning—or the end.

May your heart be full of love – your conscious clear. Let ‘truth, self respect and dignity’ be your guide and "Auld Lang Syne"

Happy New Year!

xoxo

Claudine Dombrowski (mother of Rikki Dombrowski)

A Battered Mother Survives

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Below you will find the lyrics for this traditional favorite in the English Translation (minimalist). I included a few interesting facts concerning this wonderful old song. I hope knowing the words to "Auld Lang Syne" in advance of the festivities, will help you to enjoy your New Year celebration even more.

- "Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song." It's often sung to celebrate the start of the New Year, generally at the stroke of midnight.
- "Guy Lombardo is often credited with popularizing the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, through his annual broadcasts on radio and television, beginning in 1929. The song became his trademark."

"Same Auld Lang Syne"

As another year comes to a close, we are reminded of the many major events that have taken place in the world and in our lives; wars and fighting, new territories conquered, great heroes and heroines that we have lost, new friends we have made, babies that have born into our families- our children stolen by pedophiles and abusers, Friends and relatives that have passed on through this world and into their eternal destiny. (Betty Gail sales –Stumpf)

There have been good times and not so good times, but those are the building blocks that construct and build the multi-levels and form the layers of our lives. Memories created and forever etched in our minds, hearts thoughts and lives; this is the stuff that life is made up of, so we take the good and the bad and make the best of it, choosing to highlight the good and joyful times.

The new year is rapidly approaching and as such, we plan our traditional New year's Eve parties. Bringing in the new year with good food, music, prayer, hugging and kissing; grateful and thankful to be in good company during this special time as we usher in a fresh new year full of possibilities and potential.

Countdown to the new year begins at 10 seconds before midnight, then as the clock strikes 12:00, it's time to share your rendition of the classic traditional song, "Auld Lang Syne".

The only problem that can exist now is the possibility that you might not know or remember all the lyrics or words to the song, since it's not a tune that is sung on a regular basis throughout the year. The lyrics (words) to this traditional classic are as follows:

"Auld Lang Syne" English Translation (minimalist)

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind ?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !

and surely I’ll buy mine !

And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,

and picked the daisies fine ;

But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,

from morning sun till dine† ;

But seas between us broad have roared

since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !

And give us a hand o’ thine !

And we’ll take a right good-will draught,

for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Repeat

From Tragedy To Action: The National Release of "Jana’s Story". Jana Mackey Kansas University Student & NOW Lobbyist Who Was Brutally Murdered In An Act of Domestic Violence....

2011-12-06T17:13:00.001-08:00

The video "Jana's Story" is now available. Please see the link below. http://www.JanasStory.org/

This powerful video is about the dramatic impact of domestic violence. Most importantly, however, this short film is about hope, inspiration, and encouragement for others to take action. Today, Jana's light shines brighter than ever. VIEW IT. SHARE IT. and LIVE IT by taking action and making a difference.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3rUqTSxSrc]

National Release of "Jana’s Story" Video Set For December 6th

On December 6, 2011, Jana's Campaign will release its long anticipated video "Jana’s Story". This powerful video brings to light the dramatic impact of domestic violence. The story of Jana’s life and death are illustrated in the hopes of encouraging others to take action. See the video at www.JanasStory.org. VIEW IT. Witness the powerful story of Jana’s life. SHARE IT. Help us tell Jana’s story and spread the word. LIVE IT. Take action and make a difference.

The timing of this video release has been scheduled to coincide with The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. This campaign begins on November 25, the International Day Against Violence Against Women, and ends on December 10, International Human Rights Day.

These dates symbolically link violence against women and human rights, and emphasize that such violence is a human rights violation. Since 1991, this annual campaign has mobilized more than 3,700 organizations in 164 countries to raise awareness about the multiple forms of violence women face. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is hosted and sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University.

Jana’s Campaign would like to thank all those who have made this video production possible.

10,000 Angels - Justice For Mother and Child

2011-12-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

Courtesy MamaLiberty 10,000 Angels

Mindy McCready sang about 10,000 angels in 1996 and now they sing for her. Protective mothers who also know all too well about family courts, DCF and abusers what Mindy has been through with custody of her son. This is a victory that will not go unnoticed with the large community of protective mothers. We applaud Judge Harrod for what we can only assume is reason and logic that a mother should be with their child, we couldn’t agree more.

All Smiles

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mindy-mccready-leaves-court-happy-girl-ruling-son/story?id=15089586

By LUCHINA FISHER (@luchina) and YUNJI DE NIES Dec. 6, 2011

Country singer Mindy McCready left an Arkansas courthouse a “happy girl” Monday without divulging details about a juvenile court judge’s ruling on what will happen to her and her five-year-old son Zander.

“I can’t talk about it, but I can tell you all I’m a happy girl. I’m a happy girl right now,” she said to reporters gathered outside the Izard County courtroom of Judge Lee Harrod.

“I love Judge Harrod, I’ll tell you that. I love that man. He’s a good man,” she said before being driven away from the courthouse.

Later Monday evening, McCready sent a text message to HLN’s Jane Valez Mitchell that the host read on air.

“WE WON!!! ZAN STAYS,” McCready wrote. “Court details sealed but we love Judge Lee W Harrod.”

Details on when the singer may be able to take Zander back home to Nashville, and whether McCready will get permanent custody of her son remain unclear.

“The next step would be for the judge to decide,” Amy Webb, director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Human Services, told ABC News.

Florida Department of Children and Families officials had been expected to request in the hearing that Zander be sent back to Cape Coral, Fla., where McCready’s mother, Gayle Inge, is his legal guardian.

“We will not discuss details of this case per the judge’s order. Of course we continue to work with all involved parties to ensure this child’s safety and well-being,” a Florida DCF spokeswoman told ABCNews.com.

McCready’s rep offered no information either. “All proceedings and documentation surrounding the hearing are sealed,” Kat Atwood said in a statement to ABCNews.com. “No further information is available at this time.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpzzY3r_0Ec]

activism, child abuse, Child Custody Issues, Children's Rights,domestic violence, Family Courts, Government Corruption
Tags: abused children, CPS, family court, Florida DCF, mat

Teri C. Stoddard to Father: ‘You Will Never Get Your Daughter Back!’

2011-11-30T22:38:00.001-08:00

This is delving into some major evil, as a woman who openly sides with documented child molesters and pedophiles, has threatened a father whose ex sold their daughter for $82,000. Teri C. Stoddard, the subject of numerous — and notorious — stories about her defense of NAMBLA-linked characters, told Anthony Lingle he would never get her daughter back if he continued to affiliate and align with Freedom of the Press Group LLC. She made the comments in response to this story: http://placercountyo.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/teri-c-stoddard-attacks-accuses-sides-wchild-molesters/

about an hour ago

Teri C. Stoddard

You will never get your daughter back!

Not with karma like this! You are evil!!!!

Teri C. Stoddard

YOU did this! YOU sent him our private exchange!

I tried to warn you. REMEMBER???? Now you will have to deal with the fallout. Get him to remove it and I will remove my posts about you.

10 minutes ago

Anthony Lingle

you talk shit about me and my case and i showed him what you sad about my case.

you will end up in jail trust me i am not playing games

9 minutes ago

Teri C. Stoddard

I have NEVER talked shit about you. You are paranoid. And now…since you aren’t doing the right thing, I have lost all respect for you.

Now you’re threatening me? For what?

Are you going to threaten to kill me too?

5 minutes ago

Anthony Lingle

no not a threaten i will have you put in jail for what you r doing to me and only me there is people you deal with that have nothing to do with me
this is all you talking shit to me

4 minutes ago

Anthony Lingle

leave me alone

Please click the link below and support this news media for naming names, truth telling and calling out the queen of pro pedo pro abusers. http://www.elliscountyobserver.com/2011/11/28/teri-c-stoddard-to-father-you-will-never-get-your-daughter-back/

Teri C. Stoddard Attacks, Accuses & Sides w/Child Molesters

2011-11-30T22:37:00.001-08:00

Please click the link below and support this news media for naming names, truth telling and calling out the queen of pro pedo pro abusers.

http://www.elliscountyobserver.com/2011/11/28/mother-of-child-molester-ex-italy-high-school-student-falsely-accuse-the-ellis-county-observer/

A woman who sides with pedophiles and child molesters is threatening readers, sources and news staff of The Ellis County Observer and Freedom of the Press Group LLC. This is once again another opportunity to show the tactics and strategies of sick mongrelized filth. Teri C. Stoddard has been e-mailing one of our sources in California, Anthony Lingle, about associating with this Web site (and our two California sister Web sites.) Our other California sources, Connie Bedwell (SaveAaliyah.com) and Presley Crowe(SaveOurSkye.org) can vouch for this woman’s sordid history. Stoddard’s first sentence to Anthony Lingle in an e-mail sent Nov. 27 was:

Teri C. Stoddard and her “experimenting” son. Sick

Stoddard responds:
“The news story I commented on where someone misunderstood what I meant was YEARS ago. And now you’ve twisted it to say I was talking about my own son.”

“I will say that I think you’re wrong about Shane [Crowe]. How can you believe a woman whose own attorney says she’s lying????? There are many liars, men and women, in our movement. The trick is figuring out who is who. If I am right, your reputation is being hurt by you associating with the anti-male, anti-truth “protective mother” types. They’ve had a bad reputation for years. I am not writing any of this to “hassle” you. I am trying to help you.”

Those who have followed the case against Shane Crowe and his daughter Presley’s two interviews and other documented information would find Studdard’s comments highly offensive. Background on Presley Crowe and her sister Skye’s story: http://theamadorarrow.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/shane-crowe-demands-stories-photos-be-removed/

Anthony Lingle’s E-mail Exchange with Teri C. Studdard:

Teri C. Stoddard

Anthony, come on. I never said anything bad about you. Why are you going there?

2 hours ago

Teri C. Stoddard
- I will say that I think you’re wrong about Shane. How can you believe a woman whose own attorney says she’s lying????? There are many liars, men and women, in our movement. The trick is figuring out who is who. If I am right, your reputation is being hurt by you associating with the anti-male, anti-truth “protective mother” types. They’ve had a bad reputation for years. I am not writing any of this to “hassle” you. I am trying to help you.
2 hours ago

Teri C. Stoddard
- Seriously…you’re working with THIS guy? http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-combine-chief-arrest-story,0,4223338.story BE CAREFUL OF YOUR REPUTATION! It is not true that all media coverage is good.
- http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-combine-chief-arrest-story,0,4223338.story
  
  www.the33tv.com
  
  Share
2 hours ago

Teri C. Stoddard
- More: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fforum.ragezone.com%2Ff10%2Fneed-assistance-silly-pedophile-734070%2F&h=xAQEWt6K9
- Need assistance – Silly pedophile – RaGEZONE forums
  
  forum.ragezone.com
  
  There is a guy who runs a news website for Ellis County in Texas, same county my hometown is in (Italy). Recently he has been invading the privacy of high school students in
  
  Share

Teri C. Stoddard

Is that movie really based on your story?

10 hours ago

Anthony Lingle
- YES IT IS ABOUT RIGHTS OF FATHERS OUT OF WEDLOCK AND ALSO HAS TO WITH PART OF MY CASE
10 hours ago

Teri C. Stoddard
- Did he talk to you before he filmed it?
10 hours ago

Anthony Lingle
- I SENT HIM INFO
8 hours ago

Teri C. Stoddard
- That movie is about william fain. that blog/article says it’s about you.
8 hours ago

Anthony Lingle
- i told you that i sent him info about my case and the movie is about a case just like mine and the blog says Lingle’s story is also the subject of a true-story documentary titled, “Father’s Rights.” Watch it here:
  WE ALL CAN LEARN FROM THIS DOCUMENTARY AND SAVE ARE CHILDREN
8 hours ago

Anthony Lingle
- you r missing the point here
  i am not going to sit here and pick apart this with you this is what i said for you look at not the point of the movie but yes i sent him info about parts of my case and how it went down not trying to make a movie for me or get paid just info about rights in the court room about fathers but if you look it is atrue story of him and his fight for his daughter and the laws he had change so stop trying to make something out of nothing it the point of right and the system to give people a clue how it happen to fathers…………………..
35 minutes agoSent from Mobile

Teri C. Stoddard
- Who are you arguing with? All I said was the blog was inaccurate. If I were you I’d ask the blog owner too fix the wording, to keep your reputation clean, that’s all. Since it’s a blog not a news article people might think you’re in on the lie.
30 minutes ago

Anthony Lingle
- ok
- what blog r u talking about please sent it me

‘Monsters’ Short Animated Video That Depicts Devastating View of Domestic Violence From a Child’s Perspective Launched by Verizon and National Domestic Violence Hotline

2011-11-30T20:33:00.001-08:00

Verizon and National Domestic Violence Hotline Launch ‘Monsters,’ a Short Animated Video That Depicts Devastating View of Domestic Violence From a Child’s Perspective

Video (below) Aimed at Encouraging Public to Support Domestic Violence Prevention Efforts and to Call for Help

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. —“Monsters,” a provocative new video, portrays the alarming impact of domestic violence on families and children, as seen through the eyes of a young girl. Produced and funded by theVerizon Foundation and supported by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the video encourages the public to get involved in domestic violence prevention and education efforts, and also emphasizes that help for victims and their families is just a phone call away: 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233).

Verizon Wireless customers can quickly reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline by dialing #HOPE. The hotline offers confidential help 24/7. To help support the hotline’s efforts, Verizon Wireless, through HopeLine has donated $75,000. HopeLine collects no-longer-used wireless phones and recycles or refurbishes them to support domestic violence victims and survivors.

The video, two minutes and 34 seconds long, graphically describes how domestic violence affects children. The child’s voice states:

“A child who lives with domestic violence lives in darkness. …She struggles to separate her nightmares from reality because there’s very little difference. The child who lives with domestic violence isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s afraid of her dad because the monster doesn’t live in her closet – it’s just down the hall.”

Studies suggest that between 3.3 million and 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence each year. And according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, witnessing violence between parents or caregivers is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next. The video notes that girls who witness abuse are more likely to be abused later in life, and boys are twice as likely to abuse their own partners – “because that’s the world they know.”

Rose Kirk, president of the Verizon Foundation, said:

“To end this devastating cycle of violence, we must motivate silent bystanders to take action. People need to understand that when they look the other way, they condone this deplorable behavior. Verizon is committed to preventing domestic violence by educating our employees, customers and the public about the importance of stepping in to help someone in need. We believe that this provocative video will help us accomplish this life-saving goal.”

According to some studies, less that 1 percent of domestic violence cases are reported to the police.

Dyanne Purcell, CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, said: “It takes an incredible amount of courage to come forward and ask for help. The more established domestic violence is in our national dialogue, the more likely victims will be able to seek help and make a lasting change.”

The video concludes with the child narrator making a poignant plea for the public to help:

“Maybe you don’t wake up every day shaking, or jump every time the phone rings. But maybe you should look a little harder. Maybe it’s a friend, a co-worker, or your neighbor. …Your help could make all the difference. We need everyone to bring domestic violence into the light.”

Kirk said, “Please share the link to the ‘Monsters’ video with your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. It’s a simple action that may have a huge impact.”

The “Monsters” video can be viewed athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=367JvtoTm34.

About the National Domestic Violence Hotline

The National Domestic Violence Hotline was established in 1996 as a component of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed by Congress and is supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The Hotline is a nonprofit organization providing crisis intervention, information and referral to victims of domestic violence, perpetrators, friends and families. The Hotline answers a variety of calls and is a resource for domestic violence advocates, government officials, law enforcement agencies and the general public. http://www.thehotline.org

About Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. Verizon has invested more than $28 million in domestic violence prevention. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 106 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON’S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon’s News Center on the World Wide Web atwww.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

Rhode Island: RIFC Chief Judge Bedrosian, “Naming Names” Corrupt Family Court Crisis, Abusers Getting Custody, Mothers being ‘locked’ in court rooms.

2011-11-27T14:06:00.001-08:00

We frequently get mothers who want information published below follows such information “Naming Names” this is from RI

From: Rebecca L. McLaughlin

Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 7:07 PM

To: damonmdlaw@aol.com ; patd2929@cox.net ; asenteio@yahoo.com ; ashy_cashy@hotmail.com ; angeltorres4@gmail.com ; bdaypartiesri@yahoo.com ; bkerr@projo.com ; Beth Flanagan ; Joann URI ; boston.mail@ic.fbi.gov ; boredalert@aol.com ; chairperson@americanmotherspoliticalparty.org ; charles smith ; cahirparkcottages@eircom.net ; marie-pierre dargnies ; david.deabreu@zurichna.com ; dgreybeard@yahoo.com ; Pamela Elizabeth ; ekruse@courts.ri.gov ; ghppas@yahoo.com ; murshili hatti ; hyde.judy@gmail.com ; info@bvadvocacycenter.org ; info@dayoneri.org ; info@ebccenter.org ; indrek.reile@ttu.ee ; ironlion2010@gmail.com ; info@ncjwri.org ; jeff@solidk9training.com ; jane@abusefreedom.com ; kirk.feather@gmail.com ; kato.lee@verizon.net ; louise@monroe.necoxmail.com ; letters@providencejournal.com ; lee102586@yahoo.com ; momaxoxo@yahoo.com ; mkmbrat70@aol.com ; mrc.donato@gmail.com ; nbc10newsalert@jaremail.mediageneral.net ; nancypickett@comcast.net ; officer.matsumoto@gmail.com ; orodrigues@wfri.org ; otmanzellou@gmail.com ; onemac2@aol.com ; paulcazeaux@gmail.com ; pbnurse1@yahoo.com ; quatta@hotmail.com ; robert.sherwin@morganstanleysmithbarney.com ; rdst150@hotmail.com ; rsmith375@aol.com ; Ronald Carter ; rongolinger@aol.com ; sjohnson@womenscenterri.org ; settipanelaw1@aol.com ; settiguy@aol.com ; secretaryofstatemollis@sos.ri.gov ; stp.sdc@gmail.com ; tjemma@cox.net ; tknmu@cox.net ; Thom Voorn ; victor_wong@brown.edu ; vanwhiting@yahoo.com ; vvolz@sojournerri.org ; wcri@womenscenterri.org ; wbhurley@comcast.net ; y6677y@yahoo.com

Subject: Enjoy - R.

Republican Attorney Damon D'Ambrosio goes ballistic in April 2011 (Wayland Square - East Side)

Date: 2011-11-16, 1:06PM EST

Reply to: theflorencedevelopmentgroup@hotmail.com

Republican Attorney Damon D'Ambrosio [later suspended??????] went ballistic on RIFC Chief Judge Bedrosian for harming his client and her son intentionally, unethically and corruptly. He filed many motions against the RIFC Chief Bedrosian in Supreme Court for locking his client up in the courthouse for visits with her son, and not allowing his client to see or talk to her son for six weeks [let's talk about the truth] when all opposing parties were very well aware of the harm they were causing an innocent little precious boy "O." D'Ambrosio didn't sleep for days...and...days...and days, mostly without pay because he was determined to stop all of the above from harming an innocent mother and child.

His favorite saying was during that time in reference to Genesis 1:1, he "hoped opposing client could reap what he sowed." "You will reap what you sow! ... Genesis 1:11." Opposing client and Chief Legal Council for DCYF, and of course, with opposing council's knowledge, committed some of the most henious crimes against an innocent little precious boy "O," by committing blatant perjury and fraud to the RIFC in front of the RIFC Chief Judge. Bedrosian must make one of the ultimate decisions of her career continue to harm an innocent little precious boy, loved [by his mother not father], to keep politically fornicating as she so appears to need to do, or free the mother and child as she should do. D'Ambrosio, along with his clients "O" and his mother produced one of the most judicary arguments, thus far, in the case of RIFC 03-2979, that does not in any way imply that D'Ambrosio's client's first Attorney Quatrucci was anything but the best.

D'Ambrosio was also the Attorney on Case P08-6157 in the Superior Court representing "O's" mother, it is a case against Temple Habonim who's President and Rabbi from 2005 turned their back on "O's" mother after their contractor forced himself into the home she rented on the grounds of Temple Habonim. There is no doubt that "O's" mother has a huge mouth and a very loud voice, but she is not dangerous nor a liar. "O" says that is her best asset and to keep screaming and fighting for him. You can lock my mommy up he says but you can't shut her up. This case is still active, despite opposing attorney's efforts to dismiss the case based on the order from Family Court. That case is also about heinous calculated intentional corruption that destroyed the life that "O" and his mother once had in Barrington, Rhode Island, where "O's" mother has been active, and still is, her entire life. DCYF's Chief legal council also committed perjury and fraud to the police along with her brother "O's" father in that investigation as well, and of course many other politically fornicating monsters. That case was the beginning of the destruction of "O's" life and they will pay "O" monetarily for the damage, legally. And if there is a God they will all go straight to h... and hopefully suffer 10 times more on their way there.

"O's" mother is representing him and herself in FC and SC for the moment, her motto is "bring it on," "hit me with your best shot," "go f... yourselves." She found her dog Lola who was lost in the first few months of the custody battle, and after 4 1/2 yrs. as she promised "O" she found their dog Lola, and she has promised "O" that she will get him back too. If you know "O's" mother she always always keeps promises she makes, especially to her children. "O" is also one of the bravest boys his mother has ever met. Despite the constant inner turmoil he feels and pain from of the loss of his mother and the life he had before John Pagliaro committed a home invasion while "O" was there; he continues to fight, to stay healthy, do his school work and be a very good boy. His mother promises him constantly that she starts the fight to bring him home every morning the moment she opens her eyes. He constantly begs her and recently indicated that it must be 7 yrs., when will he ever get out of the courthouse and be able to go home with his mother and dog Lola.

