Mom arrested for "kidnapping" own child; dad with child abuse allegations--including protection order from CURRENT wife--gets custody (Hillsdale, Michigan)

So. Dad's word trumps the word of two women. What else is new in the American courts....

Wife #1 "abducted" their son because of abuse concerns involving his father. CPS even raised concerns. There are unspecified court reports. All hand waived away by an indifferent court.

Wife #2 sought a protection order. You don't get those unless there has been physical violence or a credible threat thereof. You don't get them because you and your spouse are having "trying times"-that's just dad's attempt to totally minimize and avoid responsibility for his own actions. Wife #2 didn't renew. Bad sign. Research is showing that when women don't renew it's not because the threat has gone away. It's because they can't without further jeopardizing their own safety.

AND NOW THIS ABUSER HAS CHILD CUSTODY.

Dad is identified as BRANDON RUFFIN.

http://www.hillsdale.net/article/20150915/NEWS/150919449

Kidnapper mom arrested, father retains custody
By Jason Dafnis
Posted Sep. 15, 2015 at 9:12 AM

Hillsdale, Mich.

HILLSDALE — After a court hearing on Monday afternoon, the father of a boy kidnapped by his mother now retains custody of his son.

Nicole Ruffin disappeared with her son, Laredo, after Judge Mike Smith granted interim custody to Brandon Ruffin, Laredo’s biological father and Nicole’s ex-husband, on Aug. 31. The court proceedings were punctuated by reports from Child Protective Services questioning the child’s safety.

After her disappearance, a felony warrant issued for Nicole’s arrest on a charge of parental kidnapping. Michigan State Police tracked and exhausted several leads since Sept. 1, locating and arresting her at a Spring Arbor convenience store on Monday. Laredo was remanded into police custody at the same time.

“There are a lot of concerns,” Karlye Horton, Nicole’s attorney, said at the civil hearing on Monday. Nicole, having been lodged at the Hillsdale County Jail only hours before, was not present for the proceedings.

 Horton questioned Brandon’s suitability as Laredo’s custodian, citing several court reports about the child’s safety around Brandon. One of those reports included a personal protection order his current wife, Hannah, filed against Brandon earlier this year.

That record claims that Brandon laid hands on Hannah, though Brandon denies those claims, saying that he and his wife had “trying times” prior to the PPO’s expiration in July. Hannah and Brandon remain together today.

Horton also brought before Smith the claim that Brandon hadn’t seen Laredo more than a few times since Brandon and Nicole were divorced in 2012. Again, Brandon refuted the legitimacy of that argument, saying that he was never served the proper divorce papers or custody notifications.

“I saw my son on a regular basis,” Brandon said. He claims that after the divorce, his attempts to contact Nicole for scheduling were chronically ignored.

Hannah and other members of Brandon’s family and friends were present in the courtroom, as were members of Nicole’s family, both supporting their respective sides.

“Brandon has been dishonest about his position in the court,” Horton said.

Smith continued Brandon’s interim custody, an order which went into effect Monday and runs through an evidentiary hearing scheduled for Oct. 23. A more solid custody ruling is expected to be imposed on that date.

Horton declined to speak on behalf of her client following the hearing.

“I am a loving dad,” Brandon said after the conference. “I’m gonna keep fighting for custody of my son until the good Lord says I can’t anymore. It’s a happy day."