Handcuffed, incarcerated teenager finally released from juvenile detention; His crime? Wouldn't visit dad (Warren, Michigan)

I am glad to see that this 14-year-old boy, a straight-A student who was taken away in handcuffs and thrown into juvenile detention, was released after four hours. Thanks, no doubt, to public pressure and outrage over this egregious abuse of state power.

Damn, doesn't Michigan have enough rapists, murderers, and muggers to keep their jails and juvenile detention centers filled? Oh no, we ignore those charming folks and go after a teenager with no criminal record because (drum roll): HE WON'T VISIT HIS DAD. The visits that were ordered by Judge John Foster. So that teenager was in contempt and had to be slapped down accordingly! Oh the horror! That's showing who's boss, ain't it, Judge?

Only one thing. You didn't count on the general public's fury at such a petty and rank abuse of judicial power. And that's why the kid was out in four hours. For once the people spoke out in anger after the Michigan judiciary was caught with its collective pants down--and the Michigan judiciary blinked.

And after all these police state manoevers (and that's what jailing people over RELATIONSHIPS is, make no mistake), do you really think that father VICTOR MASTROGIOVANNI and son will start a little love fest? The father who forced the son to stay in his room during visits, isolated from Daddy's new family? The one who manipulated the judicial system into having his own son taken away in handcuffs to a potentially dangerous juvie center because his son apparently doesn't like him much (imagine that...)?

To me, this incident perfectly reveals what a petty vindictive control freak Dad appears to be. He's not interested in "healing" the relationship. Are you kidding? He just wants to abuse his power as a father, and be able to micromanage the movements of a teenager. The love and concern of a normal parent has nothing to do with it. Besides, he was never even married to this boy's mother, he never had any commitment to the mother or child. Why does he get to call all the shots? Because the court is letting him, and this has got to stop.

This is where the fathers rights emphasis on "parental alienation" is going and has been going for some time. We neatly ignore and deny any reasons why the kids might dislike a parent, and go straight into government-ordered coercion--jail, juvenile detention, mandatory lockdown at "threat therapy" centers. All because the kids don't like you and say you're abusive. Well, sounds to me like the kids are right, given the strong arm tactics you folks just flock to like bees to honey.

http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2009/11/21/news/srv0000006883874.txt#blogcomments

Teenager incarcerated for refusing to visit his father
Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009

By Jameson Cook, Macomb Daily Staff Writer

A 14-year-old boy was thrown into the county youth home overnight and handcuffed for about four hours after refusing to follow a judge's order to visit his father, as part of an ongoing custody case.

The boy, Jacob Mastrogiovanni of Warren, was ordered Thursday to spend three days in the youth home by family court Judge John Foster, who lifted the sentenced Friday following protests by his mother and a night of incarceration for her son.

The uncommon occurrence of a contempt of court sentence for a child in a child custody dispute angered his mother, Dawn Platevoet, and several of her relatives, including the boy's grandmother. They picketed in front of the county courthouse in downtown Mount Clemens on Thursday and Friday, garnering media attention.

"A judge shouldn't throw an all-A student in jail for refusing to visit his father," Platevoet said. "There are other ways to handle the situation, and apparently the judge agreed because he let him out."

Jacob was slated to remain in the Juvenile Justice Center until 7 p.m. Sunday but was released by Foster about 12:30 p.m. Friday. Foster had Jacob brought from the youth home in handcuffs about 8:30 a.m. Friday to appear in front of him in Macomb County Circuit Court later that morning. Jacob waited in a holding cell.

Moments after he was released Friday, Jacob said Foster didn't specify why he freed him.

"He said that I don't decide whether I see my dad or not," Jacob said. "It was kind of like a warning, this time, I guess."

Foster's secretary said the judge did not want to comment.

Jacob and Platevoet wouldn't delve into many details of why he won't visit his father, Victor Mastrogiovanni of Chesterfield Township. She said Jacob began resisting in July following an unspecified incident.

They said when Jacob has visited Mastrogiovanni recently that he is forced to stay in his room without any contact.

On Foster's order, the three have been attending weekly counseling sessions since early September. But they and the therapist have been unable to resolve the disagreement.

Platevoet and Mastrogiovanni never married and have had some disputes for years regarding custody and support issues, they said.

Mastrogiovanni, who has been married for two years and has a 15-month-old child, said he did not want to comment specifically about the dispute.

"I love my kid very much and want what's best for him," he said.

Platevoet said she would like her son to visit his dad but can't force him.

"What am I supposed to do? Grab him by the back of the head and put him in the car?" she said. "He's a teenager and wants to do teenager things."

She said Jacob "listens to me" about other things but not about the visits.

Platevoet's attorney, James Simasko, said he sympathizes with his client but didn't advise her to contact the media.

"The media is not the proper place for the parties to air their differences," he said.

Platevoet defended her public protest, saying she didn't want to air grievances but simply wanted her son released.

"The only reason I went to the media was to get him out of jail for what the judge did," she said. "He's my kid. I'm going to say something about it."

She said the county Friend of the Court also recommended the judge put him in jail.

"The Friend of the Court and judge are not looking out for the best interest of the child," Platevoet said. "They put him in jail with criminals."

FOC Director Lynn Davidson said she could not comment on the case. She said a child's wishes is one of 13 "best interests of the child" factors a judge considers in making custody decisions. Simasko said judges typically accept more input from a child as he or she grows older and matures.

Youth home Director Chuck Siedelman said his facility has handled minors for contempt of court in the past, but said he and his staff don't review the details.

"It's not our responsibility to know what took place; we hold them and house them," he said.

In the juvenile center off Dunham Road near Rose on the outskirts of Mount Clemens, Jacob was kept alone in a cell and slept on a mat, he said.

He had no complaints other than the handcuffs.

"They hurt," he said, showing lumps on his wrists from the metal tightened around them.

"The people were nice, but it's a bad place," he said.

His mother said Jacob, a ninth-grader at East Detroit High School, "is a good kid" who is on the honor roll and was voted "class leader" and scored No. 1 on a recent grade-wide exam. He plays baseball, wrestles and participates in other school activities.

His dad has coached him in baseball for several years.

Jacob said despite disliking his stay in the youth home, he vowed he will not comply with the visitation order.

"As terrible as a place as that is, I'd rather be there than" visit his father, he said.

The judge set a hearing on the matter for Monday morning.