"O" deserves insurmountable restitution from Judge Bedrosian, Judeg Suttle, JDC, Governor Caceri and Governor Chafee [who are more worried about a man that committed a murder than about an innocent child being harmed by the RIFC] Temple Habonim, opposing legal council McKiernan, Hessler DCYF's Legal Council ["O" paternal aunt who is at the helm of destruction of "O's" life], "O's" father, Patrick Lynch, Lynch's sister Margret, Susan Lincoln from East Bay Mental Health [at least they did what was ethical and professional and humane, not Lincoln, EBMH, they settled out of court with "O's" mother], Officer Traverse and Chief LaCross from Barrington, neither could solve anything never mind a corrupt home invasion where the victim had bruises, Louis Pulner, City Solicitor, Jay Litman,Chair of Temple Habonin, Rabbi Rosenberg and Patricia Buff, "O's" mother's family for committing fraud and perjury to DCYF and the FC ["O's" mother has made it very clear to her family she will never ever speak to any of them again unless the march down to the RIFC and tell the truth, depsite their constant efforts to contact her she will not, as she promised, never ever speak to them again], Pawtucket Police Department, domestic violence programs throughout the State of RI, RIFC Staff inlcuding Jerimiah, Tassoni, DCYF for allowing "O" to be in abusive situations, Cynthtia Roeberg from DCYF who took the stand in the custody case and blantantly committed perjury and fraud, Pagliaro contractor for Temple Habonim who ultimately destroyed "O's" life with his mother and dog Lola, and everyone else who turned their back on "O" and his mother shall "reap what they have sowed" as well.

So as you can see D'Ambrosio's suspension was not only about some of his character defects, which he admits freely, openly and honestly; it was also about his unending excellent devotion to his client "O," his belief in the justice system, the US and RI Constitution, and his ethical and professional character assests as well. D'Ambrosio also has another major character defect he did not charge most of his clients, which also caused him much turmoil. PS he is in need of a job, he can be reach at damonmdlaw@aol.com, although he can not do legal court work he can do some legal research, writing briefs, etc.

Footnote: McKiernan was not reprimanded for taking his penis out while completely intoxicated on East Avenue in Pawtucket, RI which was reported to the JDC after drinking at Patrick's Pub on Smith Street, during the day with a young witness. Isn't that corruption as well? Curtin says behavior not a violation.

There are always two perceptions to every story!!!!!!

FYI:

Rhode Island is without any resources for women like "O's" mother including domestic violence program's that can protect her and her son, opposing council and DCYF Chief Legal Council ["O's" paternal aunt] is on the Sourjourner House Board of Directors, "O's" case is clearly about corruption, there is no where in the State of RI that "O" and his mother can go to seek justice and refuge from the abuse, she has tried endlessly for almost 6 yrs., except for one program headed by Anne Grant who has got to be one of the bravest, amazing women in Rhode Island, she is a retired minister, coordinates the Parenting Project at Mathewson Street United Methodist Church and writes http://custodyscam.blogspot.com, littlehostages.blogspot.com - custodyscam.blogspot.com/2011/01/hague-domestic-violence-project.html - http://www.rhode-island-divorce-lawyer.com/2008/07/ask-more-questi.html, without Anne most of the men and women would have given up. She has brought amazing men and women together to fight the RIFC. "O's" mother headed the first training programs for police, counselors, guards, etc. in the State of RI for Domestic Violence, which she was trained for by the State of Massachusetts while she was she overseeing a program in the Bristol County House of Corrections providing services to domestic violence perpetrators and sex offenders.

And she can't find anyone to help her. It appears that programs like Anne Grant's that are not funded by any outside sources are the best, Mathewson Street United Methodist Church which allows her a space to work and meet people, she funds it all on her own and runs it all on her own, endlessly every minute of the day. Please send donations to the RI Parenting Project or Anne Grant at 134 Mathewson Street Providence, RI 02903, Anne works endlessly to fight for innocent parents/care takers and children, as well as to the FDGroup, 49 Medway Street, Providence, RI 02906, which is owned by "O's" mother [not-tax-exempt] to help us to continue to fight for children in the State of RI. All monies will be given directly to the men and women who are fighting for their children and other children, supplies, staff employment, etc. Thank you. And please purchase "without providence" you will not be disappointed.

Other exceptionally amazing women in Rhode Island besides "O's" mother and Anne Grant are Patrice Livingstone who has not seen her daughter for over 2 yrs. who is beyond the legal age of 14 because of corruption as well, Phyllis Stafford who lost her child to corruption, Melanie Baron-Kent who is one of the bravest women of all of us who also fought for her son for 5 yrs. did unsubstantiated prison time because of fraud and perjury committed against her repeatedly by former husband, etc., who recently gained custody of her son [like "O's" mother she worked for DCYF and gave of her life endlessly to protect children], Karen Ricci who has battled the FC mostly alone for 9 yrs. and is without a doubt one of the most amazingly brave heroines who recently gained custody of her youngest daughter [her husband and childhood best friend hijacked her children like "O's" mother except it was "O's" mother's sister who had an affair with "O's" father during the custody trial, paternal aunt, neither see "O" anymore], Kathy Lee of Massachusetts who also continues a vicious battle to gain custody of her son for over 5 yrs. because she reported sexual abuse by the child's father and the courts gave him custody, Faith Torres who fought a gag order issued by the RIFC with the help of the ACLU, she has regained custody of 3 out of 4 of her children, and many others who have not given permission to be named. I added this again: "And let's not forget Melanie Baron-Kent's mother Louise who just published an amazing book about her daughter's fight for her own life, her endless days and nights worrying sick about how to protect her daughter and grandson from the horror which took over there lives for many years, how the son-n-law tortured their family endlessly and how the police ignored their constant screams for help, "without providence: A CHILD IN THE HANDS OF AN ABUSIVE FATHER" by Louise Baron-Kent, recently published by Tate Publishing & Enterprises. To purchase a copy please go to withoutprovidence.tateauthor.com. The book should be a best seller which is written by an amazing social revolutionist who broke the silence for all of us in Rhode Island who have children who are in the hands of an abusive parent.

All of the above have been traumatized, humiliated, been called lairs, loud, dangerous, obstructive, discriminated against, bullied by state judges and magistrates, clerks, capitol police, attorneys and others, brutally terrorized and horrified by the abuser and the system, maintains sanity despite outrageous judgments, ignored and laughed at, lose of finances, jobs, careers, friends, family, nights of sleep, hasn't posed a danger to the community nor coerces, threatens or intimidates anyone, is labeled alienating, unreasonable, labeled mentally ill, has to dispose of body fluids on demand, gave up all of their lives everything, i.e. reputation, financial security, submit to drug tests and intrusive forced paid by themselves for psychological and psychiatric evaluations to protect their children's rights and life, etc. These men and women are heroes and heroines.

Other educational resources available below [again there is no where to turn in RI because the politically corrupt are running most of the programs]:

http://americanmotherspoliticalparty.org/

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/fbi-searches-court-administrator-s-office-1.1232356#ixzz1dmhQ6tm2

http://www.evawintl.org/

http://www.centerforjudicialexcellence.org/

http://juliafletcher.wordpress.com/category/julia-fletcher-2/

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/%21/petition/end-legal-abuse/jxqKVzSY?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/child_law/projects_initiatives/ombudsmen.html

http://www.judicialwatch.org/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-diary-whistleblowers-get-a-defender/2011/10/18/gIQAtnvfvL_story.html

NFOJA - National Forum On Judicial Accountability

The Official Network of Community Forums on Judicial Accountability (CFOJA)

50states.ning.com

The pictures below are of "O" and his mother while locked up in the RIFC supervised visitation program "O" is motioning with his tongue a scream to get him and his mommy out of the courthouse that she is innocent and the best best bravest mommy, he also says she is going to be famous one day [angels work there...complete kind angels]; D'Ambrosio whom "O" refers to as the sheriff who knew D'Ambrosio was going to be suspended a month before he did...how did a 10 year old know that D'Ambrosio was going to be suspended a month before D'Ambrosio? Corruption!!; and "O's" mother after she was locked up in the RIFC for telling the truth again with another man from the RIFC program who was also locked up with his daughter and consequently one of D'Ambrosio's clients, however, ironically, during the national protest [www.goveabuse.org] D'Ambrosio showed up and told him he had to go into the courthouse unexpected hearing, he received unsupervised visits that day. The final picture is of the bravest women and a man I know who daily from the moment their eyes open are at war with the abusers and the system that supports abuse of thier children and other's children. It is not a place of horror this war they face everyday, it is a place of justice, love, laughter, dignity and respect, which makes them feel liberated and useful in a very dreary dreary system. Please help us fight for the innocent children in the State of RI's corrupt FC and DCYF.

So, as you can see the newspapers forgot to include the other side of the story of D'Ambrosio's suspension. Republican liberal social activists who are in the RIFC are not allowed to protect their clients, especially if they go after the RIFC Chief Judge in the Supreme Court. Best to D'Ambrosio who is doing just fine except he needs to find employment, again, he can be reached at damonmdlaw@aol.com; he is very talented and motivated to succeed.

· Location: Wayland Square - East Side

· it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2705612540

U. S. Department of Justice v. Custody Court System

2011-11-25T05:55:00.001-08:00

(Battered Mothers, Abused Children are Being Further Battered and Abused by the US Courts failure to let Domestic Violence Mothers Leave With Their Children. Many Ask, “Why Doesn’t She Just Leave?” When it comes to Domestic Violence, besides all the other very unsafe reasons those with children will loose their children to the very animal who hurt them and their children. Many mothers,(most) have never seen their children again after the Courts gave their child[ren] to the Abusers. Most Children, if the survive, end up just like they were taught raised and reinforced by the Courts, as abusers themselves for boys and victims for girls. That is not county all the other trauma related issues. This has passed beyond just injustice but has stepped full fledge in Human Rights Violations. It truly is like the holocaust, the destruction of women and their children by the USA, Sanctioned Genocide Against Mothers and their Children. Right in Plain View, See: Mothers Day Law Suit filed Against the U.S. at the Inter American Commission Human Rights. (still pending)

From Times –Up!! Attorney Barry Goldstein

photo courtesy of Family Court Crisis-Abusers Getting Custody!

By Barry Goldstein

Protective mothers have been complaining about mistreatment by the custody court system, but have routinely been dismissed as “disgruntled litigants.” As recently as the beginning of the Battered Mothers Custody Conferences in 2004, there was little professional support for protective mothers. The mothers’ complaints have now been confirmed and supported by the domestic violence community, many women’s organizations, numerous governmental agencies, many in the academic community and a substantial body of research such as contained in our book DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE and CHILD CUSTODY.

Last summer at the NCADV Conference, Dr. Daniel Saunders of the University of Michigan and some of his colleagues presented their findings from a major Department of Justice study that confirms the findings in our book and other research that the present custody court practices for domestic violence cases are deeply flawed. The publication of these findings has taken longer than expected as Dr. Saunders and the Justice Department seek to carefully present the information in a clear and accurate manner, but they should soon be available on the Department of Justice web site. Many of us who seek to reform the broken custody court system are excited about this study because it should be difficult for the courts to dismiss or ignore because of where it comes from. Significantly, the findings are incompatible with a continued belief that the present practices are working for the benefit of the children the courts are supposed to protect.

Custody Courts Frequently Disbelieve Valid Abuse Complaints

Custody courts have a particularly poor record in responding to domestic violence cases. The research demonstrates that court professionals reject a high percentage of valid complaints by protective mothers. This problem has been confirmed in many ways. It is confirmed based on the frequency of mistaken outcomes. Although battered mothers make deliberately false allegations only one or two percent of the time, in contested custody cases the alleged abuser wins custody or joint custody over seventy percent of the time. Subsequent events regularly confirm courts’ mistakes. This occurs when men found safe by the court professionals are later convicted or otherwise found to have to have committed domestic violence, sexual abuse, murder or other similar crimes.

The revelations of the Courageous Kids Network further demonstrate the frequency in which courts fail to recognize valid complaints of abuse. Courageous Kids are young adults who have aged out of their custody orders and decided to speak out about the harm caused by these orders. The context is important in understanding their stories. These are cases in which the court disbelieved the mothers’ abuse allegations and gave the fathers complete control. The children have been threatened, coerced and punished if they continue to complain about their father’s abuse or seek a relationship with their mother. In other words the fathers have had tremendous assistance in silencing the children. Accordingly the children now speaking out represent a small minority of those mistreated by fathers the court believed were safe. The descriptions by the Courageous Kids demonstrate the fathers deliberately sought to hurt the mother and children based upon their belief system that the mother had no right to leave them. The children have had little or no contact with their mothers often for many years so we know the mothers could not be influencing the children’s decision to speak out about the fathers’ abuse. These are all too common examples of cases in which the court professionals failed to believe valid allegations of abuse.

The research not only demonstrates the fact that the custody courts get a large majority of domestic violence cases wrong, but also that the standard practices used by court professionals are deeply flawed and make it difficult for judges to recognize legitimate complaints about domestic violence and child abuse.
Court professionals routinely discredit allegations of abuse based upon factors that are not probative. At the same time these professionals do not understand the importance of looking to the abusers’ patterns of controlling and coercive behavior in order to recognize domestic violence. The court professionals often make the mistake of considering each incident and each allegation separately. Genuine domestic violence experts understand the importance of context in recognizing domestic violence, but the mental health and other professionals relied on by the courts do not understand the importance of context and thus make it more difficult to recognize valid allegations of abuse.

One of the big obstacles to recognizing valid abuse complaints is the common use of mental health and other professionals without expertise in domestic violence. The main purpose of considering domestic violence in custody cases is to protect the safety of children. Nevertheless the evaluators relied on by custody courts rarely know how to conduct a safety assessment or what behaviors have been associated with higher lethality and other dangers. The evaluators do not understand domestic violence dynamics and often are unfamiliar with the effects of domestic violence on children or other information based upon the specialized body of scientific research that could be used to better understand domestic violence issues and recognize truthful allegations of abuse.

The new Department of Justice study helps explain why the evaluators and other professionals relied on by custody courts routinely fails to recognize domestic violence. The study found that most evaluators and other professionals relied on by the courts do not have adequate domestic violence training and those with inadequate training are more likely to believe in the myth that women frequently make false allegations of abuse to gain an advantage in litigation. The professionals who believe this myth, in turn are more likely to make recommendations that harm children. In other words judges have little chance to protect the children under their control as long as they rely on these unqualified professionals and tend to believe their deeply flawed analysis.

Judges often become defensive when protective mothers or their attorneys request that any evaluator or other court professional be required to have domestic violence expertise in order to be appointed. We have repeatedly seen judges refuse to listen to domestic violence experts offered on behalf of protective mothers. The courts often focus on the need for a mental health degree even though the academic training for most mental health professionals included no or virtually no domestic violence instruction and the law does not require advance degrees to qualify as an expert (a common example is a mechanic without a high school degree who can testify as an expert in automotive repair based on experience and training).

In recent years most court systems have encouraged and usually required some domestic violence training for court professionals. This is a good thing but has often been implemented in ways that undermine the purpose. Many of the trainings include substantial misinformation such as the belief most contested custody cases are “high conflict” when the research establishes a large majority are really domestic violence cases. Some of the trainings even include Parental Alienation Syndrome (sometimes by another name because of its deserved notoriety) even though it was recently again rejected for inclusion in the DSM-V because there is no scientific basis for it. Many of the trainings fail to include domestic violence advocates or other genuine experts in domestic violence.

We have also seen some really good programs used to train court professionals, but I have heard many trainers complain that some of the judges, evaluators and lawyers pay little attention to the valuable information presented. In one Queens County, New York case I cross-examined an experienced evaluator who went to a really excellent domestic violence training in order to qualify as a parent coordinator. They provided numerous excellent research studies that could have helped him recognize domestic violence and protect children. During my cross-examination it became clear he never read the research and was unfamiliar with the current scientific research he needed to understand the case. When I pressed him about the training he described it as “not a life changing experience.” This was a man who needed a life changing experience because he failed to recognize the obvious history of abuse by the father, demanded the mother cooperate with her abuser and when she continued to try to protect herself and her son, the unqualified evaluator recommended custody for the abusive father. The judge failed to discredit the evaluator based on his failure to read or consider the current scientific research provided at the training.

We need much more and better trainings for court professionals, but there is also the danger that attending trainings can give judges and other professionals a false sense of confidence in their understanding of domestic violence. The findings by Dr. Saunders and his colleagues that most court professionals have inadequate training in domestic violence confirms our concern that in most cases the professionals relied on by the court are not qualified to participate in a domestic violence case without the assistance of a genuine expert. Even if the judge has received good training the court is likely to be influenced by unqualified evaluators and other court professionals.

The failure to possess adequate training in domestic violence means that it will be difficult for these professionals to recognize and respond effectively to domestic violence, but the widespread belief in the myth that women frequently make false allegations of abuse is a bias that strongly undermines the cases of protective mothers. These mistakes result in frequent findings denying the mother’s abuse allegations which is exactly what the other research has found. If a professional believes the myth they will expect to see false allegations and without training in how to recognize domestic violence they have little chance to get these cases right and protect the children. Even worse, courts having found against the mothers because of the deeply flawed practices and biases are severely punishing mothers and children because the mothers continue to believe their true allegations despite the disbelief of the unqualified court professionals.

A few months ago, in this forum, I wrote an article about the extreme decisions we often see in domestic violence cases. These are decisions in which the alleged abuser receives custody and the mother who was the primary attachment figure is limited to supervised or no visitation. The primary attachment figure is the parent who provided most of the child care during the first couple of years of the child’s life. When children are separated from their primary attachment figure they are significantly more likely to suffer depression, low self-esteem and to commit suicide when older. It can never be right to separate children from their primary attachment figure unless she is unsafe such as a drug addict, someone who beats the kids or otherwise poses a danger. In most of these cases the father allowed or even demanded the mother provide child care until she decided to leave him. It should be obvious that her decision to leave a man she found to be abusive does not make the mother unsafe. Unqualified court professionals frequently limit the mother’s contact with her children based upon some version of alienation or pathologizing the mother based on psychological tests that were not made for the populations seen in custody cases. We know the diagnosis is not safety related because the mother functions fine in all other aspects of her life except interacting with her abuser and the court professionals supporting him. These are not safety issues so these extreme decisions can never be beneficial to the children.

The reliance on court professionals with inadequate training and belief in the myth takes place in the context of many other common mistakes discussed in earlier research. The courts cannot protect mothers and children in domestic violence cases if they cannot recognize domestic violence when it is present. The frequent decisions that harm children are confirmed by later findings and information, the extensive research court professionals routinely fail to consider and the new Department of Justice study and they provide multiple confirmations of the present inability of custody courts to recognize domestic violence and child abuse when it exists.

Misuse of Mothers’ Anger and Emotion

Let’s look at this issue from the mother’s perspective and in the context of her experience. These are domestic violence cases. The father usually has a long history of controlling and coercive behaviors and the mother has finally gained the courage and resources to leave her abuser in order to protect her children. She is fearful because of the many threats he made of what he would do if she left and knowledge that the most dangerous time for a woman is after she has left. She is angry at the way he has mistreated her and often the children. She may be worried about her ability to support and protect her children because her partner has been telling her how useless she is throughout their relationship.

Even if the father’s physical abuse ends when he no longer has access to the mother (which makes unqualified court professionals believe he is now safe), he continues his domestic violence through litigation abuse and often other ways. The abusers often use any contact provided by the court to seek reconciliation and/or to harass and attack her verbally or psychologically. Many women expect the courts to protect her children because the evidence is so overwhelming and instead find the court pressuring her to cooperate with her abuser and punishing her if she tries to protect her children from a man they have found to be hostile and dangerous. In other words she has good reason to be angry and emotional and in fact this would be a normal reaction to her experiences.

The research contained in our book and elsewhere supports this understanding and analysis. We discussed the common mistake of custody courts that treat the mother’s actions as a litigant as if they were an indication of her behavior as a parent. Over forty states and many judicial districts have created court sponsored gender bias committees. These committees have found widespread bias particularly against women litigants. One of the common examples of gender bias was blaming women for the actions of their abusers. One of the typical examples of this bias is when courts blame mothers for their anger and emotion caused by the father’s mistreatment of them and their children. In many cases the abusers deliberately harass or pressure them shortly before a court appearance is scheduled in order to obtain an emotional reaction the court is likely to misunderstand. Abusers tend to be extremely manipulative and so after their abuse that the judge does not see, come to court calm and cooperative. Court professionals are often fooled by this act.

The new Department of Justice study confirms what we said in our book and other similar research. Dr. Saunders found that court professionals frequently treat mothers’ anger and emotion as far more important than it actually is in terms of the well being of children. These professionals may be uncomfortable with the mothers’ emotions particularly if she criticizes their response to the father’s abuse. Clearly these are difficult and unpleasant issues to confront. The misinformation treating contested custody as if it were “high conflict” when it is actually domestic violence contributes to the misunderstanding of the mothers’ anger and emotion. The professionals are focused on forcing the parties to cooperate even though this is not the best approach for children. When the parties have difficulty cooperating and certainly in domestic violence cases, parallel parenting is a more effective approach for children. The problem, as demonstrated by the Saunders’ study is that these professionals are focused on their beliefs and preferences rather than research about what works best for children. The custody courts did not get into the practice of looking to current scientific research and particularly the specialized body of research about domestic violence because there was no such research when the initial court practices were developed. We now have substantial research that would help inform court decisions and avoid the frequent mistakes but court professionals rarely look to this research to help them make better decisions. This is why we rarely see custody courts weigh the benefits and harms to children of a proposed resolution. The Department of Justice study establishes that these flawed practices lead to decisions that hurt children.

Cottage Industry Supporting Abusive Fathers

We often hear complaints about corruption in the custody court system. This belief is supported by the many cases in which courts make findings that are far removed from a fair evaluation of the evidence and decisions that seem to be disconnected from the well being of the children involved. There are cases of outright corruption such as the Garson case in Brooklyn, New York, but more often, I believe courts create the appearance of corruption because of bias, ignorance and deeply flawed practices. One of my concerns with complaints about corruption is that it makes it harder for judges in the broken system to hear the complaints and create the reforms that are needed. An important contributing factor to the widespread belief in corruption is the cottage industry that has been created to support abusive fathers.

Most contested custody cases involve abusive fathers seeking custody as a tactic to pressure their victims to return or punish them for leaving. Domestic violence is all about control so these abusive fathers usually have controlled the family finances and have these resources to support their custody litigation. Some lawyers and mental health professionals have figured out that they can make a large income by supporting practices and approaches that support abusers. We often see them advertise as supporting “fathers’ rights.” In many cases we see fathers’ attorneys and GALs promoting the appointment of evaluators who support abusive fathers. It is particularly frustrating when judges refer to these professionals who regularly support abusers as “neutral professionals.”

