Judge J. Simpson, abuser dad have mom arrested for "kidnapping" (Orlando, Florida)

Shame on the cops and JUDGE J. SIMPSON of Lee County, Florida for collaborating with abuser dad VICTOR VALENTINO and stripping the protective mother of custody. And not only that, going through the legal farce of charging her with the kidnapping of her own children.

Unfortunately, the news article explaining all this is written in a very confusing way. In fact the main points are so buried as to make the basic narrative almost unintelligible. Let's try to sort this out.

1) July 2009: The mother was (initially) granted custody and was allowed to move from Tennessee to Florida.

2) Read this carefully. Dad Victor Valentino was obviously abusive, as the mother was admitted into an "address confidentiality" program in Florida that was specifically set up for victims of domestic violence.

3) And yet, despite his history of abuse, Dad was granted one week of visitation each month by the courts in Tennessee. And once again, we see ADDITIONAL evidence of his abuse when we see that the visitation exchanges took place at a police station in Orlando, Florida. Police stations are NEVER used as places for child custody exchange unless there has been a history of domestic violence.

4) Of course, this situation is insane, basically a set-up for the both the mother and the children. It puts both at considerable risk for additional violence, and does not allow them to heal or get on with their lives.

5) Fall 2009: The mother "allegedly" fails to show up for one or more of these exchanges.

6) Dad hires a private investigator to TRACK DOWN the mom, an effort that is apparently unsuccessful--and illegal. This is typical control freak stuff, very often seen in men with a history of domestic violence. Yet you see no sign that Dad is held accountable. Red flag here. Something is amiss.

6) March- April 2010: The abuser dad manages to get law enforcement officers to go "with him" for his scheduled visitation times. Mom presumably continues to be a no-show. How does Daddy get law enforcement officers to accompany him on these visits? He's not even the one at risk here! This is another red flag. Something is very wrong with how this is being handled. I can't tell you how many non-custodial mothers get NO police assistance or support when it comes to enforcing their visitation rights.

7) April 2010: Dad contacts a coordinator from the "address confidentiality" program who says that Mom has been dropped from the program. Says she doesn't know Mom's whereabouts. Nevermind that she should't be reporting ANYTHING to this woman's abusive ex anyway. And why is it reported here that they don't know "why" Mom was in the program? It should be totally self-evident as to why. This is yet another red flag that something is very wrong in this case.

8) The mother says she gave an Orlando, Florida judge her address--but of course, it appears that this information was "lost" (or deliberately "disappeared" from the files). One more red flag.

9) April 12, 2010: Dad files for SOLE CUSTODY in Lee County, Florida. Are we surprised?

10) April 21, 2010: JUDGE J. SIMPSON signs an order saying the children must be removed from their protective mother and put in the custody of their abusive father. Are we surprised?

11) April 23, 2010: Mom files an order to vacate the order and have jurisdiction moved to Oscela County. Perhaps she's aware that things are looking a little peculiar (corrupt) in Lee County?

12) April 29, 2010: A hearing is scheduled, but the mother does not attend because (surprise!) the notice is not forwarded to her. This tactic is often seen in corrupt court settings.

13) June 23, 2010: JUDGE J. SIMPSON signs a warrant for the mother to be taken into custody and forced to reveal where her children are.

14) Notice that Dad wants the information entered into the state and federal data bases as if this were a CRIMINAL matter and not a civil matter. Typical abuser overkill manoever.

15) September 15, 2010: A warrant is issued for the mother's arrest.

16) November 2010: Mom is arrested in Tennesee and charged with "kidnapping" her own children.

http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/520395.html?nav=5011

Woman charged with kidnapping arrested in Tennessee
By VALLI FINNEY, news@breezenewspapers.com
POSTED: November 5, 2010

A woman wanted in Lee County for kidnapping at least two of her children was arrested Wednesday in Tennessee by the U.S. Marshals Smokey Mountains Task Force.

Melissa Lynn Hopkins, 40, also known as Melissa Blackwell, Teresa Castillo and Melissa Kemper, was arrested about 2 p.m. in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., according to a press release from the marshals service. Hopkins faces two felonies when she is extradited from Tennessee to Florida.

Six children ranging in age from 3 to 17 were with her and taken into protective custody, said W. Warren Mays, supervisory deputy U.S. Marshal for Eastern Tennessee in Knoxville.

It was not clear who fathered the other four children found with Hopkins.

All the children were in good condition when located, Mays said.

The warrant for Hopkins' arrest was issued Sept. 15, according to the release.

The search for Hopkins began last year by two of the children's father, Victor Valentino, who lives in Cape Coral, according to a Lee County Sheriff's Office incident report filed July 28 of this year.

Hopkins had custody of the couple's two children and in July 2009 moved to Orlando. Valentino had visitation through the Tennessee courts granting him one week visitation each month. After Hopkins moved to Orlando, Valentino drove to an Orlando police station where the couple was to exchange the children.

He last saw the two in October and was to get them in December, but Hopkins failed to arrive. He hired a private investigator to locate Hopkins, but the search was unsuccessful, according to the Lee County report.

Valentino said Hopkins was a "member of the address confidentiality program for the Office of the Attorney General" so she could use a fake address in Tallahassee.

A Florida Attorney General's spokeswoman said the address is a false one for people who are victims of domestic violence. The victims use the address and mail is forwarded to them.

On April 23, Valentino contacted a program coordinator who said Hopkins was no longer in the program and they did not know her whereabouts. It was not clear why she was in the program.

The Attorney General's spokeswoman confirmed the coordinator works in the office's program.

At some point Hopkins gave a judge a post office box in Orlando where she received mail.

At first, according to the Sheriff's Office, the case was civil but became criminal after Valentino showed he tried to visit his children on March 20, April 17 and April 24 in Orlando and had law enforcement officers with him, according to Lee County Sheriff's Office reports and Sgt. Stephanie Eller. Hopkins never arrived at the meeting place on any of the occasions.

On April 12, Valentino asked the Lee County courts to give him sole custody of the children. On April 21 Judge J. Simpson signed an order to have the children removed from Hopkins and given to Valentino, according to the Sheriff's Office report.

According to what Valentino told Lee deputies:

A hearing was set for April 29 to discuss the order, but Hopkins failed to appear.

On April 23, she filed a motion to vacate the order and move jurisdiction to Osceola County.

On June 23, Simpson signed a warrant for Hopkins to be taken into custody and reveal where the children were staying.

Valentino told deputies he feared because the warrant for Hopkins arrest was not entered into state and national databases that Hopkins had fled to Tennessee. The deputy confirmed it was not entered into the national database because it was a civil warrant, according to the Lee County report. In Florida, the only civil warrants entered into the national databases are for failure to pay child support.

At some point Hopkins sent Valentino an e-mail stating she never received notices from Lee County courts about hearing dates, but acknowledged she was aware of the order to give the children to Valentino. That is why she filed the motion on April 23.

Valentino did not return calls Thursday from comment. It was not clear if his two children had been returned to him.