Protective mothers often have no chance when these biased professionals are appointed regardless of how strong their cases may be. Many of the mothers have complained that the evaluators and GALs make misrepresentations to the court in order to justify findings in favor of the abusive fathers paying their fees. When such professionals lie to the court about the evidence or to justify fees they did not earn, the mothers are justified in complaints suggesting corruption.
Many of these biased professionals strongly support PAS despite a lack of scientific justification. Significantly, PAS is based upon the assumption that virtually every complaint by mothers about the father’s abuse is deliberately false. The Department of Justice study found a problem with inadequately trained professionals who believe the myth that women frequently make deliberately false allegations of abuse. The unqualified professionals supporting PAS are even worse assuming that virtually all such allegations are false. The courts have virtually no chance of making the right decision if they treat such biased professionals as having any credibility.
The Department of Justice study’s contribution to this issue is a finding that evaluators working for the court or the county made recommendations that worked better for children than those of evaluators in private practice. When Dr. Saunders described this finding at a workshop during the NCADV Conference I asked him if he thought the findings supported our concerns about the cottage industry that has developed to support abusive fathers. He agreed this was a good interpretation. Evaluators working for the court or county are not paid extra for each evaluation so they have no incentive to favor the wealthier parent.

Professionals often have fundamental conflicts of interest. Medical doctors who schedule tests or procedures will earn money from performing the services they recommend. Tests may be scheduled to shield the doctor from potential lawsuits rather than to benefit the patient. Lawyers who recommend going to trial, starting a lawsuit or making a motion will earn money when the client takes their advice. Similarly, mental health professionals benefit financially when patients accept recommendations for more services. The conflict of interest is largely unavoidable and the professionals are expected to have the integrity to act in their client’s best interests instead of their own. Unfortunately some of the evaluators and lawyers, particularly those supporting abusive fathers have not fulfilled this ethical obligation.

We have repeatedly seen problems in custody courts with mental health professionals and particularly ones sympathetic to abusive fathers making recommendations requiring protective mothers to use their unwanted and unneeded services. We see these biased professionals pathologizing mothers who have always taken good care of their children with diagnoses that are clearly wrong. This would include the frequent finding of rare conditions such as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, conditions like paranoia or delusional based on the mothers’ continued belief in the father’s abuse despite the failure of the court professionals to recognize his abuse and other emotional problems that magically seem to affect only her relationship with her abuser and the court. They seem oblivious to the fact that that she does fine in other parts of her life that under any unbiased circumstances would rule out the claimed diagnosis.

Some of these mistakes are clearly deliberate and qualify as corruption. Other cases may involve bias and ignorance and a lack of the needed qualifications as the Saunders’ study demonstrates. When the professionals who are part of the cottage industry engage in gender bias they usually do so without realizing it. Many actually believe in the theories and practices they use despite a lack of scientific basis. Some of this can be explained by confirmation bias where the professional focuses on information or accusations that support what the professional expects to find and ignores information that undermines their theories and assumptions. We see this kind of mistake frequently in domestic violence custody cases and the mental health professional is often unconscious that they are engaging in confirmation bias. In fact they are likely to become defensive and angry at the suggestion. The Department of Justice study demonstrates the harm of using professionals who are part of the cottage industry and the need for custody courts to screen court professionals to avoid relying on them. Even worse, courts often use these unqualified professionals to train other court professionals. This can only serve to spread misinformation which makes it harder for court officials to recognize the problems demonstrated by the Saunders’ study and other current scientific research.

Conclusion

The custody court system tends to look at each case and each issue or event in a case separately. This is based on a belief that just because a man slapped his wife on Monday does not mean he punched her on Friday. The court system uses stare decisis which means once a case or an issue has been decided the same parties cannot relitigate it. There are good reasons for these practices, but they work poorly in domestic violence cases because of the importance of context in understanding domestic violence. We often see cases where the court denies allegations of domestic violence and they may even have been right if there was insufficient evidence. Naturally the abuser continues his abusive behavior so more evidence becomes available, but many courts refuse to hear the new evidence or refuse to consider it in the context of the previous evidence because those issues were previously litigated. In doing this the court is denying itself the ability to recognize the pattern of the father’s abuse and protect the children. Domestic violence experts are confident that the custody court system is broken because we see the pattern of mistakes and harmful decisions, but the powers in the court system are offended at the criticism and cannot believe the problem because they refuse to look at the patterns.

The findings of the Department of Justice study, by itself, provides convincing documentation that the custody court system is getting a large majority of domestic violence custody cases wrong. It would be impossible for courts to get most cases right when most of the court professionals have inadequate domestic violence training, those with inadequate training tend to believe the myth that women frequently make false allegations, the courts are placing too much weight on mothers’ anger and emotion and the evaluators who earn additional money through appointment in custody cases are making decisions more harmful to children then those who do not have a financial incentive. This study was not made in a vacuum, but was produced in the context of a substantial and growing body of scientific research that establishes the custody courts are making bad decisions in contested custody cases that endanger children. The research also establishes that the standard practices used in the custody courts are deeply flawed and outdated.

I am hopeful that a study coming from the U. S. Department of Justice will be harder for the custody court system to ignore. They have a strong reputation and can only be considered neutral. Furthermore, the courts frequently seek grants and other funding from the Department of Justice. Protective mothers and their attorneys can cite this research and it should be harder for the courts to ignore. I can’t wait until it is published on the DOJ web site.

Barry Goldstein is a nationally recognized domestic violence expert, speaker, writer and consultant. He is the co-editor with Mo Therese Hannah of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE and CHILD CUSTODY. Barry can be reached by email at their web sitewww.Domesticviolenceabuseandchildcustody.com

One More Battleground: Domestic Violence, Child Custody, and the Batterers’ Relentless Pursuit of their Victims Through the Courts

2011-11-23T11:17:00.001-08:00

Courtesy Source: AMPP

SEATTLE JOURNAL FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

[excerpt]

II. REASONS WHY BATTERERS USE FAMILY COURTS TO CONTINUE THEIR ABUSE

When a couple divorces, the legal system may become a symbolic battleground on which the male batterer continues his abuse. Custody and visitation may keep the battered woman in a relationship with the battering man; on the battleground, the children become the pawns.36

There are numerous reasons why a batterer chooses to use the courts and the litigation process; many of them are explored below. Before delving into the specific reasons, it is important to discuss the frequency with which batterers decide to participate in family court proceedings.

As mentioned earlier, fathers who abuse are twice as likely to seek sole custody of their children as nonviolent fathers, and notably, abusive fathers are three times as likely to be in arrears of child support.37 In one recent study in Massachusetts, fifteen of the forty fathers (approximately 38 percent) who sought custody received sole or joint custody of the children, despite the fact that each and every one of these men were reported to have abused both the mother and the child/children prior to separation and continued to do so after separation.38

Thus, before exploring why courts may choose to disregard a history of domestic violence,39 it is important to note that a history of violence does not stop batterers from obtaining custody. In fact, a history of abuse seems to increase the likelihood that the batterer will seek custody.

So, why do batterers use family courts as a battleground at all? What is it about the courts, and family courts specifically, that is so appealing to them?

[because they can]

A. Only Available Contact Left

One of the most obvious reasons batterers use family courts is because it is often the only way they can legally maintain any contact with the survivor.40 After leaving their abuser, survivors may try to keep their contact information private in order to keep as much distance from the batterer as they can. They may seek formal protection through restraining orders or civil protection orders. They may move without allowing the batterer access to their current address or phone number. However, even if a survivor can achieve this physical distance from a batterer, the batterer may try to initiate contact through the courts by seeking custody of or visitation rights with his child/children. In this way,the courtroom may present an opportunity to prolong contact with the victim or seek contact that is not otherwise available.41

As mentioned earlier, not all batterers who abuse the mothers will abuse the children. Certainly, nuanced solutions exist that can provide an opportunity for fathers, even those with a history of domestic violence, to remain in some sort of communication with their children. Every family has unique circumstances that can allow for a variety of solutions;however, because the courts may be the only way and the only forum for abusive fathers to continue abusing their former spouse and children, it is important for courts to take a comprehensive look at each situation and to act carefully if a history of abuse is present.

See Full Document From Journal Here:
One More Battleground: Domestic Violence, Child Custody, and the Batterers’ Relentless Pursuit of their Victims Through the Courts

One More Battleground Domestic Violence, Child Custody, And the Batterers' Relentless Pursuit of Their Vict...

One More Battleground: Domestic Violence, Child Custody, and the Batterers’ Relentless Pursuit of their Victims Through the Courts

2011-11-20T17:24:00.001-08:00

II. REASONS WHY BATTERERS USE FAMILY COURTS TO CONTINUE
THEIR ABUSE

When a couple divorces, the legal system may become a symbolic
battleground on which the male batterer continues his abuse.
Custody and visitation may keep the battered woman in a
relationship with the battering man; on the battleground, the
children become the pawns.36

After looking at how domestic violence operates as a mechanism of
control, perhaps it is not surprising to discover that batterers manipulate the
courts and their victims during dissolution, custody, and visitation
proceedings. After all, domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that is not
easily reversed, so separation alone is unlikely to break the pattern of abuse.
There are numerous reasons why a batterer chooses to use the courts and
the litigation process; many of them are explored below. Before delving
into the specific reasons, it is important to discuss the frequency with which
batterers decide to participate in family court proceedings.

As mentioned earlier, fathers who abuse are twice as likely to seek sole
custody of their children as nonviolent fathers, and notably, abusive fathers
are three times as likely to be in arrears of child support.37 In one recent
study in Massachusetts, fifteen of the forty fathers (approximately 38
percent) who sought custody received sole or joint custody of the children,
despite the fact that each and every one of these men were reported to have
abused both the mother and the child/children prior to separation and
continued to do so after separation.38 Thus, before exploring why courts
may choose to disregard a history of domestic violence,39 it is important to
note that a history of violence does not stop batterers from obtaining
custody. In fact, a history of abuse seems to increase the likelihood that the
batterer will seek custody.

So, why do batterers use family courts as a battleground at all? What is it
about the courts, and family courts specifically, that is so appealing to
them?

[because they can]

A. Only Available Contact Left
One of the most obvious reasons batterers use family courts is because it
is often the only way they can legally maintain any contact with the
survivor.40 After leaving their abuser, survivors may try to keep their
contact information private in order to keep as much distance from the
batterer as they can. They may seek formal protection through restraining
orders or civil protection orders. They may move without allowing the
batterer access to their current address or phone number. However, even if a
survivor can achieve this physical distance from a batterer, the batterer may
try to initiate contact through the courts by seeking custody of or visitation
rights with his child/children. In this way, the courtroom may present an
opportunity to prolong contact with the victim or seek contact that is not
otherwise available.41

As mentioned earlier, not all batterers who abuse the mothers will abuse
the children. Certainly, nuanced solutions exist that can provide an
opportunity for fathers, even those with a history of domestic violence, to
remain in some sort of communication with their children. Every family has
unique circumstances that can allow for a variety of solutions; however,
because the courts may be the only way and the only forum for abusive
fathers to continue abusing their former spouse and children, it is important
for courts to take a comprehensive look at each situation and to act carefully
if a history of abuse is present.

Full Document Here:

One More Battleground Domestic Violence, Child Custody, And the Batterers' Relentless Pursuit of Their Vict... http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=73301306&access_key=key-1zb9x2hkdqmw641m75ob&page=1&viewMode=list

WHEN BATTERED WOMEN LOSE CUSTODY: Dangerous Parents or Systems Failure?

2011-11-20T12:38:00.001-08:00

By: Daniel G. Saunders, Ph.D.
University of Michigan School of Social Work

Note: This article is summarized in part from the article, Child Custody and Visitation Decisions in Domestic Violence Cases: Legal Trends, Risk Factors, and Safety Concerns (Revised 2007) by Daniel G. Saunders (saunddan@umich.edu), and published by VAWnet, a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence/Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The article can be retrieved fromhttp://new.vawnet.org/category/Main_Doc.php?docid=1134 See this source for a complete list of supporting citations.

When a mother enters a visitation/exchange program as the visiting parent, workers may be quick to assume she failed as a parent or, worse, that she’s dangerous. After all, her referral to the center probably came at the end of a lengthy process of expert evaluation and court hearings. However, in all too many domestic violence cases, community systems have failed her. There is growing evidence that gender bias and myths about battered women stack the cards against them in child custody disputes. Ironically, their very attempts to protect their children may make it more likely they will lose custody to an abusive ex-partner.

Slowly, battered mothers have received increased legal protections. For example, some states in the U.S. exempt them from mandatory mediation or make it easier for them to move a safer distance from an abuser. Approximately half of all states have a legal presumption that an abuser should not have sole or joint physical custody. In the remaining states, the judge must consider domestic violence in custody and visitation decisions, but as just one of many factors for consideration. Canada has no presumption in its federal law against granting custody to abusers and the law states that maximum contact should be given to the noncustodial parent. However, protections are increasing in some provinces through consideration of domestic violence as a factor in decision making. Some provinces also apply conditions to temporary protection orders and order abusers into treatment as a condition of visitation. With new legal protections have come more domestic violence training and resource manuals for judges, custody evaluators, and others involved in custody decisions.

Despite this progress, misconceptions and faulty practice continue. One common misconception is that allegations of domestic violence are common in disputed custody cases. There is also no evidence, despite claims from fathers’ rights groups, that false allegations of domestic abuse or child abuse are common, especially from mothers. On the contrary, evidence shows that false allegations are rare. In addition, a recent comparison of mothers’ and fathers’ abuse allegations showed that mothers’ allegations were substantiated more often. Another misconception is that “high conflict” do not involve domestic violence. It is now clear that domestic violence is a current or past reality in the majority of these “high conflict” relationships. Domestic violence simply goes undetected in many cases, an oversight that increases danger to children and their mothers.

More alarming are findings that, even when detected, domestic violence is often not considered or taken seriously in court decisions and mediators’ and evaluators recommendations. A 1990s study found that custody evaluators did not consider domestic violence to be a major factor in their recommendations, yet they often considered parental alienation to be crucial. In a more recent study, evaluators reported that domestic violence weighed heavily in their recommendations, but only a third of them attempted to systematically detect the violence. The impact of the violence must also be considered. Psychological and custody evaluations can be misleading when a survivor’s trauma history is ignored. Her traumatic stress symptoms can mimic severe mental illness or personality disorders. Survivors are usually at a disadvantage due to the effects of overwhelming stress, not only from domestic violence, but from the intense fear of losing a child to an abuser.

Several studies show that knowing the history of domestic violence appears to have little influence on judges’ decisions and mediators’ recommendations. A likely explanation for courtroom outcomes is gender bias. Gender bias commissions over the last decade report frequent, negative stereotyping of women, especially about their credibility. When domestic violence is not adequately understood, victim-blaming, accusations of lying, and trivializing the abuse are more common. Judges may hold images of the “good” or “typical” victim -- terrified and submissive – and lack understanding of those who are angry or with a history of substance abuse. A study of cases brought to appeal showed reversals in the mothers’ favor when domestic violence was considered. Not surprisingly, there is some evidence that female judges show more support for victim protection. Training also seems to matter. In one study, judges with domestic violence education and more knowledge of domestic violence were more likely to grant sole custody to abused mothers.

A further barrier for battered women is that some laws and psychiatric theories often put them in a “Catch-22.” As a result of the “friendly parent” legal standard and the nonscientific “parent alienation syndrome,” actions to protect themselves and their children often work against them. In many cases, battered women are reasonably reluctant to co-parent out of fear that their ex-partner will harm them or their children. These women may sense that separation increases the risk of homicide, which in reality it does. In addition, physical abuse, harassment, and stalking of women continue at fairly high rates or escalate after separation, affecting as many as 35% of survivors. Up to a fourth of battered women report that their ex-partner threatened to hurt the children or kidnap them. Women may be reluctant to reveal their address or allow unsupervised visits. Yet such reluctance means they are more likely to be seen as “unfriendly” or “uncooperative,” which counts against them in the custody criteria of most states and the Canadian Divorce Act. Claims of “parent alienation syndrome” (PAS) similarly place women in a Catch-22. If mothers report child abuse or even raise concerns about danger to their children, some evaluators and courts immediately label them as “alienators.” In the original formulation of PAS, no investigation of her allegations has to occur and she is labeled as pathological simply for exercising a legal right. The syndrome assumes that programming has occurred if an allegation is made and thus has a circular definition. PAS does not have legal standing, yet the general concept or label may influence decision makers.

What are the implications of these findings for supervised visitation/exchange programs? First, providers would be wise to check for their own potential biases about visiting mothers who are survivors. Second, comprehensive provider training is essential. Topics need to include methods for detecting abuse and assessing danger, the impact of domestic violence on children, the ways that abusers often manipulate court and social systems, and, in particular, the impact of violence on survivors. Visiting mothers are often depressed and have post-traumatic stress symptoms as a result of being battered and losing their children. Providers need to realize that depression and traumatic stress symptoms often manifest as anger or apathy. Without such understanding, providers may be quick to label these mothers as “hostile,” “uncooperative,” or “disinterested.”

Third, although supervised visitation/exchange programs cannot act as advocates for individual women who lose custody disputes, they can raise concerns about apparent systems failures with their community’s domestic violence coordinating councils. Building a close collaborative tie with your local coordinating body can place visitation/exchange programs in a position to help make changes in local policies and practices. (For more information on advocacy roles for supervised visitation programs, see “Guiding Principles: Safe Havens Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Grant Program” at www.praxisinternational.org/pages/visitation/materials.asp.)

In addition, providers may need new skills for protecting mothers and their children. Supervised Visitation Network (SVN) standards require that programs “refer any victim of domestic violence to a resource expert that can assist and help the victim in developing a personal safety plan.” This assumes that program staff have the skills and screening tools to detect domestic violence among their clients. In addition, a referral for safety planning may not go far enough. A referral for legal advocacy, such as help with stalking, threats, and restraining order violations, may be necessary to protect a mother and her children. Recent evidence shows surprisingly high rates of stalking and threats occur between visits and exchanges. Close working relationships with domestic violence programs will help make the most meaningful and effective referrals – through first hand knowledge of these programs and the ability to learn detection and referral skills from them. By failing to take steps to help, supervised visitation centers risk being one of a long line of so-called “helping systems” that fail survivors, adding another blow to their psyches.

(For more information on domestic violence practice in supervised visitation see “Beyond Observation: Considerations for Advancing Domestic Violence Practice in Supervised Visitation” at http://endabuse.org/programs/children/).

Providers may be reluctant to make referrals or give other help for fear of violating a standard of “neutrality.” However, SVN Standards are clear: “Neutral/neutrality means maintaining an unbiased, objective, and balanced environment. . . . Being neutral does not mean providers disregard behaviors such as abuse or violence of any kind.” Centers can create a neutral “environment” for parents to visit with their children, but they should never be neutral toward violence against either children or adults. Specialized help can also be given to abusers without violating the standard of neutrality. Supervised visitation programs are in a unique position to encourage men to become responsible fathers, which in turn can increase their motivation to participate in abuser intervention and fathering-after-violence programs. (For more information on fathering-after-violence programs, see “Fathering After Violence: Working with Abusive Fathers in Supervised Visitation” at http://endabuse.org/programs/children/)

On a broader level, programs can work with other agencies and professional organizations to ensure that judges, mediators, custody evaluators and other professionals have adequate domestic violence training. Systems advocacy can mean working to remove “friendly parent” standards for cases of domestic violence. In this way, programs can help those who have suffered doubly - from the personal injustice of intimate partner abuse and from the social injustice of “helping systems” that fail to help. A likely result will be greater long-term safety for the children and parents who are your clients.

The Sexual Paradox: Men, Women, and the Real Gender Gap. Why We Should Reconsider Gender Neutral Family Leave Policies

2011-11-19T18:32:00.001-08:00

The Sexual Paradox: Men, Women, and the Real Gender Gap by Susan Pinker

http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/sexual-paradox.html

Myth -- "Equality under the law" means that men and women are the same in all ways.

Fact: -- "Equality" under the law means that WHEN men and women are the same in all ways, the law will treat them that way, and that when they are not,
the law will not default to what is characteristic of "man" as the standard.

Thus, "equality under the law" means more than merely consideration of each person as an individual. It also means that that "consideration" will not be cast in terms of standards and rights that can attain only to non-gestating human beings. The law will not determine what is "reasonable" with reference solely to what would be "reasonable for a man;" the law will not determine what is "just" by reference solely to what could be "achievable by someone who cannot gestate;" and the law will not ignore reproductive differences between mothers and fathers where they do indeed exist and have effect.

###

Why We Should Reconsider Gender Neutral Family Leave Policies

Pages 79-80:

"...One might expect that men married to female university professors would be more likely to have egalitarian views and share child care
equally, but this is another myth. Steven Rhoads, a professor of public policy at the University of Virginia, had similar assumptions. He ran a nationwide study and found that 75 percent of female faculty believed their husbands should take on equal amounts of child care, housework, and
paid work. Just over half of their husbands agreed. Yet the women spent much more time with their children than their husbands did, and in
universities where they were offered paid parental leave, 67 percent of the eligible women took advantage of it, only 12 percent of male faculty
took that time off, and when they did, they didn't use the time the same way. 'We heard stories of male academics who took paid post-birth leave in
order to advance their publishing agendas,' wrote Rhoads, commenting that he'd heard of one school that changed its rules as a result. Upon
returning from her maternity leave, one female colleague recalled being asked by a male colleague how the leave had gone. She replied, 'I used the
time well.' Then the man said, 'So you got a lot of work done.' But that's not what she meant.

"If more academic mothers use a leave to spend time with their baby and more new fathers use the time to publish, then a system based on men and
women being identical ends up punishing women. When these family-friendly policies are applied equally to both sexes, academic women experience more discrimination, not less. One unofficial study at an Ivy league college found that parental leave benefits available to both sexes had that
paradoxical effect: no woman who had taken a family leave in the previous fifteen years had subsequently received tenure. Most if not all of the
small number of men who had taken family leave did. This was never published or even tallied up as a real study, but it became commonly cited
during the tenure discussion, summarized as 'a woman takes family leave and comes back with a backlog, a man takes family leave and comes back
with a book'... Realizing what was happening, a committee at the college tweaked the policy to allow additional leave for those who give birth
(obviously, fathers wouldn't be eligible). This helped... [N]o one wanted to discuss the issue openly, allow the college to be named, or be
identified in any way. The topic was taboo..."

Mothers and Fathers are Different

Pages 163-164:

"...given the choice, 60 to 80 percent of American and European women choose part-time work over full-time schedules or staying home full-time
-- even if they had initially intended to work full-time and even if the decision will cost them in job security and earnings. 'The vast majority of women who claim to be career-oriented discover that their priorities change after they have children.' writes [British sociologist Catherine] Hakim. Eroding the idea of a united sisterhood, Hakim has amassed data from European and American census and national surveys that clearly show that women in modern societies are hardly homogeneous. Instead, they separate fairly cleanly into three groups. There are those who want to stay home full-time, whom she calls 'home-centered' (approximately 20 percent). There are those whose careers take precedence, whom she calls 'work-centered' (approximately 20 percent). These career-oriented women experience few disadvantages to being female; if they have the same credentials and put in the same hours, they achieve the same rewards as men.

"The majority, the remaining 60 percent, are women who try to combine children and career, drifting between various work schedules and
positions, looking for the perfect arrangement. There 'adaptive' women adjust their careers to accommodate their families' needs and their own values, a trend as powerful in socially progressive Sweden and Norway as it is in the United States...

"Calling it 'Preference Theory,' Hakim nailed two realities. Not all women want the same thing. And when women have choices, only about 20 percent
will choose what men choose... exclusively career-oriented women are a minority, Hakim says..."

Pages 168-170:

"If you had asked me before my first child was born to choose from Hakim's three groups, I wouldn't have hesitated before placing myself with career
oriented women. I didn't expect to feel any differently after my baby was born than I did before -- or much differently than her father would. But
my plans for a swift return were shot to hell when a wrinkly, underweight, and squalling baby appeared instead of the placid, pink-cheeked, robust infant I'd imagined cheerily handing off to a babysitter... Work demands seemed remote... I was shocked by my protective feelings. I needed to be
with her. I needed her to be healthy....

"In the early eighties I was not alone in thinking that men and women had nearly identical brains, but that we had been socialized to take on
different roles. If my husband, a doting father, could leave his scrawny newborn after two weeks at home and go to work for ten hours a day without
a backward glance or a blip in his concentration, the script dictated that this was because he had learned that his role was to be the provider. And
if I felt physical distress about tearing myself away from a six-week-old baby -- notwithstanding the monotony and isolation of new motherhood -- I
had internalized mine as a maternal caregiver. Never mind that my mother and both grandmothers worked outside the home, as well as in it. Many of
us thought that if only women could tame their outdated sentimentality, if only men were present and willing to offer their babies more bottles, then
our parental roles could be reversed... At the time we assumed that men and women were equals -- not just in rights and opportunities, as they should be, but also in underlying psychology and behavior. Any differences, including physical differences, could be fixed via technology, policy, or force of will...

"This is the vanilla gender assumption: that female is just a variation of male. But more than two decades after my daughter was born, brain imaging
and neuroendocrinology have unveiled many of the biological networks underlying mothers' specific longing for their infants and their drive to nurture them... "

Pages 210-211:

"[Harvard professor Robert] Trivers's theory suggests that competitive risk-taking is wired into males. Due to her own unique wiring, a female invests greatly in her future offspring, feeding them nurturing them, and raising them to maturity, all at significant cost to herself... once pregnant, that's it. She's committed. No matter how many one-night stands she has, a female will only have a given number of offspring during her lifetime -- which she's programmed to guard with her life -- while a successful, competitive male striver can father... even a hundred...

"The math was demonstrated by Lucky Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty of Morocco (1646-1727), who fathered 888 children with multiple wives. Meanwhile, the female record holder, Madalena Carnauba of Brazil, married at 13 and gave birth to 32 children. The evolutionary anthropologist Sarah Hrdy points out that the context is missing. We don't know how many children from each family survived, or how many of their rivals' offspring were done in by Moulay's more competitive wives. But the difference in output between Lucky and Madalena is still 856 children. More recent accounts... Rahman, who has fathered seventy-eight children and set a target of one hundred children by 2015... Jogi... who became the world's oldest dad when he fathered his twenty-first child with his fourth wife..."According to Trivers, the parent who invests more in their offspring is the one who ultimately limits how many there are -- namely mothers..."

Feminist Fear and Political Correctness

Pages: 258-263:

"[T]There's a fear that if we recognize the existence of sex differences we'll become part of a conservative backlash that will send women back to the kitchen. I'd argue that a more nuanced understanding of the average differences between men and women can lead to progress instead. In fact,
several problems arise from NOT acknowledging that sex differences exist. Workplaces and career schedules designed for a single, standard male approach to competition and success now discourage many women, notwithstanding their native smarts, their educational opportunities, and
their impressive accomplishments...

"Exhorting women to make 'male' choices is more pernicious than simply encouraging them to earn more. Educated women who forgo the highest paying or high-status jobs are usually aware of their options and have weighed the pros and cons. The finger-wagging about being influenced by the media,
not knowing the consequences of their actions, or giving license to employers to discriminate against women... follows in a long tradition of assuming that women don't know their own minds... the prevailing message is that these women are either patsies or victims. The idea that women don't know what they want, or don't have the power, interest, or inclination to determine their own fate lends a feeling of deja vu to the debate about men, women, and work. Telling women that they'd prefer computer science to a degree in English or history if only they weren't blindered by cultural norms, or that putting in fourteen-hour days when their children are toddlers is really what's in their best interests, is a form of infantilization. It's also a form of homogenization. The problem is not that some women choose to opt out, others to work part-time, or that other women prefer to keep working as long and as hard as they can. The problem is that only one choice is seen as the right one..."

Subheadings on the excerpts above are by thelizlibrary.org
The URL for this webpage is http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/sexual-paradox.html
-----------------

Fathers' Rights Movement

2011-11-16T22:32:00.001-08:00

Busting the Fatherhood Myth by Lily DeVilliers

Case for Father Custody, The email exchange between liz and FR Nick Szabo

Deconstructing Fatherhood Propaganda: liz versus Wade Horn editorial by liz

Deconstructing the Deconstructing: liz versus Silverstein and Auerbach editorial by liz

Disagreeing with Helen Alvare editorial by liz

Father's Rights Joint Custody Propaganda from the AAML editorial notes by liz

Media Distortions by Fathers' Rights Advocates editorial by liz

Myths and Facts about Fathers and Family Law CITATIONS TO RESEARCH

The National Fatherhood Initiative editorial criticism by liz
with email comments by David Usher (FR lobbying 1995 welfare deform)

Politics of Fathers' Rights Advocates by Mandy Dunn DOC CITATIONS TO RESEARCH

Response to "Be Thankful for Fathers" by Amy Ridenour editorial by liz

Stalking Through the Courts: the father's rights movement by Janet Normalvanbreucher SCHOLAR

Index: "The Pig Page" - The Father's Rights Movement In Their Own Words

"The Pig Page" - The Father's Rights Movement In Their Own Words page 2

"The Pig Page" - The Father's Rights Movement In Their Own Words page 3

About the Children's Rights Council circa 1998 by liz

ANCPR readers defend Darren Mack, wife-murderer and judge shooter

Wolfgang Hirczy de Mino on Linda Elrod's Washburn family law listserve

Dean Hughson (FR originator of web site sold to current owner of Divorce Source)

Anne P. Mitchell's F.R.E.E. bit.listserve defending murderer

NCFC Dispute with ACFC (in-fighting)

Attorney Steven Imparl's "men-law" listserve

Kansas Public Conference Reveals Deep Contempt for the Poor and for Women – Fatherhood Initiatives - Control of Women and Children Under the Guise of "Responsible Married Fatherhood"

2011-11-16T22:22:00.001-08:00

[My comment’s are in Red to Kari’s article below- Good Job Kari- and thank you for covering this.] The real agenda- is much more sinister. The National Fatherhood Initiative: supporting a misogynistic agenda with "politically correct" jock straps.

Federal and Kansas Fatherhood Initiatives, Fathers Rights, Grant Funding, under HHS Federal to local Kansas SRS- Fatherhood Programs…Kansas Fatherhood Coalition, etc. After all, single (Government Funded) abusive, killer daddies are so much better than single women with children.

See: Children need. . . THIS? THE FATHERS RIGHTS MOVEMENT: IN THEIR OWN WORDS Fatherhood.Gov, (Not Motherhood.gov) The National Fatherhood Initiative: Supporting a Misogynistic Agenda (all this money spent, much more than ADC ever has been). Fatherhood the real pork.

Just recently Kansas Children's Service League (KCSL) Grant Funding for a father Class “How to Not Kill your Child”. sick sick sick…“DADDY WELFARE IN KANSAS - KANSAS FATHERHOOD INITATIVES”

Kansas’s STRONG ‘REMINDING’ statement below, that ‘you women are owned, your children belong to the Father and or State- and if you claim Abuse Domestic Violence or child sexual Abuse by the father- You will be punished severely’ - The Abuser WILL TAKE your child(ren), You will be driven into poverty, joblessness. You will be further punished via proxies of the Court, Custody Evaluator, the GAL, Children's Rights Groups such as but NOT limited to the umbrella groups - e.g Children’s Rights Council- (CRC), to Kansas Children Service League (KCSL) just to name a few….All who get paid federal and State funding for ‘legal child trafficking’ – and this will go on for years- [I have experienced 17 hell years in the ‘System’ in KS as described above.]

All because you thought (wrongly) that you had the Human Right to be free from torture and left an Abusive Marriage - So if you were having thoughts of ‘human rights’- think again.

In Kansas, A Public Conference Reveals Deep Contempt for the Poor and for Women

From RH Reality Check

by Kari Ann Rinker, National Organization for Women (NOW), Kansas

November 16, 2011 - 3:49pm (Print)

“This Governor failed!” This was my angry proclamation to Kansas Public Radio after listening to Robert Rector from the Heritage Foundation speak in Kansas City, Kansas on the topic of childhood poverty. Robert Rector was introduced as the “intellectual godfather of welfare reform." Mr. Rector was invited to Kansas to speak by Governor Sam Brownback.

Governor Brownback stated at the start of the conference that he was seeking bi-partisan solutions to the problem of high rates of children living in poverty within our state. He declared “the best way to do it is to reach as far across the political spectrum and find someone as far opposite or different from you as you can and start to talk about strategy." This advice is obviously meant for all of the left leaning and moderate folks in the room, because this far right, radical Governor brought in a far-right, radical talking head from the Heritage Foundation. This is how the Governor failed. Obama who openly supports the misogynistic Fatherhood Initiatives by pouring Billions of $$ into Responsible fatherhood Programs (RFP). Brownback failed by bringing in the National Fatherhood Programs- while Congressman and is filtering that money even more into KS State $$- its all about oppression of women and their children and of course it’s monetary- it’s all about the money.] See: Ron Nichols, National Center for Fathering and Here in Kansas

Robert Rector’s resume includes a piece he wrote titled “The Myth of Poverty”, claiming that the Census Bureau is overestimating the number of those truly living in poverty. He recently wrote a piece for the National Review, “How do the poor live? For starters, a poor child in America is far more likely to have a wide-screen plasma television, cable or satellite TV, a computer and an Xbox or TiVo in his home than he is to be hungry." Mr. Rector backed up his resume of crazy by spouting off some of these doozies during the course of his 45 minute speech…

It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that the means-tested welfare system to support children in the United States is predominately a support system that compensates for the erosion of marriage. (fathers rights and patriarchy)

And...

Your state is separating into 2 social castes- unmarried women and married couples. SINGLE DADDYS- [KCSL is Federally Funded recently a grant to teach KS Fathers ‘HOW NOT to Kill their Children’ and support SINGLE DADDY or aka Daddy Welfare]

And...

Marriage is stronger than education in reducing child poverty—[WTF?] it has the same effect as 4 or 5 years of education for the mother. [You have got to be kidding me?= oh those terrible mothers]The effect of marriage in reducing poverty is stronger statistically than graduating from high school. [oh good goddess]

And....

These women [ewww were so infested] regard having children as the most significant thing in their lives. It’s what gives their lives meaning. [As a Battered Mother who was a Nurse in the psych field in Kansas for 13 years prior to having my daughter- only to then be battered by the FATHER – I leave the ‘marriage’ only to be punished by this BS thinking –that ‘man-is-‘god-mentality = Maintaining Complete Control over women and their children’ and gave my child to a known admitted and convicted batter—I say FU!] It’s just that they think of marriage like we think of a trip to Honolulu-it’d be nice sometime in the future, but not right now! First they get pregnant, and then they worry about marriage. [f*# that s*#t]

And...

We’ve absolutely saturated these communities with birth control. In fact, Title X clinics don’t seem to be doing a very good job, do they?! [sigh]

And...

Sequential cohabitation is the primary cause of spousal abuse and child abuse. If they’re not the dad and just living with the mom, and the child is screaming and yelling, then the guy is more likely to react not in a positive way. [WRONG WRONG WRONG!! See Dastardly Dads and 175 Killer Dads: Fathers who ended their children’s lives in situations involving child custody, visitation, and/or child support (USA)

And...

Low income women aren’t hostile to marriage-they’re not radical feminists. They’re actually quite conservative.

Mr. Rector’s government ‘solution to the problem of unmarried ladies’ was presented as a three-part plan…

1. Explain the benefits of marriage in middle and high schools with a high proportion of at-risk youth;

2. Create public education campaigns in low-income communities on the benefits of marriage;

3. Require federally funded birth control clinics to provide information on the benefits of marriage and skills needed to develop stable families to interested low-income clients. [Right just what we need- more Government pork—like Fatherhood.gov, National Fatherhood Initiatives, Head Start, YWCA, Access Visitation, Kansas Children's Service League etc… the pay flow is endless, utterly. Just Google any of the above, the genocide of ‘Battered Mothers and Their Abused Children’- all by ‘daddy dearest of course.]

I can condense those three parts into two words… indoctrination and coercion. [enslaving women and entrapping children]

Mr. Rector backed his statements up by producing a big screen with a power point that had lots of “data." [hahah what data? his? try this data—Leadership Council- or better this data The Liz Library – or how about this data, the Battered Mothers Custody Conference] or DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE, and CHILD CUSTODY: Legal Strategies and Policy Issues

’A reporter later asked me what I thought about the data. I agreed with the fact that the majority of children that are living in poverty are living in the homes of single mothers. However, focusing on this one piece of this very large puzzle is not just short-sided, it perpetuates the right wing sexist myth of lazy welfare moms. So, for Mr. Rector’s purposes…focusing on this one piece serves him, Governor Brownback and the rest of their right wing radical base well.

What young women need (beyond the obvious need for greater access to low cost birth control and improved sex education in schools) is a boost to their self-esteem. They need mentors that will tell them that they are greater than their biological ability to pro-create. [no shit- that they are what ?human beings? damn straight] They need to be told that they possess greatness within themselves beyond what can be obtained by any outside stimulus, whether that be men, babies, money, drugs or alcohol. We must prop these young women up with not only internal fortitude, but with jobs that pay a living wage and opportunities for secondary education.

These “town halls” created to perpetuate myths and sexist stereotypes about women for the political purpose of crushing welfare benefits to the needy within our state will do nothing to combat the true problem of childhood poverty. These events are despicable and they are sad. This Governor is using the poor children of Kansas as pawns to advance his personal political agenda.

The one positive that could potentially come from these high profile staged “town hall” events in Kansas, is the outing of this Governor. This Governor is not just an opponent of abortion, or even birth control, he is an opponent of women.

In Kansas, Secrecy, Control, and Limited Participation Are Hallmarks Of Brownback's Town Halls

by Kari Ann Rinker

Governor Brownback's policies are designed to favor the likes of the Kochs, not the kids of Kansas. His "town halls" are further proof of the control that our governor demands over every interaction, every policy and every man, woman and child within Kansas boundaries.

What Topeka Tells Us: When the Budget Cuts Come, It's Women and Children First

by Jodi Jacobson

This week's power struggle over who would pay for prosecuting domestic violence crimes in Shawnee County, Kansas is both a reflection and a foreshadowing of how anti-tax, anti-government, religiously ideological leaders see their states and our country going. In short, when it comes to making cuts, it's women and children first.

New tool gives abused women a voice in courtroom Advocates pushing for Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit

2011-11-12T06:07:00.001-08:00

Click here for News Video WGN News

Example of How to do an Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit here.

By Marcella RaymondWGN News

One in four women is abused. Nationwide eight women a day are murdered by an abuser. But now there is a new tool that is helping women stay alive and giving them a voice in the process.

The evidentiary abuse affidavit was born out of Stacy Peterson’s disappearance. It is a tool advocates say will wipe out hearsay since it comes from the woman herself. First she details on paper abuse that, for some, has gone on for decades. The affidavit is witnessed by at least two people and notarized. Then she reads it on tape.

Susan Murphy-Milano has advocated for abused women for more than 20 years. She created the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit.

Through Murphy-Milano, at least 1,000 women in the last year have made the evidentiary abuse affidavit. All of them are still alive.

DuPage County State`s Attorney Robert Berlin says while the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit statements would take away hearsay, now the 6th Amendment comes in to play where a defendant has the right to confront a witness against him. Unless there`s more evidence that proves he made her disappear so she couldn`t testify.

The Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit will be available December 25th in app form at apple stores nationwide.

You can also get all the information in Susan Murphy-Milano's book “Time's Up.” It's available on her websitewww.susanmurphymilano.com

Shawnee County Commissioners: Shelley Buhler, Ted Ensley, Mary Thomas- Refuse to fund Domestic Violence Cases but prioritize golf course irrigation and personal profitable interests. A Special Interest Group-only.

2011-10-27T19:33:00.001-07:00

Who is overseeing you? The Shawnee County Commissioners - Shelly? Ted? and Mary?

We need an audit into these 3 people who control all the funding in Topeka,Shawnee County, KS. Imagine, three people who have the qualifications of a high school graduate, controlling all the money in the county without any oversight without any accountability but with plenty of personal vested interest with the ‘departments’ they fund—or defund. e.g Golf course irrigation contract approved

But when these three Gestapo ‘puppet’ Nazi’s do not get their way when they bully and screw the local tax payer, the citizens of Topeka and Shawnee county, what they do?

“Well they whine and cry of course.” Check out today's latest whine. Commissioners turn to AG, citing 'no faith' in DA inquiry

Shawnee County Commissioners Contact information:

commission@snco.us

S.Buhler@snco.us and buhlerfam87@yahoo.com

M.Thomas@snco.us

T.Ensley@snco.us

Shelly Buhler(S.Buhler@snco.us), Chair
District 1

Shelley Buhler aka ‘Michelle Buhler” Shelly Buhler | Facebook

Michele A Buhler

(785) 584-6617

503 W Maple Ct

Rossville, KS 66533-9783

Age:
45-49

Associated:
Husband, Stephen R Buhler and Son, Mitchell Buhler

Mary M. Thomas(M.Thomas@snco.us)
District 2

Mary Thomas--- best friend to Vic Millers ex wife-(give’s new meaning to ‘keeping it in the family)

Mary M Thomas

3511 SE Tomahawk Ct

Topeka, KS 66605-3133

Age:

50-54

Associated:

Larry J Thomas, Dana Thomas

Ted Ensley(T.Ensley@snco.us), Vice Chair
District 3

Ted Ensely aka ‘Theodore D. Ensley’ better known for his ‘county funded’ Ensley Gardens

Ted D Ensley (Democrat)

(785) 478-2030

2500 SW Rother Rd

Topeka, KS 66614-4746

Age:

65+

Associated:

Elna N Ensley

Theodore D Ensley

E******D@___.NET

Now, I ask, how in the hell can these three people wield so much power with out any transparency, accountability or oversight?

Final Budget for 2012 County budget line items indicated:

27 budgets were cut,

18 were increased and

9 were unchanged.

I will find which is what. (If I can, the very last thing I wanted was to delve into local politics) We all already know that the Criminal, Justice, District Attorney and even the county Morgue were ‘cut’.

We have been able to ascertain that the golf course, the parks and recreation, the Ensley gardens, Public library, Expo Center were not, and some in fact increased.

We, just want you to know, Shelly, Ted and Mary, that we are calling you out. We demand that you and your commission be investigated. We are tired of your lack of prioritizing when it comes to public safety and we will not tolerate it any more.

The Community, the Victims and the Survivors are behind only one person in all this mess. Chad Taylor, the District attorney. The Topeka City Council sold us out when they ‘decriminalized domestic violence’, the Commissioners started the sell out with cuts to DA – only to have Vic Miller resign same day to take a judge position with the city. Now the Commission continues to throw tantrums?

Their is much more going on with the City Interim Manager, City Council and the Shawnee County Commission, and it stinks.

Topeka, No money for Domestic Violence but Millions $ for Golf Course’s

2011-10-26T17:35:00.001-07:00

The District Attorney only needed a pitiless 350K (that was cut) to be able to continue to ‘on a shoe string’ to prosecute Domestic Violence cases. So now these are the real priorities, now that the national media is dying down. It’s back on to the good ole boys business as usual and ‘how we can help ourselves, our personal agenda- now that we got rid of those annoying Domestic Violence Victims/Survivors and Advocates.. …..”

It’s Business as usual in the land of OZ- Where the wizard failed to give out any hearts, brains or courage to the City government.

Topeka City Counsel Members have approved a one million dollar heath care for its City employee’s this week. (just among some other non ‘public safety’ spending spree.)

But they can NOT afford to prosecute Domestic Violence cases? WTF? They ‘decriminalize domestic violence’ to save money for non ‘public safety’ issues. I mean Crime is at an all time high in Topeka, Ks. I Guess Topeka Citizens safety is JUST NOT important. The Topeka County Commissioners (the ones who Cut the District Attorney’s Budget to prosecute Domestic Violence Case’s) is to approve a golf course irrigation system with total debt service estimated at nearly $1.4 million.

But no one thinks that 350K for Domestic violence prosecutions is important. At least not in Topeka, KS.

What’s that matter with Topeka? There is not enough public outrage-

The Commissioners Cut Funding for DV Prosecutions
The City ‘Decriminalizes Domestic Violence’-(so they do not have to pay for it)

TOPEKA, KANSAS pure and simple does not give a shit about Victims of Domestic Violence. It is business as usual--- yes, profit business in Topeka. The only city in the Nation to Decriminalize Domestic Violence, and cut funding for Domestic Violence Prosecutions.

I say ladies, grab your guns and girdles- it’s time to take care of yourself and your children, and do an “Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit'” so when you are murdered at least he wont ‘get away with it’ as they say they will and usually do. This is just one of many from Domestic Violence expert and author Susan Murphy Milano’s

The book "Time's Up A Guide on How To Survive and Abusive and Stalking Relationship"

is the prescription that every person must obtain before they announce they are leaving. Below is an example from Chapter 4, one of many unique tools provided in the book. It is available on Amazon.com, or you can purchase via e-book or on a CD. If you have questions, the email address is: timesupforjustice@gmail.com

Chapter 4 featuring the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit contains information that is critical to help victims’ in documenting their experiences and creating a record to insure that instances of abuse are memorialized should they be needed for future use in the
legal system.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14769756&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit by Susan Murphy Milano from the Book "Time's Up" from Courage Network on Vimeo.

NO WAY OUT BUT ONE: a story of love and justice by Garland Waller and Barry Nolan

2011-10-26T06:31:00.001-07:00

http://www.nowayoutbutone.com/

Project Update #14: From Boston Magazine: ‘No Way Out But One’ to Unveil at MIT

Posted by Garland Waller and Barry Nolan

BY SARA EDWARDS

A compelling new documentary debuts in Boston this week that will open your eyes to a stunning injustice. No Way Out But One was co-written and directed by Emmy award winning television producer Garland Waller, currently a professor at Boston University. Waller, a friend and former colleague of mine at WBZ-TV, asked me to go to San Diego in August to critique the unfinished doc at a conference on domestic violence.

The film follows a case that gained international attention 10 years ago when a divorced mother made the FBI’s Most Wanted List for kidnapping her children from their father and escaping overseas.

Holly Collins, a battered wife living in Minnesota, divorced her husband but lost custody of her kids when the family court deemed she was so traumatized by the abuse that her parenting skills were questionable. The court also ignored evidence her ex-husband severely beat the children, even cracking his young son’s skull. In interviews with the children, now young adults, we hear about the emotional and physical cruelty they endured while living with their father. Collins took her kids and ran.

The film details their harrowing escape, how Collins eluded security at the airport pre-9/11, and how she and her children eventually became the first Americans ever granted asylum in the Netherlands.

But Collins is one of the lucky ones. She and her family (including her daughter, Jennifer, who’s director of the Courage Kids Network, which helps abused children) are now back in the U.S. and plan to attend the screening at 7 p.m. Thursday on MIT campus, room 6-120. Co-producers Waller and Barry Nolan will also be there. (Full disclosure: Nolan is a Boston Daily blogger.) Waller says she is thrilled the film was picked to lead off the new Chicks Make Flicks series, sponsored by Women in Film & Video/New England.

“I know it’s not a pleasant subject, talking about child abuse and having to acknowledge that the American family court system isn’t protecting abused children, but perhaps once people realize what is happening they can initiate change,” Holly Collins said.

It takes courage to put the spotlight on an issue that a flawed system would prefer be left in the shadows. No Way Out But One persuasively makes the case for much-needed change.

Care to comment? View this update on Kickstarter →

KICKSTARTER

SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT – It Wasn’t Topeka and their “Lack of Stand’ on Domestic Violence

2011-10-24T04:46:00.001-07:00

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month we want the world to know that we are here… we always have been. It was only up until recently with the ‘slap in the face’ against domestic violence survivors and victims in Topeka Kansas that our voices have only gotten louder. We honor our fallen sisters who were not as lucky as we are to have survived a relationship. We have faith in knowing they are guiding us as we preserve their memory. Many are now gone but not forgotten, this is for you. http://www.topeka.org/cityofficials/. Several Petitions here that have been making a difference, as well as all their contact info Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas Contact #’s

I highly urge you to sign the petitions for the demand of City Council to stop ‘bitch slapping’ DV victims, and to HIGHLY encourage and DEMAND that the Shawnee County Commissioners Shelly Buhler, Ted Ensley and Mary Thomas to Start prioritizing PUBLIC SAFETY and reinstate funding cut from all of Topeka’s DA, prosecutors, Sherriff and even the morgue.

Cut instead the funding from parks and recreation. Ted Ensley’s Parks and Gardens, to including but definetly NOT limited to: the Expo Center, the Fancy Public Library, 400K for a new Irrigation System for County Golf Course, several 250K per round-abouts...(sadly this list goes on and on…)

I strongly urge you to watch this 20/20 Diane Sawyer report on Domestic Violence.

This is the NORMAL for a Victim/Survivor – (However,She was the lucky one.) The System worked for her, 90% of DV Victims do not walk away with their lives – or as the walking dead-without her children.

1 in 4 Women are in or have been in a DV situation as below. 1 in 2 people will know someone who is or has been a DV Situation – or what it really is “Coercive Control” a fundamental loss of life, liberty, and human rights.

The Courts the System, the Community has failed to Support the women in their lives.

SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT

by mamaliberty

This woman saved my life. When I was in a violent relationship I saw the particular story on Oprah. I recognized myself in these videos, trying had to be quiet to prevent his hands on me. The judge who sentenced this abuser was emotional when describing what he saw in that video of Susan. I wonder what did he see? Did he realize that domestic violence is far more damaging of a crime than originally thought? Do we really have the equal protection under law? We as survivors of intimate partner violence have come a long way. Just like Susan, I am a far cry from the subservient battered slave I once was.

If it were not for Susan and the countless other of survivors that have found their voice and share their story to the world to let us know, we are not alone, we are not crazy and you too can survive! My work on this blog and elsewhere has led me down a path filled with love and empowerment. My hope for the future is that all women will be protected as every human deserves. Since we cannot eradicate “abuse” it is up to law enforcement and the judiciary to be well-informed and educated on the subject of domestic violence. We have not only shattered that proverbial glass ceiling we are coming through it in masses.

You are not alone, your sisters are all around you, come find us!

Shawnee County Commissioners: Adequately Fund for Prosecution of Domestic Violence Case's in Topeka, KS

2011-10-21T22:16:00.001-07:00

Sign Petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/shawnee-county-commissioners-adequately-fund-for-prosecution-of-domestic-violence-cases-in-topeka-ks

Why this is Important

Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas: Domestic Violence Victims Need Justice Now!

The Shawnee County Commission needs to make the ‘Safety’ of Domestic Violence Victims a ‘priority'and get adequate funding in place for the prosecution of Domestic Violence case's and seek Justice for Victims.

1. Shawnee County Commissioners Cut the District Attorney’s office funding by 10%. (After there was a request for an increase due to the high crime rate).

2. Shawnee County District Attorney as a result of the Budget Cuts was forced to place all Misdemeanors including Domestic Violence charges on the City of Topeka Court.

3. The City of Topeka, did not want to pay to do 'Domestic Violence' cases (Although quite capable)

4. The Topeka City Council, City Manager and Mayor then caused a national outrage by 'Decriminalizing Domestic Violence' and repealing the ban on Domestic Violence within the city limits so that they would not be jurisdiction. http://bit.ly/rgk8TL

5. Thereby forcing the Shawnee County District Attorney to 'review' the Domestic Violence Cases, as a State law.

6. Since the City of Topeka, 'Decriminalized' Domestic Violence, the Shawnee County District Attorney of course is now forced to review these cases. (Although the DA's Office does not have sufficient funding and in fact suffered a 10% budget cut)

7. The Shawnee County Commissioner's still have not provided adequate funding for District Attorney.

8. District Attorney is now forced to lay off 17% of his staff effective December 23, 2011. http://bit.ly/ogHoer

The BOTTOM LINE:

The District Attorney's Office is underfunded, under staffed (unlike the City of Topeka) and still only the most severe crimes will ever make it to trial with most pleading out to avoid cost of trial.

Domestic Violence Cases - will remain completely without consequence to batterers. At best they will be plead out to 1.) disorderly conduct or 2.) destruction of personal property. To get them out of the system quickly so that what remaining resources can be used for higher level crimes of felony.

The City of Topeka has ‘repealed’ the ban on Domestic Violence so victims no longer have the City of Topeka Court as an option to fall back on.

Currently, Domestic Violence Victims now have a better chance of winning the lottery, than having the crimes committed against them ever be prosecuted and Justice still remains denied.

We strongly urge the Shawnee County Commissioners: Shelly Buhler, Ted Ensley and Mary M. Thomas to make ‘Safety’ a priority and act swiftly to provide adequate funding for all crimes, especially the crime of Domestic Violence in Topeka, KS. read more here: http://www.change.org/petitions/shawnee-county-commissioners-adequately-fund-for-prosecution-of-domestic-violence-cases-in-topeka-ks

Denise Everhart, Richard Harmon - True ‘elected’ Public Servants Support Victims of Domestic Violence at Rally, Topeka, KS

2011-10-21T15:58:00.001-07:00

Denise Everhart (left) and Richard Harmon (right) two of the three that voted against ‘decriminalizing’ Domestic Violence were also at Topeka, KS YWCA March Against Violence October 21, 2011. More Photos here.

It was so nice to see these Topeka City Council officials at the rally today. (Especially after ‘Manspeaker’s fail’).

These two (actually 3) have taken a lot of ‘heat’ from the other 7 members of the City Council that voted to repeal DV as a crime within the city limits. I was so glad they showed up. So were they, they needed the support as well knowing that they din in fact stand up for the ‘right’ thing and voted ‘no’.

They greeted every one, advocates, survivors and victims, all thanked them for their ‘stand’ against Domestic Violence. They marched with us from the State Capitol down Topeka Blvd with Topeka Police motorcycle (Harley’s even :-D ) escort. When we arrived at the YWCA, they immediately donned gloves and aprons and began ‘serving the public’- hot dogs. The event had about a 150 turn out. Not including the awesome Topeka High Drumline. (video below)

While I was talking with Ms. Everhart, she informed me that the city council is still getting tons of email (YEAH-KEEP IT UP). That several organizations, groups have boycotted Topeka until they reinstate the ‘bam on Domestic Violence’. I asked Denise how we could help, she stated that we really need to put pressure on the Shawnee County Commissioners. Plain and simple the DA’s office needs that funding to prosecute crimes especially low level DV crimes.

So we are still no better off than we were before, the city ‘decriminalized domestic violence’—the city has no responsibility –obviously now. But that does not fix the problem. Bottom line, the Commission cut funding to the DA which in turn forced DA to give City all misdemeanor charges including DV. The City decriminalized it-so they would have to prosecute- and now we are back at the DA needing funding. Who holds the key? The Shawnee County Commission.

Thank you to all who turned out today to support Topeka, KS Victims of Domestic Violence! A Big thanks to my hero’s Denise Everhart and Richard Harmon, you are hero’s to every DV Victim/Survivor Nationally—Internationally! We support you for as you GOOD PUBLIC SERVANTS! You have the World Supporting you and your Stand Against Domestic Violence. Thank you.

You can thank them personally as well below for taking a stand against Domestic Violence.

District 4
Denise Everhart (Voted Against Repeal)
785-267-4098 District 9
Richard Harmon (Voted Against Repeal)
785-271-6962 District 5
Larry Wolgast (Voted Against Repeal)
785-272-6896

Those who ‘decriminalized domestic violence’ can be reached below.

Mayor
Bill Bunten
785-368-3895 District 2
John Alcala
785-233-7110

District 6
Chad Manspeaker
785-220-9493 District 8
Andrew Gray
785-806-0068

District 3
Sylvia Ortiz
785-357-0717 District 7
Bob Archer
785-817-8157

District 1
Karen Hiller
785-232-2917 City Manager Dan Stanley
785-368-3725

SHAWNEE COUNTY COMMISIONERS

200 SE 7th B11
Topeka Kansas
66603-3971
(785) 233-8200
Ext. 4040

Chairman (District 1)
Shelly Buhler

(District 2) Mary Thomas

(District 3) Ted Ensley

TOPEKA HIGH DRUM LINE For DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RALLY

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150428997845229

Insult to Injury- Chad Manspeaker who voted to ‘Decriminalize Domestic Violence’ shows up at Domestic Violence Rally in Topeka,KS

2011-10-21T15:57:00.001-07:00

Hey Topeka Women - SLAP! Slap! Slap!! Compliments of Chad Manspeaker. Just to make sure you didn’t get ‘Slapped enough’ the first time – see here

Topeka Voted tonight to Decriminalize Domestic Violence - A Move that Sets Back a 100 years of DV work

10-21-2011“Manspeaker,who voted with the majority of the council to repeal misdemeanor domestic battery from city ordinance’

This was insane, Chad Manspeaker, not only showed up at rally but spoke abouthis decision (and 6 others city councilpersons) who voted to ‘Decriminalize Domestic Violence’ with in the Topeka City limits that outraged the Nation. This ELECTED official, a ‘public servant’ huh? could have fooled me- Had the audacity to show up at OUR DV rally and further had the audacity to ‘explain his decision’STILL thinking he ‘is da man’ - He is not, he is a coward as are the others who voted to further insult battered women--

And really Chad, while the other two council members Everhart and Harmon (who voted against repealing the ban) were ‘serving the public’ and hot dogs- Manspeaker wouldn’t do ‘public servant work’ he just sat and ate his hotdogs.

Boooooo Manspeaker—how dare you show up and talk your crap at a rally for survivors and victims of ‘Domestic Violence”- the same that YOU ‘DECRIMILIZED?’
SLAP!! SLAP!! Take that- you women! I guess abusers are like that. They like to control intimidate and expect you to kneel down and lick his shoes for his greatness in making sure that Victims of Domestic Violence crime is decriminalized.
Any ways, let him know how victims/survivors do not appreciate his actions.

Chad Manspeaker , 1304 SW College Ave, Topeka, KS 66604
Cell: 220-9493 email: manspeakerfortopeka@gmail.com

Council District #6
Chad Manspeaker, Councilperson
1304 SW College Ave., Topeka, KS 66604
cmanspeaker@topeka.org
785-220-9493
Chad Manspeaker (@manspeaker) on Twitter

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/ManspeakerForTopeka?v=info

Topeka Maneuvers Over Domestic-Abuse Law Outrage Survivors

2011-10-17T05:58:00.001-07:00

From the LA Times

Claudine Dombrowski tells of having her wrists broken, being hit on the head with a crowbar, getting chipped teeth and, at one point, needing 24 stitches to close a wound. Even when she left her boyfriend, she says, the abuse didn't stop. Ultimately, she says, she was left on total disability.

“I called the police, I did all the right things, I ended up in court, and on a good day, it got reduced from domestic violence to disorderly conduct,” Dombrowski, a Topeka, Kansas, resident and now an advocate for abuse survivors, told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

So Dombrowski was outraged when misdemeanor domestic abuse — already an insult, she thinks, for not being equal to an assault charge — went unpunished for a month in Topeka after a local funding dispute turned into a circular firing squad that caught battered women in the center.

The county didn’t want to pay for prosecuting misdemeanor domestic battery; the prosecutor didn’t want to take the cases without more resources; and the city didn’t want to pay for handling the cases either.

Meanwhile, as many as 30 abuse suspects went free before the city of Topeka, in a legal maneuver, forced Shawnee County prosecutor Chad Taylor to resume prosecution of the cases — by dramatically pulling its own domestic abuse law from the books. The state has its own law, which the prosecutor would need to enforce.

“The fact that it happened just makes me feel pretty worthless, you know?” Dombrowski said. “We spend millions of dollars on public service announcements saying we [domestic-violence victims] don’t have to live this way ... and you really do.”

Times have been tough for local governments. The economic buck stops with them because they don’t get to run on debt the way the federal government does, and some of the collapses have been spectacular.

Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, threw up the white flag this week and declared bankruptcyafter a failed $300 million incinerator project capsized the city’s budget. The city manager formoribund Vallejo, Calif., has one assistant; she has to lock the door when she leaves, because there’s no one else in the office.

But for women, the symptoms of the municipal budget crisis are especially stunning in the sleepy prairie metropolis of Topeka. There, the symbolic decriminalization of domestic violence has thrown a spotlight on a chronically underreported issue in a state where women’s advocates are used to fighting uphill battles.

“We live in Kansas, where we are used to taking a lot of punches on the chin,” said Kari Ann Rinker, state coordinator for Kansas NOW, which recently saw the state legislature try to defund Planned Parenthood.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s conservative stances have led a few residents to derisively dub the state “Brownbackistan.”

But beyond the familiar battlefronts over abortion, domestic violence hits especially close to home. In 2008, Jana Mackey, a 25-year-old Kansas NOW lobbyist who volunteered to aid victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, was found slain in an ex-boyfriend’s home.

“When I went in front of the county commission in Shawnee County about this issue [funding prosecutions for domestic abuse in Topeka], I brought everything I had, and I was emotional,” said Rinker. “Sometimes I’m accused of being less than professional. But I’ve tried to do this nicely, to fight this mentality in this state, and we’ve reached this point where we need to stop being nice and start rattling some cages to do so.”

Added Dombrowski: “If these people really cared about women, they would come up with the money. They wouldn’t argue about it.”

The past month has been treacherous for domestic abuse survivors in Topeka, according to Becky Dickinson, program director for the Topeka YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment, which she said saw an increase in the number of women needing help.

“It became a very scary and dangerous time for victims to get law enforcement involved,” Dickinson told The Times, adding that victims “were calling the police and seeing their abusers being arrested but getting released in 48 hours.”

In an abuse situation, Dickinson said, abusers are often the most dangerous after they’ve been arrested. They come home looking for revenge. Needless to say, Dickinson said, “victims were concerned” about the budget spat.

Dickinson said that in 2010, the Topeka YWCA helped 1,305 county residents with services and counseling for domestic and sexual violence, assisted with 586 protection orders, housed 190 women and children in a shelter, and received nearly 2,000 calls to its crisis hotline.

Those numbers are likely low. Domestic violence often goes unreported. So it’s a dark irony that Topeka’s new time in the international limelight comes during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Now Topeka is known as the domestic violence capital of the world,” Kansas NOW’s Rinker said.

Whether the county prosecutor’s announcement that it is resuming prosecutions will fix the problem remains to be seen; the prosecutor’s office is expected to lay off almost a fifth of its staff by the end of the year, which could impact the prosecution of domestic violence cases that the office just resumed prosecuting.

“Even on a good day, it doesn’t work,” Dombrowski said of Topeka’s handling of domestic abuse victims. “And now it’s even worse.”

--Matt Pearce in Kansas City
Twitter.com/mattdpearce

Photo: Claudine Dombrowski, left, a survivor advocate, greets Amber Versola, a lobbyist for Kansas National Organization for Women, on Tuesday at a rally at the Shawnee County Court House in Topeka, Kansas. Credit: AP / The Capital-Journal, Anthony S. Bush

Topeka's "Week Without Violence" Begins Today in the Only City in the Nation that 'Decriminalized Domestic Violence

2011-10-17T05:56:00.001-07:00

"Week Without Violence"

I am saddened. The City Council continues to twist and mince words. The bottom line and in simple English is -

YES, THEY DECRIMINALIZED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE within the city of Topeka.

See some of the other posts on this site.

They want to be called hero's? They are cowards.

They think that they know what is best for domestic violence victims? They are wrong.

The YWCA begins its week with out violence in the First City in the Nation to decriminalize Domestic Violence. See event here: and please be sure to attend the March on Friday where all the State, City and County Gov. officials will be leading the March.
KEEP WRITING the city council (express your outrage over their thoughtless and heartless repeal of Dv) and Write the city commissioners we need the DA's office funded! We need help!!

The Attorney General Derek Schmidt knows that Domestic Violence Victims will suffer (MORE than they have already) from budget cuts and reduced staff in DA office.

As for all those on the City Council who voted to repeal ban -- “You have not helped us “- You have hurt us -even more.

Happy "Week with out Violence" in honor of "National Domestic Violence Awareness Month".
Topeka has become an 'abuser' to battered women as well as an already broken system and sympathy for abusers. Be ashamed, be very ashamed.

Labels: DISTRICT ATTORNEY, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, FUNDING, MISDEMEANOR CHARGES, TOPEKA, Topeka City Council, Topeka Kansas Decriminalize Domestic Violence"

Topeka Kansas: Successfully Votes Making "Domestic Violence Legal"

2011-10-12T07:26:00.001-07:00

From Times Up!!

By Susan Murphy Milano

In Topeka, Kansas on October 11, 2011, members of the City Council voted and successfully repealed the city's ordinance banning domestic violence during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Talk about a punch, a kick and slap for victims of intimate partner violence by city government’s financial misconduct as their excuse for not wanting to do their jobs. At the center of dysfunction, the absent District Attorney Chad Taylor, who is refusing to prosecute domestic violence crimes in the city.
During the two hour televised council meeting, the one sided discussion from 7 of the 10 elected members amounted to nothing more than political finger pointing. Leading the charge, and ultimately dictating the vote, was Interim City Manager Dan Stanley, brow beating those during the hearing into submission of his way or the highway. It was classic manipulation "101" presented in a live stream real time format.
According to National Advocate, organizer and expert Claudine Dombrowski, inattendance at the City Council meeting, “I witnessed the Council of elected officialssupport the decriminalization of domestic violence within the city limits of Topeka and berate speakers, who were survivors and victims. The elected council members temper tantrums during the meeting and finger pointing were disgusting.”
Approximately 24 years ago, after years of lobbying by victims, advocates and families of those slain by their partner, legislation was signed by Governors nation-wide making domestic violence a crime. The pen used to sign the bill, was not filled with ink, but the blood of all those who lives were lost at the hands of those professing to love them.
This "stunt" today will cost Topeka more than the mere 10% budget shortfall cited by city officials as the reason not to prosecute. Expect an increase in intimate partner related missing persons cases (providing they will still be allowed to make a report) and count on more funerals for those victims whom the police did not respond.
This certainly gives new meaning to creating prevention and awareness duringNational Domestic Violence Awareness Month, doesn't it?

· “16,800 homicides (that are reported) attributed to intimate partner homicide per year, 2.2 million medically treated injuries costing $37 BILLION per year.[i] [CDH1]
· The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8 billion dollars each year; $4.1 billion of which is for medical and mental health services.”[ii]
· Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.[iii]
· In 70-80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.[iv] [CDH2]
· Less than one-fifth of victims reporting an injury from intimate partner violence sought medical treatment following the injury. [v][CDH3]
· Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits each year.[vi]
[i] NCDAV reporting sourced from: The Cost of Violence in the United States. 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control. Atlanta, GAhttp://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf
[ii] NCDAV reporting sourced from: The Cost of Violence in the United States. 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control. Atlanta, GA
http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf
[iii] Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports “Crime in the United States, 2000,” (2001)
[iv] NCDAV report sourced from: Campbell, et al. (2003). “Assessing Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Homicide.” Intimate Partner Homicide, NIJ Journal, 250, 14-19. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice
[v] U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Intimate Partner Violence in the United States,” December 2006
[vi] Costs of Intimate Partner Violence against Women in the United States. 2003.

****

Susan Murphy Milano is a staff member of the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education. She is a specialist with intimate partner violence prevention strategies and high risk cases and available for personal consultations through the Institute. She is also part of the team atManagement Resources Limited of New York.
Susan is the author of "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships,"Moving out, Moving on, and Defending Out Lives. Susan is the host of The Susan Murphy Milano Show, "Time's Up !" . She is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated "The Roth Show" with Dr Laurie Roth and a co-host on Crime Wire.

Topeka, KS: “Outraged” KS-NOW Spearheads Protest at City Hall and DA’s Office - Over Domestic Violence Debacle. Tuesday October 11, 2011 4PM

2011-10-08T07:25:00.001-07:00

Spearheaded by KS-NOW: Kansas National Organization for Women

Topeka’s Plan to decimalize Domestic Violence – In Domestic Violence Awareness Month –no less. shame.

Several National Media Articles – under Google search in News “Topeka Domestic Violence”

Time Tuesday, October 11 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm
Location 200 SE 7th St. Topeka, Ks. 66603
Kansas National Organization for Women

More Info

Come protest the District Attorney Chad Taylor's office from 4 pm- 5:30 pm. We must stand up against the decisions being made regarding women and their families' lives due to budget cuts right here in Kansas.

Bring your signs!

Following the protest there will be a city council meeting in the same building starting at 6 pm.

We need people to come in masses and please call the Shawnee County Courthouse if you would like to speak at the meeting in order to get your name on the docket before 5 pm on Tuesday. Please send the word out and your presence is needed in this time of lost priorities. We will hand out purple ribbons at the protest.
*If you do wish to speak (and call to put your name on the list), they request that you limit your time to 4 minutes MAX.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Domestic abuse cases ignored in Topeka as city & county fight over who should handle prosecution

2011-10-07T19:37:00.001-07:00

via nydailynews.com

Getty
Topeka, Kanas might decriminalize domestic violence to save cash and avoid trying cases.
RELATED NEWS
Half-baked plan to stash pot in cookie shipment
Topeka, Kansas is going soft on wife beaters.

A 10 percent budget cut has forced local prosecutors to pull back on prosecuting misdemeanor cases - including domestic violence charges, Fox affiliate WDAF-TV reported.

In response, the cash-strapped city is considering repealing its anti-domestic violence law, the station reported, hoping it will persuade the Shawnee County District Attorney's office to reverse their decision.

As the city and DA's office try to hash out who's responsible for prosecuting such cases, at least three accused domestic violence offenders have slipped between the cracks, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

While that doesn't mean the men won't face charges down the line, interim city manager Dan Stanley told the publication, it does send potentially dangerous criminals home for the time being.

"The loser in that kind of scenario are the victims and the families," Stanley said at a news conference Wednesday.

More than 30 other misdemeanor cases have already been dropped by the DA's office since the September 8 announcement.

Claudine Dombrowski, whose partner once beat her in the head with a crowbar and sent her to the hospital with two broken wrists and 24 stitches in what was labeled a "misdemeanor" domestic abuse case, is among residents fighting the city's decision.

"They need to invest in headstones, because these women are going to end up in cemeteries," she said in an interview with Fox News. "The city of Topeka just said domestic violence is legal and you can beat your wife."

"I'm terrified for these women."

The city council will vote next Tuesday on the repeal of its domestic violence ordinance.

rmurray@nydailynews.com

Claudine Dombrowski: Topeka KS - Two Domestic Violence Survivors Speak Out Failure to Prosecute and City's plan to 'Decriminalize' Domestic Violence

2011-10-07T19:18:00.001-07:00

via claudinedombrowski.blogspot.com

October 4th, 2011
City Hall, Public Hearing
Re: Repealing Ban on Domestic Battery
Submitted by Claudine Dombrowski

Council members,

I stand before you to speak about the issue known as REPEALING THE BAN on DOMESTIC BATTERY within the City Limits that the vast majority of Topekans, and now AMERICANS, recognize as a measure to ‘DECRIMINALIZE DOMESTIC BATTERY’ within the city limits of TOPEKA.

OZ OutLawZ 2nd Annual Domestic Violence Poker Run, Topeka, KS (11 am at the Dugout in Topeka, KS) « Battered Mothers-A Human Rights Issue

2011-10-07T19:03:00.001-07:00

via angelzfury.wordpress.com

OZ OutLawZ 2nd Annual Domestic Violence Poker Run, Topeka, KS (11 am at the Dugout in Topeka, KS)

2011-10-07T18:59:00.001-07:00

Women In The Wind - OZ OutLawZ Domestic Violence Poker Run, Topeka, KS

Starting at the Dugout at 11:00 am October 8th, 2011 Come have Fun!!

http://www.witwozoutlawz.org/

These are some awesome awesome awesome women—in the wind!! Thanks for all you do!! Topeka and surrounding areas—this is an awesome Time!! and of course a great cause—since our local government has failed Victims of Domestic Violence—the people have not.

The Video below is from last years 1st DV poker run!! Women who ride ROCK!!!!!

TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS!!

http://www.witwozoutlawz.org/

http://www.witwozoutlawz.org/domesticviolenceFlyer.jpg

Topeka, Kansas considers decriminalizing domestic violence to avoid prosecuting cases

2011-10-06T19:17:00.001-07:00

Topeka, Kansas considers decriminalizing domestic violence to avoid prosecuting cases

via feministing.com

Topeka, KS – City Plans to “Decriminalize” Domestic Violence and Repeal the City Ordinance Making Domestic Battery a Crime!

2011-09-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

Domestic battery ordinance repeal to be taken up

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2011-09-27/domestic-battery-ordinance-repeal-be-taken Back | Next

TIM HRENCHIR/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Interim city manager Dan Stanley spoke Tuesday evening at a work session where the Topeka City Council discussed how to react to District Attorney Chad Taylor's decision to stop prosecuting misdemeanors committed in Topeka, including domestic batteries.

Cut TANF Title IV-D programs which represent $4Billion of waste

2011-09-28T11:07:00.001-07:00

Click here to sign the petition------>> http://www.change.org/petitions/cut-tanf-title-iv-d-programs-which-represent-4billion-of-waste?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

This letter is to request that you take action to cut spending on pork barrel spending on certain TANF Title IV-D programs which represent $4 billion untraceable dollars that no one keeps track of. These funds meant for needy children were diverted and wasted by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to non needs based programs available to all fathers engaged in the family court litigation industry---no matter how wealthy they are. These parents now ask Congress to take a stand to hold ACF’s defective leadership and the programs destroying families accountable by demanding the following budget cuts:

1. TANF Contingency Fund authorized under 403(b) Social Security Act for payment to States and other non-federal entities under Titles I, IV-D, X, XI, and XIV “to remain available until expended.” (p. 474)

2. ID Code 75-1552-0-1-609, lines 0005 and 0009 [$990 million] (p. 473)

3. ID Code 75-1501-0-1-609 lines 0002, 0003 [Access and Visitation] [$1.7 billion] (p. 474)

4. Discretionary “Child Support Incentives” to States [$305 million] (p. 475)

5. ID Code 75–1512–0–1–506 “Healthy Families” [$1.7 billion] (p.476)

6. ID Code 75–1512–0–1–506 “Abstinence Education” [$1.7 billion] (p. 477)

7. Line 0129 “Faith Based Initiatives” [$1 million] (p.479)

Struggling parents want things like jobs, housing, education, childcare, and access to medical care to help them weather the current economic crisis. Instead, these hard working families are forced to invest $4 Billion in irresponsible, extortion based, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) programs that promote widespread Medicaid and child support fraud, protracted high conflict litigation, and bogus therapy programs.

Child support agencies deliberately withhold and mismanage billions of paid collected support, which starves children onto TANF and causes parents to be falsely prosecuted for nonpayment.

Good parents are being exploited, bankrupted, and emotionally destroyed while their kids are needlessly placed on the welfare, Medicaid, and foster care system rolls. Billions of dollars of child support remains unaccounted for nationwide.

These frivolous programs spend without restraint and direct money to places HHS cannot identify (as noted by the OIG and GOA reports on the second page.) There is no oversight. DHHS’s position is that once the money goes to the states, they are not responsible for oversight. Fraud is rampant, yet the OIG does nothing to enforce the laws to protect families.

90% of the parents paying child support are fathers. Using child support enforcement programs as a vehicle, these extortion based programs force fathers to elect between criminal penalties and inciting “high conflict” family court litigation to create a “need” for their own publicly funded services. These irresponsible programs cash in on the “incentives” by placing children in unstable homes, and then starve the entire family onto some sort of public assistance. We can identify no legitimate purpose for these programs and request that Congress take the following actions:

(1) Revoke or reduce funding to Administration for Children and Families (ACF) child support incentives, Access and Visitation (AV) programs, and gender based funding to child support agencies.

(2) End collateral child support/custody funding mandates.

(3) Overhaul Office on Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) on the federal level to remove staff with conflicts of interest and bias.

(4) Audit OCSE to find out where our tax dollars are actually going, and then implement rigorous transparency, oversight, and accountability measures on programs.

The [unlawful] programs are supposed to be ADMINISTRATIVE, but they used quasi judicial power to create, amend, and enforce court orders without judicial authorization. The agency does not provide due process, nor do they have to show you their files. Judges have to look the other way because if they object, they will lose their HHS funding, and at the same time the judge has to accept responsibility for the agency’s badly managed and even crooked interference when litigants are hurt.

On the author's family court case, the bills were inflated and no one would let me have receipts for services, without telling me or the judge, support orders were modified, documents falsified, and support enforcement would not let me see their files. Like hundreds of families I am aware of, this money was used to force my family into needless litigation which cost me tens of thousands of dollars.

In 2011, we ask why the Obama Administration inexcusably ignored the pleas of desperate hard working parents and doubled the budget for these pork barrel projects, starving them out of their home. It’s time to get serious about deficit reduction, and require the president to exercise fiscal restraint on programs which would target and extort families under the most trying circumstances.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION: WHERE DOES CHILD SUPPORT GO?

Recovery Act: Thousands of Recovery Act Contract and Grant Recipients Owe Hundreds of Millions in Federal Taxes
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-686T

This Government Accountability Office report recently came out which shows that these HHS grant recipients owe us struggling tax paying families hundreds of BILLIONS in taxes.

OIG STATE AUDIT REPORTS ON UNDISBURSIBLE ARREARS
The more federal dollars were receive the less States collected in support. States refuse to distribute child support to "families first," and are instead keeping the money for themselves-without accounting for it.

These reports can be found here:
http://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/oas/acf.asp

The Office of the Inspector General found HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars in undisbursed child support which was never accounted for when it audited the child support services programs from only a hand full of counties in approximately 30 states. There are only incentives to COLLECT support and put families on TANF, and NONE to actually disburse it to the children it is intended to benefit. When undistributed arrears were discovered, the OIG ordered the States to give 66% to the federal OCSE office, and allowed the State to keep the remaining 34% for themselves. And so the states deliberately don't tell parents they collected the money, then create "set up to fail" disbursement methods to retain the funds for the general fund:

• send checks to the wrong address,
• illegal liens on accounts
• create massive arrears, give dad the tax benefit, then garnish the tax benefit,
• put child support it in trust accounts during litigation-that lasts more than 3 years,
• retroactively abate arrears, then keep it for themselves without telling either parent.

When the OIG identified the embezzled funds, they did not help them find the children it was intended to benefit, the OIG instructed States to properly report…So the feds could have their 66%. This policy entirely lacks accountability or consequences for this fraud. Subsequent reports demonstrated that the problem has continued to worsen, and there are [still] no protocols and procedures in place to define, identify, and track these monies.

Healthy Marriage And Responsible Fatherhood Initiative: Further Progress Is Needed in Developing a Risk-Based Monitoring Approach to Help HHS Improve Program Oversight:
www.gao.gov/new.items/d081002.pdf

•$500 Million Unconditionally Given To Activists: Operating under a deadline that allowed HHS 7 months to award grants, HHS shortened its existing process to award Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grants to public and private organizations. During this process, HHS did not fully examine grantees’ programs as described in their applications, including the activities they planned to offer, and this created challenges and setbacks for grantees later as they implemented their programs. –P. 2

•Failure to Implement Uniform Standards, Policies, and Procedures: HHS uses methods that include site visits and progress reports to monitor grantees, but it lacks mechanisms to identify and target grantees that are not in compliance with grant requirements or are not meeting performance goals, and it also lacks clear and consistent guidance for performing site monitoring visits. –P.2

•Embezzlement and Fraud Was Likely Vastly Under Estimated: Moreover, we did not survey organizations that received money from grant recipients to provide direct services, subawardees. Since making the initial awards, 4 organizations have relinquished their grants, 1 organization had its grant terminated, and 1 new grant was awarded. There are 6 organizations currently pending non-continuation of award funds.

GAO REPORT: Child Support Enforcement: Better Data and More Information on Undistributed Collections Are Needed
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-377

Medicare and Medicaid Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: Effective Implementation of Recent Laws and Agency Actions Could Help Reduce Improper Payments
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-409T

Child Support Enforcement: Departures from Long-term Trends in Sources of Collections and Caseloads Reflect Recent Economic Conditions
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-196
In fiscal year 2009, the child support enforcement (CSE) program collected about $26 billion in child support payments from noncustodial parents on behalf of more than 17 million children. The CSE program is run by states and overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). States receive federal performance incentive payments and a federal match on both state CSE funds…The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) eliminated this incentive match beginning in 2008, but the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 temporarily reinstated it for 2 years….

In fiscal year 2009, the CSE program experienced several departures from past trends. For one, child support collections failed to increase nationwide for the first time in the history of the program in fiscal year 2009… Also in fiscal year 2009, the number of CSE cases currently receiving public assistance increased …Preliminary HHS data show that total CSE expenditures grew by 2.6 percent in fiscal year 2008 as many states increased their own funding to maintain CSE operations when the federal incentive match was eliminated…In contrast to fiscal year 2008, a different picture emerged in fiscal year 2009, when the incentive match was temporarily restored but total CSE expenditures fell slightly by 1.8 percent, which HHS officials told GAO was due to state budget constraints. Most states nationwide have not implemented "family first" policy options…because giving more child support collections to families means states retain less as reimbursement for public assistance costs.

Administrative Expenditures and Federal Matching Rates of Selected Support Programs
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-839R

Sincerely,

Change.org Petitioner

sign here ---> http://www.change.org/petitions/cut-tanf-title-iv-d-programs-which-represent-4billion-of-waste?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish

Topeka Kansas: Failure to Protect Violates Statutes

2011-09-23T06:01:00.001-07:00

Topeka Kansas: Failure to Protect Violates Statutes

The hour heated up in the Zeus Radio Studio starting with a discussion about the city of Topeka , KS decision to stop prosecuting domestic violence cases with my suggestion that the District Attorney obtain permits and go into the cemetery business. The city of Topeka is throwing victims' lives to the wolves disguised in sheep's clothing, more commonly known as the violent offenders.

The city is hiding behind the budget because frankly Kansas does not see intimate partner violence a crime.

The Shawnee County press release: September 15, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dakota Loomis • 785.438.9449

Shawnee County DA’s Office and City of Topeka Working to Resolve Misdemeanor Case Filings

__________________________________________

Released in Cooperation with David Bevens · City of Topeka · City Communications Manager · 785.368.1642

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor and Interim City Manager Dan Stanley met today to discuss the prosecution of misdemeanor cases occurring within Topeka city limits. The meeting centered on how best to preserve public safety given recent budget cuts sustained by the District Attorney’s Office. Both the District Attorney’s Office and the City of Topeka are hopeful that an amicable agreement will be reached shortly that will be in the best interest of all Topekans. Discussions will continue over the course of the next few days and will focus on crafting a mutually agreed upon resolution that will ensure the efficient prosecution of all city misdemeanors.

# # #

Translation if your dog bites someone you will be prosecuted. If you spouse or significant other threatens or causes significant bodily injury, you are out of luck!

According to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence, current data, there are16,800 homicides (reported)attributed to intimate partner homicide per year and $2.2 million in medically treated injuries costing $37 billion per year!

______________________________________

Is Topeka Kansas in violation of their very own State Statues?

22-2307 : Domestic violence calls; written policies to be adopted by law enforcement agencies; contents. (a) All law enforcement agencies in this state shall adopt written policies regarding domestic violence calls as provided in subsection (b). These policies shall be made available to all officers of such agency.(b) Such written policies shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A statement directing that the officers shall make an arrest when they have probable cause to believe that a crime is being committed or has been committed;
(2) a statement defining domestic violence;
(3) a statement describing the dispatchers' responsibilities;
(4) a statement describing the responding officers' responsibilities and procedures to follow when responding to a domestic violence call and the suspect is at the scene;
(5) a statement regarding procedures when the suspect has left the scene of the crime;
(6) procedures for both misdemeanor and felony cases;
(7) procedures for law enforcement officers to follow when handling domestic violence calls involving court orders, including protection from abuse orders, restraining orders and a protective order issued by a court of any state or Indian tribe;
(8) a statement that the law enforcement agency shall provide the following information to victims, in writing:
(A) Availability of emergency and medical telephone numbers, if needed;
(B) the law enforcement agency's report number;
(C) the address and telephone number of the prosecutor's office the victim should contact to obtain information about victims' rights pursuant to K.S.A. 74-7333 and 74-7335 and amendments thereto;
(D) the name and address of the crime victims' compensation board and information about possible compensation benefits;
(E) advise the victim that the details of the crime may be made public;
(F) advise the victim of such victims' rights under K.S.A. 74-7333 and 74-7335 and amendments thereto; and
(G) advise the victim of known available resources which may assist the victim; and
(9) whether an arrest is made or not, a standard offense report shall be completed on all such incidents and sent to the Kansas bureau of investigation.
History: L. 1991, ch. 93, § 1; L. 1996, ch. 208, § 3; July 1.

Below is the show I urge everyone to listen. Can a class action suit be filed in the State of Kansas for failure per the current statutes? It is worth investigating? In the coming months we will gather a team of legal experts to visit and review at the Federal level and the State of Kansas's "failure to protect."

Attorney and Author Barry Goldstein and National Advocate and Mothers Without Custody Expert Claudine Dombrowski

Sep 22, 2011

To listen to Show CLICK HERE --------> Susan Murphy Milano: TIME'S UP!! 9-22-2011

Download Podcast - Susan Murphy Milano: TIME'S UP!! 9-22-2011
Right mouse click and choose "save as" or "save link as" to download a podcast mp3 file to your computer.

A victims first scream is help;

A victims second scream is justice

****

Susan Murphy Milano is a staff member of the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education . She is a specialist with intimate partner violence cases and prevention strategies and high risk cases and available for personal consultations through the Institute. She is also part of the team at Management Resources Limited of New York.
Susan is the author of "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships,"Moving out, Moving on, and Defending Out Lives. Susan is the host ofThe Susan Murphy Milano Show, "Time's Up!" . She is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated "The Roth Show " with Dr Laurie Roth and a co-host on Crime Wire .
If you would like to schedule Susan Murphy Milano for interviews, please contact: ImaginePublicity PO BOX 14946 Surfside Beach, SC 29587 Phone: 843.808.0859 email- contact@imaginepublicity.com

In Defense of Barbara Sheehan: When a Battered Woman Kills

2011-09-23T05:35:00.001-07:00

In Defense of Barbara Sheehan: When a Battered Woman Kills

by Author Rosaura Torres on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 9:34pm

On February 18, 2008, Barbara Sheehan knew her husband was going to kill her – not just some day, but that day. Throughout their 23-year marriage he had continually threatened to kill her, then her two children, and then to “go out in a blaze of glory.” And he had also regularly beaten, punched, slapped, kicked, tackled, pinched, spat on and thrown things at her, including a full pot of simmering pasta sauce. Over those years she’d suffered broken bones, black eyes, a broken nose and uncounted other bloody injuries.

But that day in February the beatings would finally end. That morning when her husband, retired NYPD Sgt. Raymond Sheehan, pointed the gun at her face and said, “I will fucking kill you,” for the first time in her life Barbara too held a gun. And moments later Raymond Sheehan lay dead on the blood-soaked bathroom floor of their Howard Beach home.

Today, 2½ years later, Barbara Sheehan is on trial in the Queens criminal courthouse, charged with second degree murder in her husband’s death. And the issue of police domestic violence – law enforcement officers’ battering of their intimate partners – breaks out of the silence and into the national consciousness.

Purple Berets’ Tanya Brannan is in that courtroom, covering the trial as a part of our national focus “When the Batterer Is a Cop.” For the next two weeks we will be your eyes and ears in the courtroom in the most important domestic violence trial of the day.

For our reports on this critically important case, go to www.purpleberets.org

Imagine Publicity: “Wounded Warrior” Claudine Dombrowski and Activist Barry Goldstein Join The Susan Murphy Milano Show, Time’s Up

2011-09-20T08:35:00.001-07:00

MARKETING.PROMOTIONS.PUBLICITY

http://imaginepublicity.com/2011/09/18/wounded-warrior-claudine-dombrowski-and-activist-barry-goldstein-join-the-susan-murphy-milano-show-times-up/

SUSAN MURPHY MILANO

“Wounded Warrior” Claudine Dombrowski and Activist Barry Goldstein Join The Susan Murphy Milano Show, Time’s Up

The Susan Murphy Milano Show, “Time’s Up!”

Thursday, September 22, 2pm ET

Listen LIVE at: Here Women Talk

Claudine Dombrowski could very well be considered a “Wounded Warrior” in the fight against intimate partner violence. Fighting her personal battle against her abuser for over 16 years, she’s also taken her fight across the nation helping several other battered mothers who have lost custody of their beloved children to the very person who abused them.

In a recent development in her own backyard in Shawnee County, KS, District Attorney Chad Taylor decided to hand over misdemeanor cases, like Claudine Dombrowski’s, to the city, due to funding issues. Dombrowski knew the ones to pay the price for this decision would be those caught in the crosshairs of the abuser’s rage when released, and has taken her outrage to the media.( http://imaginepublicity.com/2011/09/15/the-lights-went-out-in-topeka-for-victims-of-domestic-violence-claudine-dombrowski-speaks-out/)

Through organizing globally, Claudine Dombrowski, and other battered mothers, have founded American/Australia Mothers Political Party to bring attention and educate others. Through combining their online efforts across the globe, they are able to link together, not always physically, but by forming groups through the wonders of technology and carrying their message far and wide.

Barry Goldstein has fought battles in the trenches and the courtrooms in an attempt to keep battered women from losing their treasure, their children. He continues to work with agencies and educators and has joined his expertise with others in the battle against violence in the home. Goldstein is a nationally recognized domestic violence expert, speaker, writer and consultant. He is the co-editor with Mo Therese Hannah of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE and CHILD CUSTODY. Barry can be reached by email at their web site www.Domesticviolenceabuseandchildcustody.com

BARRY GOLDSTEIN, attorney, teacher, author and advocate for women abused by their partner (and too often the courts) has written a book for women seeking to leave their abusers and for their friends, family, supporters and advocates. SCARED TO LEAVE AFRAID TO STAY Paths From Family Violence to Safety tells the story of ten women as they left their abusers seeking a better life. The book shows in these abuse cases how courts handle legal issues such as orders of protection, custody, visitation, support, marital property and criminal prosecutions. It tells about the resourcesavailable for women seeking to leave their abuser. Click the links to learn more about the book, author or to view frequently asked questions (FAQs). The book is published byRobert D. Reed Publishers and is available at book stores online and off.

A Hard Hit to DV Victims by The Criminal Justice System in Kansas

2011-09-19T05:25:00.001-07:00

http://www.examiner.com/domestic-violence-abuse-in-honolulu/claudine

Dara Carlin, M.A.

, Honolulu Domestic Violence & Abuse Examiner

It's Actually Come Down To This

Until recent years Civics, Democracy and Criminal Justice were only topics from a class that I was supposed to be paying attention to when I was in high school. Unable to see how any of it was going to really matter or have anything to do with my life, I opted to half-listen, paying just enough attention to catch the main concepts but spent more time passing notes, daydreaming and doodling the time away until the bell would release me from my imprisonment.

I got that a misdemeanor wasn’t as bad as a felony and figured if I just steered clear of both, I should have no problem. For those of you who were as interested as I was in high school about the criminal justice system, I offer you the following crash course before laying out what the newest alert is (so you can be as concerned about it as I am!)

While a misdemeanor is better known as “a lesser crime” in comparison to a felony the distinction goes just a tad bit further in that a misdemeanor is actually defined as a crime that could land a person in jail for less then a year as opposed to a felony that’s actually defined as a crime that could land a person in jail for more then a year.

Murder is unanimously held as a felony across the United States, but otherwise the definition of crimes occurs at the state level. So, for example, while it may seem that strangulation would be considered a felony (a more serious crime) it didn’t become a Class C felony (a sentence that can carry up to 5 years in jail) in Hawaii until relatively recently (2006). Prior to 2006, can you imagine being strangled then being told it’s “just” a misdemeanor?

Even more disillusioning is landing/finding oneself in the criminal justice system (that has very little resemblance to what you see on “Law & Order”). Actually, my brother-in-law (a corrections officer) and I recently ruined a criminal justice-related movie for my sister when we each piped up instinctually with “They can’t do that” or “That’d NEVER happen” comments throughout the movie and totally ruined it for my sister who was just trying to enjoy it for the plot and storyline. (Sorry!)

In real-life, what’s supposed to happen when a crime occurs is someone notifies the police about “the offense” (proper terminology) and then the police will do an investigation (talk to the victim and/or alleged perpetrator if possible, gather evidence, interview witnesses, etc.) the findings of which will all this go into a report. For simplicity’s sake, let’s say this is a misdemeanor where the alleged perpetrator is not arrested for whatever s/he’s been accused of. The completed report then gets forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office for review where the Prosecutor (called a District Attorney in other jurisdictions) will decide whether the offense contains enough merit to be prosecuted or not.

Here’s a critical piece of information that many don’t realize: if the Prosecutor accepts the case and moves forward on it, the case “belongs” to the state NOT the victim whose been wronged; the victim becomes a witness for the state/prosecution.

Why is this important? Because in many domestic violence cases where the abuser is ignorant to all this, the abuser thinks that the victim can “call off” the Prosecution or that the victim has the ability to simply “drop” the case – neither of which are true – but from his perspective what’s true is irrelevant; what she does (or doesn’t do) is. Can you see how this could shape up to be a pretty dangerous situation if an offense has occurred, the abuser HASN’T been arrested and then the Prosecutor decides to take the case?

Next step: court. This is where the abuser enters a plea of either guilt, no contest (not admitting guilt but not proclaiming innocence either) or not guilty to what s/he’s being accused of. If the abuser says “Not guilty” the next step is a trial where witnesses and evidence can be presented by the Prosecution and Defense BUT before the plea is formally entered a couple of “strange things” can happen…

The Defense OR Prosecution can propose a plea bargain where the abuser is afforded the opportunity to "plea down" to a lesser offense, ie: a domestic violence offense being reduced to harassment. Plea bargains can be offered for a number of reasons, but the long-term consequences of a plea down from domestic violence doesn’t work well in addressing or rectifying the problem of DV. If an abuser pleas down to harassment (for example) then there’s “no domestic violence” = no DV intervention services, the abuser will not reflect a DV history stemming from the offense and the record will not count the case as a DV one which can mislead the public in terms of misrepresenting the size of the problem (DV in the community isn’t as big of a problem as harassment is).

Similar to dropping the case, the victim has no say or influence over plea bargaining (so if you’ve had the courage to take your case “all the way” and have cooperated with the Prosecution, can you imagine how it’d feel to be told by the Prosecution that your case has been “settled” because THE ABUSER'S agreeing to call what he did to you "harassment" rather than DV? That instead of going to jail, the abuser has agreed to community service hours instead? But it could be worse...

How do you think it would feel as a victim if your DV case ended before it even started? That after mustering up the courage to report to police who dutifully submitted their report to the Prosecutors, that it was turned away NOT for lack of evidence or witnesses but due to lack of funding? (And how do you think your abuser's going to feel knowing that you turned him in, tried to have him put away but failed so now he's free to "talk" to you about it?)

Or suppose the judge just released your abuser from custody saying “Awww, forget it, case dismissed” because s/he knew that the Prosecution wasn’t going to/couldn’t afford to prosecute it? If that sounds like an improbable breakdown in our criminal justice system, check out what’s just gone down in Topeka, Kansas: http://www.kansasfirstnews.com/news/local/story/Topeka-domestic-abuse-survivor-trembling-over-DAs/sgAbRRlYaE2M6ljJGYtzFA.cspx

Our criminal justice system was not founded upon dollars and cents and last I knew justice isn't supposed to be decided after a cost-benefit analysis, but Kansas has just set a terrifying precedent by telling domestic violence victims that their lives - and the crimes committed against them - aren't worth their state's time, money or effort. This is a sad day for domestic violence victims in Kansas and a day that I hope will never dawn here in Hawaii.

For a more formal/thorough explanation of the misdemeanor/felony processes in Hawaii, go to http://www1.honolulu.gov/prosecuting/flowchart.htm

Topeka, Kansas - Domestic Abuse Survivor Trembling Over DA's Decision to Pass Down Misdemeanors DV is NOT A CRIME in TOPEKA, KANSAS

2011-09-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

PLEASE COMMENT ON ORIGINAL ARTICLE! We need OUTRAGE to stop this political game playing at the expense of women.

Right now in Topeka Kansas—DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is LEGAL. Since last week’s decision of the County DA to stop prosecuting Domestic Violence in the city limits, there have been 35 Domestic Violence arrests that have WALKED with no charges!

The City manager is considering a repeal in the City Ordinances that Domestic Violence is NOT A CRIME within the city. http://bit.ly/nCxc5M

http://www.kansasfirstnews.com/news/local/story/Topeka-domestic-abuse-survivor-trembling-over-DAs/sgAbRRlYaE2M6ljJGYtzFA.cspx#

Topeka domestic abuse survivor trembling over DA's decision to pass down misdemeanors -

Topeka domestic abuse survivor trembling over DA's decision to pass down misdemeanors

http://www.kansasfirstnews.com/news/local/story/Topeka-domestic-abuse-survivor-trembling-over-DAs/sgAbRRlYaE2M6ljJGYtzFA.cspx#

16 years after enduring constant physical abuse, the memories still shake Claudine Dombrowski to the core. She says, "I was beaten with a crowbar, it was a misdemeanor. I've had both my wrist broken and it was a misdemeanor."

When Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor decided to hand over misdemeanor cases, like Dombrowski's, to the city, she knew it would weigh heaviest on victims of domestic violence. Knowing the consequences a victim could face when the abuser is arrested, then released, she advises victims not to call the police. She says, "You, as a survivor, know how to survive. You just keep surviving. If you call the police right now, and God forbid you end up with the city, you might die."

Dombrowski says she's disgusted at how poorly survivors are treated after making the terrifying decision to call authorities. She says community leaders see it as, "Let's put these victims in with weed control and dog at large and parking tickets. That's how important you are to our community."

Dombrowski says the word "misdemeanor" has such a harmless connotation and wishes people knew the horrible actions hiding behind it. She says, "I was pushed through plate glass windows and if I had not been in a relationship with this man, he would be in prison."

If the city does decide to take on the domestic abuse cases, Dombrowski hopes it's only until funding can be restored at the District Attorney's office. She says, "We've just jumped back 30 years into the dark ages, and it's very dark. The lights just went out in Topeka."

She says many times the misdemeanor charges get reduced to disorderly conduct and destruction of personal property, and she can't imagine how easy the abusers will have it in city courts. Dowbrowski says you can help domestic violence victims of Topeka by demanding more money for the District Attorney's office, so they can continue to protect the public.

UPDATE:
Wednesday morning, Topeka Interim City Manager Dan Stanley said there is some thought being given to repealing the city ordinances to force the prosecution back on the county. He says it will then be up to the D.A. to prioritize what cases should be prosecuted.
Stanley says he's concerned about what will happen to the individuals whose cases are not being prosecuted. He says, "We know of three cases where judges have released the people accused of domestic violence back out because it their understanding that the district attorney will not prosecute and so there may be more of these."

Topeka Police Officers are forwarding misdemeanor cases involving domestic violence to the District Attorney's Office. Stanley says the D.A.'s office has already turned away 30 cases. He believes the victims and their families are most affected.

JUDGE Lloyd C. Swartz, Berates a Battered Woman, Tries to Endanger her Life, then Proceeds to 'beat her up' using the Court System.

2011-09-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

Lloyd C. Swartz, Berates a Battered Woman, Tries to Endanger her Life, then Proceeds to 'beat her up' using the Court System.

This man is now a Municipal Court Judge. Where his 'power' is now complete.

He and his old friend VIC MILLER-- from back in the good ole days are the ONLY two Judges in City Court.

Welcome to hell's playground.

I am sure the two of them are raping women and children-- just like they always have--- only in their 'black satanic robes'-- using their 'gavels'.

2004 March 31 Loyd Swartz to Judge Emails

Municipal Judge Lloyd C. Swartz Misogynist Pig Swears in His Pal Vic Miller as Judge - another Misogynistic Pig

2011-09-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

Municipal Judge Lloyd Swartz Misogynist Swears in His Pal Vic Miller another Misogynistic Pig

Now we can play!!! Beat em up, rape em up torture em-- no one can stop us we are 'gods'

Welcome to HELL in the city with 13 triple 6 zip codes 666---- The henchmen are coming.

Corrupt,misogynist pig -- Vic Miller-Now a Judge, Topeka Kansas

Gives new meaning to the words "CRIMINAL REWARDS"-- BACK DOOR FAVORS"-- in your face and we do not care Power mongering -elitists.

Welcome to hell --- welcome to Topeka, Kansas ---- Municipal Court.

Lloyd Swartz - Associate Judge is a misogynist pig who favors Batterers while punishing victims of Domestic Violence.

Miller look like a fat child molesting self serving pig with a bad hair piece. He is a self serving asshole, he cares about nothing-- but himself.

Both these Judges are narcissistic. Both need removed and God help the 'victims' especially women who will be forced to appear before either of the two.

Class mate buds from Washburn--- 'ahhh-- the good old boys-- good ol days are back--- again.' Just the two of them--- "they are 'gods'.

The dark ages.

Miller dons judicial robe

Posted: September 12, 2011 - 5:58pm

THAD ALLTON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Judge Vic Miller stood in the municipal courtroom, Monday afternoon, where he is the newest administrative judge of the Topeka Municipal Court. Miller was sworn in by Municipal Court Judge Lloyd Swartz at 9:30 a.m., Monday, city spokesman David Bevens said.

By Fredrick J. Johnson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Topeka Municipal Court Administrative Judge Vic Miller already has been pointed at one task the city manager wants him to tackle — improving the court's collection of fees and fines.

The city is owed about $16 million in fines and fees, and interim city manager Dan Stanley would like to reduce that amount and improve the collection process for current and future cases.

Miller, who was sworn in by Municipal Judge Lloyd Swartz at 9:30 a.m. Monday, said he had a couple of discussions about the problem during the day.

"There are some things you can do, but yo have to look at the real world, too," he said.

A lot of people who commit crimes and find themselves in court don't have a lot of money, he said.

Eventually, unpaid fines and fees are turned over to a collection agency, Miller said, but as soon as the city does that it loses a percentage of the debt.

Miller, who said he had talked with Ebberts about the situation, said he will probably follow through on shopping the collection business but also said he would look at ways to enhance collections before the fines and fee were turned over to a collection agency.

Shawnee County District Court Judge Steven Ebberts, who Miller replaced on the municipal bench, was considering issuing a request for proposals for companies interested in the municipal court's collection business.

Regardless of how the problem is attacked, it will be impossible to collect all the $16 million now in arrears. The books on unpaid fines and fees have never been purged, which means some of that debt could date back to the beginning of Topeka Municipal Court.

Despite the uncollected debt, Topeka Municipal Court is paying its way.

City spokesman Dave Bevens said Monday the city's finance department indicated the court in 2010 took in $2,872,300 and spent $2,392,926. The expenses include the cost to operate the court, including probation, and house prisoners.

Miller said he didn't know how the dispute between the city and Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor over who would prosecuted misdemeanor crimes in the city would play out, but noted that wasn’t a court question as much at it is a prosecution question. Municipal court, he said, will handle the cases filed by city prosecutors.

A related issue is prosecution of domestic batteries, which the district attorney has been prosecuting.

There are a lot of programs and probationary requirements of people who have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery, Miller said. He plans to meet with court services to learn more about what is involved in the post-conviction process.

Topeka Municipal Court doesn't have a lot of probation officers and may need more if it begins trying domestic battery cases, Miller said.

The city's newest judge didn't preside over any trials Monday but did attend docket call at the jail and in Municipal Court chambers with Swartz.

Most of the day, Miller said, was spent handling administrative details, getting connected to the computer and telephone systems and meeting the people he will be working with.

He said Swartz, a classmate at Washburn Law School, was very professional and that he looked forward to working with him and the court's staff.

KS: Rossville man jailed after Domestic dispute sends child to hospital, ends after standoff

2011-09-06T05:57:00.001-07:00

http://cjonline.com/news/2011-09-03/rossville-man-jailed-after-child-beaten

Rossville man jailed after child beaten

Domestic dispute sends child to hospital, ends after standoff

the Rossville Police Department responded to a domestic incident in which a man was taken into custody after a standoff Saturday morning in Rossville. PHIL ANDERSON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL" src="http://cjonline.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/9355551.jpg" width="280" height="183">

PHIL ANDERSON/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Officers from the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and the Rossville Police Department responded to a domestic incident in which a man was taken into custody after a standoff Saturday morning in Rossville.

Back | Next

children injured. He was arrested at a Rossville home following a standoff with police. BOOKING PHOTO/SHAWNEE COUNTY JAIL" src="http://cjonline.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/story_slideshow_thumb/9371508.jpg" width="280" height="210">

BOOKING PHOTO/SHAWNEE COUNTY JAIL

Rufus Jones, Jr., of Rossville, faces charges of attempted second degree murder after a domestic dispute left two children injured. He was arrested at a Rossville home following a standoff with police.

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

ROSSVILLE — A man who authorities said was involved in a domestic disturbance was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder after a brief standoff Saturday morning at a home in northwestern Shawnee County.

Shawnee County sheriff's deputies were sent about 10 a.m. to the Rossville city park on a report of an assault that occurred during an incident that involved a man, his wife and several children.

A Shawnee County Jail official identified the man as Rufus Lee Jackson Jr., 40, of Rossville.

Jail records show Jackson was booked at 2:40 p.m. in connection with attempted second-degree murder, felony obstruction, felony criminal threat, domestic battery, endangering a child and criminal possession of a firearm.

Sheriff's deputies said the incident involved a child custody dispute.

Authorities said the woman and her children had gone to the Rossville Community Center after the assault, then were taken by sheriff's deputies to the Rossville Fire Department for observation.

Shawnee County sheriff's Cpl. Tim Kampsen said officers later went to a residence in the 500 block of Navarre, where the man involved in the incident had been located.

Kampsen said the man at first refused to come out of the residence. Sheriff's deputies then evacuated people in the immediate area as a precaution.

Kampsen said officers made contact with the man by cell phone. The man then voluntarily came out of the house and was taken into custody around 11 a.m. by the Rossville Police Department.

The man was being questioned at Rossville police headquarters at 12:20 p.m.

Meanwhile, two children were reported to have suffered minor injuries in the incident.

American Medical Response ambulance crews about 10:45 a.m. checked on a 16-year-old boy who had been reportedly struck in the face and kicked in the chest. The boy was said to be in good condition and didn't require hospital treatment.

About 11:10 a.m., an 8-year-old girl was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation. Kampsen said he didn't know the extent of her injuries.

Besides the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office and Rossville Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the scene.

Capital-Journal staff writer Corey Jones contributed to this report.

###

DV CASES REQUIRE DV EXPERTS: DUH! By Barry Goldstein “Times-Up”

2011-08-26T19:04:00.001-07:00

DV CASES REQUIRE DV EXPERTS: DUH!

By Barry Goldstein

I can understand why the court system did not immediately seek to learn from and rely on domestic violence experts when domestic violence first became a public issue in the mid to late 1970s. There was no research available and few domestic violence advocates. A popular assumption and misconception was that domestic violence was caused by mental illness, substance abuse and the actions of the victim. This led some people, including court professionals to treat mental health professionals as if they were the experts in domestic violence.

I do not understand how courts still do not require the use of domestic violence experts in cases involving allegations or evidence of domestic violence. We now have a substantial body of specialized domestic violence research that establishes the courts are getting a very high percentage of domestic violence custody cases wrong and often spectacularly wrong because of the standard use of flawed practices. These mistaken practices cause even good judges to regularly make bad decisions. Although mothers involved in contested custody cases make deliberately false allegations only one or two percent of the time, fathers receive custody between 70 and 83% of the time. In other words a large majority of abusers who seek custody are successful.

The highest priority in deciding custody has to be the child’s safety as without safety nothing else matters. In a domestic violence case, this should require a safety or risk assessment. Instead, custody courts regularly order evaluations. Not only do these evaluations fail to conduct risk assessments but few evaluators even know what behaviors are associated with higher levels of lethality. We virtually never see an evaluation report in which these vital issues are even discussed and when evaluators are asked about abusive behaviors they are rarely aware of the risks demonstrated. Ignorant of fundamental safety issues, evaluators instead focus on less important issues.

Evaluators are generally trained in psychology of psychiatry, but not domestic violence. Even if they have received a few hours of training in domestic violence and have been willing to listen (many evaluators are hostile to this training), at most it gives them some general awareness of the subject, but not expertise. That is why evaluators rarely provide the courts with information about lethality assessments, domestic violence dynamics or current scientific research. It is why they don’t know what to look for to recognize domestic violence and often mistakenly assume the danger is diminished with the end of the relationship. Especially important is their failure to understand and explain to the courts the harm of domestic violence to children.

Caseworkers at child protective agencies are often social workers and usually have more special training about domestic violence than the psychologists who serve as evaluators. Many communities have developed practices in which child protective agencies and domestic violence agencies work together on domestic violence cases. They cross-train each other’s staffs and when a possible domestic violence case needs to be investigated the caseworkers will consult domestic violence advocates and sometimes take them to the home. This practice has been shown to benefit children because it gives caseworkers a better chance to recognize when the father has engaged in domestic violence tactics and therefore create arrangements that work best for children. This should be considered best practices.

Ethical practices for psychologists and psychiatrists require these professionals to consult with experts in areas they don’t have expertise in that impact cases they are working on. Unfortunately these ethical considerations are aspirational so the routine failure of evaluators to use these ethical practices does not result in disciplinary proceedings. They instead result in ruining children’s lives when evaluators fail to recognize domestic violence and protect children from very real dangers. THE BATTERER AS PARENT, which is one of the leading authorities on domestic violence and custody, makes a similar recommendation. Clearly a practice that works so well for caseworkers who generally have more training is even more important for evaluators to use.

Expertise in Safety Issues

Fundamental to the work of domestic violence advocates is the ability to engage in safety planning with their clients. In order to do this, they need to be able to assess the level of danger presented by the client’s abuser. We can never know that an abuser will not kill or seriously injure his partner. This is particularly true when she has left him because75% of men who kill their partners do so after she has left. There are, however, many behaviors domestic violence experts look closely at because they have been shown to demonstrate a significantly higher level of danger. Among the factors experts look for in assessing lethality are choking, strangling or grabbing her throat, hitting a woman while pregnant, rape or attempted rape, hurting pets, threatening suicide, homicide or kidnapping, substance abuse, mental illness, refusal to obey laws or court orders, availability of guns and a belief she has no right to leave.

With rare exceptions, evaluators and other court professionals do not have this fundamental information and do not apply it to the cases they are working on. When we review cases in which courts disbelieved the mothers’ allegations of domestic violence and gave custody to alleged abusers, the evaluators never discussed safety and lethality issues. It is possible, although rare, that a mother could make false claims that some of these safety factors apply to the case. In such cases the evaluator could explain the potential risk if the allegations were true and why the evaluator does not believe the accusation. Instead the evaluator and the court never discuss these vital issues because no one making the decision or helping the court make the decision have the knowledge or training to recognize these safety factors. In other words the unqualified professionals routinely make recommendations affecting the safety of children without ever understanding or considering the risk. Malpractice is the most, generous term I can think of to describe this dereliction of duty. Only a broken system can continue to rely on evaluators and other court professionals in domestic violence cases who have virtually no training or understanding of safety and lethality issues just because there is a long history of making this mistake.

Recognizing Domestic Violence

Domestic violence abusers present many unacceptable risks to children, but the courts cannot protect children if they are unable to recognize the abuser’s pattern of domestic violence tactics. Every year 58,000 children are forced into custody or unprotected visitation with dangerous abusers. Judges make these dangerous mistakes because they are relying on court professionals who do not know how to recognize domestic violence or minimize its significance. They often compound the harm to children by denying them normal access to their mothers by punishing mothers for making abuse allegations the courts assume are false because court professionals failed to understand the significance of the available evidence.

When we seek help with a medical problem, doctors often seek to rule out various possible causes in order to make a diagnosis. Domestic violence experts understand that context is important in recognizing domestic violence, but the psychologists and psychiatrists relied on by the courts are not experts in domestic violence and routinely seek to rule out allegations of domestic violence based upon out of context information that often is not probative.

We have often seen inadequately trained court professionals dismiss valid domestic violence allegations because the mother returned to her abuser, sought a protective order, but failed to follow-through, did not have medical or police records. All of these are common behaviors of battered women for safety and other valid reasons. Another common mistake is for court professionals to observe children interact with their father and when the children do not show fear the professional assumes the father cannot possibly be abusive. The children understand that the father would never hurt them in front of witnesses, particularly someone he is trying to impress. In fact they could be punished later if they showed fear. These are all very common situations so if evaluators or other unqualified court professionals discredit allegations based on non-probative information like this, many valid domestic violence complaints will be denied. This is exactly what is happening in our custody courts.

At the same time court professionals are mistakenly discrediting abuse allegations for the wrong reasons, they are missing important evidence that supports the complaints. Often this is because the professionals are only looking for evidence of physical abuse. When judges lament the difficulty of deciding a he-said-she-said case, they are really referencing their failure to recognize the significance of many pieces of evidence that would have made the case easy to understand. The failure of most court professionals to understand domestic violence dynamics is an important contributor to their inability to recognize valid allegations of abuse.

Domestic violence are tactics men use to maintain power and control over their partners. With a few exceptions, the abusers don’t abuse her in order to gain pleasure from her suffering. They also don’t abuse because they are out of control or she “pushed his buttons.” In many custody cases he “only” hit her once or twice because that was sufficient for his purpose. He can then use the same tone of voice, body language or other reference to his assault and she will be coerced to do what he wants. Unqualified professionals often take the fact he has not hit her in a long time to mean he is now safe. Most abuser tactics are neither physical nor illegal. They are behaviors designed to coerce, intimidate and control their victims. These include tactics to isolate her from friends and family, monitor her behavior, control the finances, and intimidate her such as by threats to go after custody if she leaves him. Emotional and psychological abuse are also part of his pattern of controlling behaviors.

Many court professionals have been misled to believe contested custody cases are “high conflict” cases. They understand this to mean the parties are angry with each other and act out in ways that hurt the children. The actual research demonstrates a large majority of contested cases are actually domestic violence cases. They can’t be settled because the father is willing to hurt the children in order to regain control. Mothers are unwilling to agree to arrangements that harm their children, but are often blamed for not cooperating. We repeatedly see fathers who had little involvement with the children during the relationship suddenly seeking custody when she leaves him as a tactic to force her to return or punish her for leaving. The most dangerous abusers are the ones who believe she has no right to leave. This is why 75% of men who kill their partners do so after she has left. These are the fathers we see in contested custody cases. This is why over the last few years we have documented at least two hundred children murdered by fathers involved in contested custody cases often with the unwitting assistance of the courts.

Too often court professionals are so delighted that a father wants to be involved with his children that the court professionals never look at his motivation. In the notorious Shockome case, the father openly admitted telling his wife that he brought her here from Russia so she has no right to leave. He said she would never get away from him. He told the court his motivation for seeking to take the children from their mother, but the judge and evaluator never considered this crucial evidence because they failed to understand its significance. Repeatedly we see cases in which the court removes children from their safe mothers who have been the children’s primary attachment figures and give custody to the fathers in the belief the father would be more likely to promote the mother’s relationship with the children. As soon as the father gains control he destroys that relationship. These mistakes are completely avoidable if court professionals consider the fathers’ motivation.

The Mistake of Minimizing Domestic Violence

While evaluators and other court professionals are generally aware that domestic violence is harmful to children, many place less importance on this issue than it deserves because they are unfamiliar with the research that demonstrates the extent of the harm to children. The problem is compounded because most of these professionals have repeatedly heard only the first half of an important sentence. They have heard children do better with both parents in their lives, but missed the rest of the sentence which is unless one of the parents is abusive.

Fathers who commit domestic violence are significantly more likely to also directly abuse the children. Even if he doesn’t, witnessing domestic violence interferes with children’s ability to reach their developmental milestones and makes them more likely to engage in a wide range of harmful behaviors that make it less likely for children to reach their potential. We often see court professionals pay more attention to the anger and emotion of the mother, “friendly parent” issues, superior income and resources and other similar issues that have not been shown to have long-term effects on children instead of the father’s history of abuse. This mistake is made because of the lack of domestic violence understanding on the part of many of the evaluators and other court professionals relied on by judges.

The Most Common “Mythtake” Custody Courts Make

The new Department of Justice study led by Dr. Daniel Saunders of the University of Michigan found that evaluators and other court professionals with inadequate domestic violence training were more likely to believe the myth that mothers frequently make false allegations of abuse and as a result make recommendations that work poorly for children. Deliberate false allegations by mothers occurs only one or two percent of the time, but the myth which is encouraged by abuser rights groups and the professionals they support contribute to frequent mistakes by custody courts that dismiss valid complaints about domestic violence and child abuse. Many of the deeply flawed practices such as parental alienation, “friendly parent” and pathologizing mothers are based on this myth. The myth also encourages gender bias and confirmation bias. This is why experts who know the truth and have the training they need are able to make decisions that work best for children.

The Justice Department study also determined that recommendations by social workers and lawyers work better for children than ones by psychologists and psychiatrists. This conclusion goes against conventional wisdom and standard custody court assumptions that professionals with more formal education would be more qualified. The problem is that psychologists and psychiatrists were less likely to use a holistic approach (thus missing the context of domestic violence issues) and more often rely on psychological tests that were not made for the population usually seen in custody cases. These tests encourage the professionals to focus on issues far less important than domestic violence while contributing nothing towards recognizing domestic violence.

The study also found that evaluators tended to pay much too much attention to mothers’ anger and emotions in comparison to how this impacts their parenting ability. This tended to support the use of gender stereotypes and biases. Numerous court sponsored gender bias committees have found widespread gender bias including the frequent practice of blaming mothers for the actions of their abusers. This is exactly what happens when court professionals blame mothers for their anger and emotion instead of fathers for their continuing abuse that causes this anger and emotion.

Especially significant is the DOJ finding that evaluators working for the court or the county make recommendations that work better for children than those of evaluators in private practice. Protective mothers have long complained about a cottage industry of evaluators and GALs that favor abusive fathers. This research confirms the mothers’ complaints and undermines the common court assumption that evaluators and GALs are neutral. The study demonstrates those professionals paid for each case separately do an inferior job. Most contested custody cases are really domestic violence cases and abusive fathers use economic abuse and control as part of their pattern of abuse. This means they control the family finances so court professionals, like Richard Gardner have figured out the best way to make a large income is to support approaches that favor abusers. Thus we often see attorneys representing abusive fathers and GALs who tend to support fathers recommending “fathers’ rights” evaluators. This gives even good judges little chance to recognize the domestic violence in the case.

Ignorance Is Not Neutral: It Favors Abusers

We sometimes hear about a judge refusing to participate in domestic violence training or read current research on the grounds that such information would interfere with his neutrality. More frequently judges refuse to listen to testimony from a domestic violence expert because the judge has been on the bench for many years and so doesn’t need to learn more about domestic violence. Even more commonly we see judges and other court professionals treat domestic violence advocates as biased partisans because “they are always against domestic violence.”

This lack of critical thinking contributes to the widespread mishandling of domestic violence custody cases. Abuser rights groups often argue that when they come to court mothers and fathers should be treated the same. Judges often accept and support such statements because they superficially sound reasonable and never consider the unstated part of the statement “regardless of past parenting.” If courts are working for the best interests of the children, they need to consider that children usually need one parent more than the other. Their primary attachment figure, whether mother or father is far more important to their well- being than the other parent. A non-abusive parent is far more valuable to a child than an abusive one. And yet we often hear judges uncritically repeating the belief that the child needs both parents equally.

Many judges wrongly assume that the mental health professionals working in custody cases have the needed domestic violence expertise or that the couple of hours of required training often obtained by court professionals is sufficient. Many professionals and others do not look at domestic violence as a subject for which specialized training and knowledge is needed. Most people have had some experience with domestic violence as a victim, offender or knowing or working with someone who is. This does not tell them if their experience was typical or unusual and fails to provide context or an understanding of domestic violence dynamics or current scientific research.

The custody court system has been extremely defensive in refusing to adopt needed reforms in the face of multiple confirmations from many varied sources that the present practices are working poorly for the children overseen by custody courts. The Department of Justice study demonstrates the courts frequently use experts without adequate training in domestic violence and this results in the use of myths instead of current scientific research and outcomes that hurt children. In comparision, communities in which child protective agencies consult with domestic violence advocates the resulting arrangements benefit children.

The evaluators who testify in court cannot tell us how their practices and approaches to domestic violence have worked out for the children they have seen because they are making recommendations based on their personal beliefs and biases instead of current scientific research that they are often unfamiliar with. When the evaluators are challenged for their ignorance about this research, courts rarely use this to disqualify or discredit their recommendations.

The research that establishes that 98% of mothers’ domestic violence allegations are honest, but 70-83% of the time the alleged abuser wins custody does not tell us a specific case was wrongly decided, but does demonstrate a large majority of these cases are wrongly decided. Even worse are the sexual abuse cases in which 85% of the cases result in custody for the alleged offender. These cases are more difficult because the mothers usually did not witness the alleged sexual abuse. Some of the concerns could be caused by a child’s sexualized behavior or complaints that might be caused by boundary violations rather than molestation. Nevertheless, the outcomes establish that the courts often send children to live with sexual abusers and punish mothers for good faith reports. In many of these cases the mother was the primary attachment figure so should have received custody even if no sexual abuse occurred.

In many cases in which the custody court decided the father was safe he is later convicted of domestic violence, sexual abuse or kills the mother and/or children. We also see alleged abusers destroy the relationships between mothers and children once they gain control of the children which confirms their purpose in seeking custody was to punish the mother for leaving. The reports of the Courageous Kids who were children sent by custody courts to live with alleged abusers and now describing their experiences after aging out of the court order further confirms the frequency of courts giving custody to abusers.

A chapter written by sociologists Sharon Araji and Rebecca Bosek in DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ABUSE and CHILD CUSTODY provides multiple additional confirmations of the frequent mistakes in domestic violence custody cases. They interviewed protective mothers in Alaska and then compared the responses to similar studies in four other states. They found substantial complaints by the mothers of mistreatment by the courts and failure to protect their children. The complaints were supported by the results in the five studies and in a later study by Voices of Women that reviewed reports from mothers in New York City Family Court. These were not random samples and courts might argue the mothers were not objective. Drs. Araji and Bosek covered this potential concern by comparing the mothers’ complaints with other scientific research. The research confirmed what the mothers were saying. This is significant because it confirms the research that demonstrates mothers’ complaints are reliable and confirms the problems cited concerning the courts’ response to domestic violence cases are valid.

Domestic violence advocates constitute the only profession that works full time on domestic violence issues. The widespread mistake by many court professionals to treat them as if they are biased or partisan is based upon a lack of critical thinking. If courts needed to respond to a rash of arson fires, they would seek help from the experts which would be the firefighting community. The firefighters would be treated as the experts they are even if they had no advanced degrees or even a college degree. Through training and experience firefighters know best how to recognize arson, prevent and respond to arson. There are three important differences between arson and domestic violence crimes. One is that arson has always been a crime so there is no history of society tolerating or encouraging arson. If a landlord were particularly cruel or dishonest no one would say the arsonist was justified in burning down his building. The second is that most firefighters are men and in our still sexist society people pay more attention to what men say and treat it as having more value. Finally there are no arsonist’s rights groups that can lobby to minimize or justify their crimes.

There was a time when society had not reached a consensus about domestic violence, but those days are past. Every state has made a variety of domestic violence acts crimes and every state has ordered courts to take domestic violence seriously in custody cases based on research that establishes the harm to children. Domestic violence advocates understand the dynamics of intimate partner abuse and how to recognize the pattern of abuse. This is an area that the court professionals repeatedly miss because they don’t have the training and often don’t even realize they are missing crucial information. Advocates have no desire or reason to want false allegations to succeed and in fact this would make their job more difficult. Their goal is to keep victims safe and prevent domestic violence. This coincides with the laws and policies in every state. Statements and practices that minimize the role of domestic violence advocates or treat them as if they were partisan should be viewed not just as wrong, but a demonstration of gender bias.

Stare decisis is a fundamental legal principle created to prevent the need to relitigate the same issues over and over. We have every reason to respect this principle, but it has been misused in domestic violence cases. The assumption is that once a court makes a decision (after any appeals), we must assume the decision is correct. Unfortunately the assumption that the decisions were correct has discouraged court officials from investigating how their decisions have worked out. Judge Sol Gothard wrote, “If the court system had commissioned research to determine how the present practices are working, the result would be the information contained in Domestic Violence, Abuse and Child Custody. The research findings demonstrate court practices are outdated and their confidence misplaced.” In reality, these decisions are predictions that children would do better living with one parent than the other. It is appropriate for courts to study how these predictions have worked out just as it is proper to reconsider past decisions based on new research and information.

When allegations or evidence of domestic violence are part of a custody case, a court must consider current scientific research about domestic violence and learn from the knowledge and experience of domestic violence advocates or other experts. Hopefully it won’t be long until we are shaking our heads and wondering how it could have taken so long to appreciate what should be obvious. A custody court that refuses to listen to a domestic violence expert is demonstrating its bias and committing malpractice. The failure to consider domestic violence research and expertise should be grounds for reversal. The flawed and outdated practices that have ruined too many children’s lives have already been tolerated for far too long.

To Prevent Violence, Insist Men Stop the Abuse

2011-08-23T05:42:00.001-07:00

To Prevent Violence, Insist Men Stop the Abuse

By Rob Okun

WeNews commentator

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A recent editorial about a domestic violence murder case in Massachusetts placed the onus on stopping this violence on women. Rob Okun says the responsibility lies with men too, and that it's time for men to speak up.

(WOMENSENEWS)--In the drive to end violence against women, even well-meaning allies can take a wrong turn.

Such was the case with a recent editorial in a small city newspaper in the progressive city of Northampton, Mass., two towns over from where I live. The community has a long history of working to prevent domestic violence, including longstanding collaborations among a variety of stakeholders, such as battered women's shelters and the police, the district attorney's office and, at 22 years, one of the oldest batterer intervention programs in the country.

"Seeking safety for women" was the headline of the Aug. 1 editorial published in response to the life sentence domestic violence murderer David W. Vincent III received. The brutal 2009 beating Vincent inflicted on his girlfriend Rebecca Moulton in Pittsfield, Mass.--plus not calling for medical assistance for the nearly eight hours following his assault--undoubtedly left many hearts aching and minds enraged. Unequivocally, the responsibility for what happened rests with Vincent.

"When their partners turn violent," the editorial reminded readers "women are at tremendous risk." Fair enough.

But what missed the mark, by a wide margin, was the editorial's final sentence, which placed an onus on women that rightly belongs with men. "Unless we all help women understand the danger they face from violent partners and insist they seek safety, these tragedies will continue unchecked," the editorial concluded.

Burdening the Woman

Huh? It makes little sense to place the burden of preventing violence on the woman. Why "insist" she seek safety instead of emphatically and unambiguously demanding violent men stop abusing?

Becky Moulton, a "funny, creative, smart and sweet" woman, as the editorial described her, is more than a symbol of the domestic violence epidemic that continues to plague society. Her senseless murder presents us with an opportunity to commit (or recommit) ourselves to preventing such acts. That opportunity will be compromised, though, if nonviolent men are not part of the effort.

It's time to shift the paradigm from women seeking shelter from men's violence to insisting angry men stop abusing their partners. And, we need that shift everywhere--our educational system, media, sports culture, government, the courts, faith communities--so we can collectively lay to rest a damaging, outmoded view of men and masculinity.

That shift also means teaching boys and girls (and men and women) to look at relationships through the lens of equality. The old-school belief of men dominating women, which sanctions misogynistic music videos, produces television shows that objectify women and denigrate fathers and fails to confront privileged men (most often, white) flouting their entitlement, all must be loudly and relentlessly challenged.

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Begin With Education

We've come a long way from the days of police turning a blind eye to family violence perpetrated behind closed doors. But we have to do more than just arrest and jail perpetrators, or order them into batterer intervention programs. We have to begin educating elementary school boys and girls about respect in relationships before their ideas about gender solidify.

Imagine clergy, policymakers, coaches, parents and teachers articulating a vision of a better world, a healed society and a cooperative community. And imagine that the final sentence of a newspaper's domestic violence editorial read: "Unless we educate boys and men about healthy relationships--including teaching nonviolent, conscious communication--some men will continue to believe dominating and abusing women is acceptable behavior and domestic violence tragedies will continue unchecked."

Women have a right to expect that they no longer have to work to prevent domestic violence alone. Since the majority of men are not violent, it is time for them to speak out about the abuse a minority of men perpetrate.

Doing so is one way to honor the memory of Rebecca Moulton and offer a small measure of consolation to her family. To repair a culture of violence, where domestic abuse murders too often still occur, can we do anything less?

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Rob Okun is editor of Voice Male magazine, a psychotherapist and an equal rights justice of the peace in Amherst, Mass. He can be reached at rob@voicemalemagazine.org.

Source URL (retrieved on 2011-08-23 06:40): http://www.womensenews.org/story/domestic-violence/110822/prevent-violence-insist-men-stop-the-abuse

Kansas Supreme Court: SHARIA 'Religion' gets KS 'Blessings' in Custody switch from Mom to DAD -Patriarchal Bull Shit

2011-08-11T07:16:00.001-07:00

Questions of religion, child custody require delicate balance

David L. Hudson Jr. - First Amendment Center scholar (AP)
Posted August 10, 2011 at 4:40 p.m.

Analysis

Judges may not discriminate against a parent’s religious beliefs in child-custody cases but may consider the effect that religiously motivated conduct may have on a child, the Kansas Supreme Court has ruled.

Monica Harrison and Adiel Tauheed contested the custody of their minor child, J.D.H., who had lived most of his life with his mother. Tauheed, a Muslim, contended that Harrison’s religious beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness were detrimental to the child. Tauheed claimed that because of her religious beliefs, Harrison forced J.D.H. to proselytize with her door-to-door and prohibited J.D.H. from celebrating birthdays and holidays, participating in extra-curricular activities and having relationships with many non-Witnesses. Harrison also testified during the custody trial that her religious beliefs would prevent her from allowing J.D.H. to receive a blood transfusion if one were necessary.

The trial judge determined that he would not consider the fact that Harrison made her child go door-to-door with her as a Jehovah Witness. The judge was troubled by the fact that Harrison said she would not approve of a blood transfusion for her child, but he noted that Harrison did say she would consult with Tauheed if such a decision were necessary.

The trial judge concluded that the child should remain with Harrison as the primary residential caregiver. Tauheed then appealed, arguing that the trial judge erred by not considering the negative effect Harrison’s religious beliefs and practices had upon J.D.H.

A divided Kansas appeals court, however, agreed that Harrison should have primary residential custody of J.D.H. The appeals court wrote that “a parent’s religious beliefs and practices may not be considered by the trial court as a basis to deprive that parent of custody unless there is a showing of actual harm to the health or welfare of the child caused by those religious beliefs and practices.”

Tauheed then appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, which also affirmed the trial judge in its Aug. 5 opinion, Harrison v. Tauheed.

The high court noted that in Kansas — like in most other states — the primary standard in child-custody cases is the “best interest of the child” — which gives trial judges a list of factors to consider.

“Custody cases implicating questions of religious belief and practice require a delicate balancing of the rights of each parent and the welfare of the child whose custody is in question,” the high court wrote.

That raised the question, however, of how should judges balance freedom of religion with the well-being of children. According to the high court, judges must ensure that they do not discriminate against religious beliefs but also do not ignore the harmful effects of certain religiously motivated conduct.

“Disapproval of mere belief or nonbelief cannot be a consideration in a custody determination — judges are not trained to mediate theological disputes,” the court wrote. “Yet consideration of religiously motivated behavior with an impact on a child’s welfare cannot be ignored.”

The Kansas high court also warned that “courts must be vigilant to avoid invidious discrimination against religious beliefs or practices merely because they seem unconventional.”

The trial judge in this case “properly distinguished between religious belief and religiously motivated conduct having an impact on the best interests of the child,” the Kansas Supreme Court concluded. “This was the right approach, striking the delicate balance necessary in this difficult area.”

Harrison v. Tauheed: http://www.kscourts.org/Cases-and-Opinions/opinions/SupCt/2011/20110805/102214.pdf

Mayor Bill Bunten 785-368-3895	District 2 John Alcala 785-233-7110
District 6 Chad Manspeaker 785-220-9493	District 8 Andrew Gray 785-806-0068
District 3 Sylvia Ortiz 785-357-0717	District 7 Bob Archer 785-817-8157
District 1 Karen Hiller 785-232-2917	City Manager Dan Stanley 785-368-3725

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