This case just reeks of backroom deal making and corruption. Because he is a well-connected cop, the abuse allegations against him are perpetually "unfounded." He gets physical custody. Threatens the protective mother with kidnapping charges though she communicated to him the location of their son. He barges into CPS, manhandles the kid out of an interview with an abuse investigator, and then the authorities CONTINUE to force the boy to live his father for another three months before suspending him from his job.
Dad is identified as STEPHEN C. KRUM.
Typical of the fathers rights corruption that infects the whole judicial system.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/09/harrisburg_police_officer_susp_3.html
Harrisburg police suspend officer accused of obstructing child abuse investigation
Dauphin County investigators say Harrisburg Police Officer Stephen Krum barged into a room inside this Children &Youth Services building and forcibly removed a boy being interviewed.
The District Attorney's office later charged Krum, 31, with felony obstruction of a child abuse investigation.
By Christine Vendel
on September 10, 2015 at 7:41 AM, updated September 10, 2015 at 11:15 AM
HARRISBURG - The city of Harrisburg has suspended a police officer who authorities say barged into the Dauphin County Children Youth Services building and removed his son who was being interviewed as a possible child abuse victim.
Officer Stephen C. Krum has been charged by the Dauphin County district attorney's office with felony obstruction of a child abuse investigation.
Krum showed his police ID and badge to a security guard at the building who asked if he had an appointment, court records state.
"This is my access and all the appointment I need," he told the guard, according to court records.
The six-year veteran, who earns $63,198 annually, has been on paid leave since Aug. 19, when the charge was filed. His next court date is set for Oct. 2.
The incident occurred about 4 p.m. May 14 at the Dauphin County CYS facility at 1001 N. Sixth St. Krum and the boy's mother are divorced, said Krum's attorney, Brian Perry. Krum has primary physical custody of the boy, who has special needs, Perry said.
A county detective investigated the incident. Court records gave this account:
The boy reportedly called his mother after school but before getting on the school bus saying he did not want to go to his father's house. The boy reportedly said he was afraid of his father and wanted to go to CYS to talk to somebody.
The mother responded to the school, picked up her son and drove him to the CYS facility. She called Krum from the facility and left a message letting him know where the boy was.
Krum reportedly called back and threatened to have his ex-wife arrested for kidnapping. Krum showed up at the facility 10 minutes later.
Krum walked past a security guard and bypassed the metal detector initially, but then agreed to go through the detector. The guard then asked about his appointment and he pulled his police badge.
Krum eventually went into a playroom, where the boy was being interviewed by a caseworker and demanded the boy leave with him.
A supervisor confronted Krum and asked him to go back to the waiting room, but he refused. He pushed past the supervisor, grabbed his son by the arm and dragged him to the door, actions that were captured on security footage.
Krum talked with his son briefly, then grabbed him "in a sort of a bear hug," and took him out of the building as the boy "appears to be resisting."
The boy told a screener at CYS that "he was fearful of his father and did not want to go home." He reportedly asked staff members several times to "please don't make him go with him."
Perry said the visit to CYS was the latest in a string of abuse allegations filed by the mother against Krum in Dauphin and Lebanon counties. All of the allegations have been unfounded, Perry said.
Perry noted that the boy was allowed to remain in Krum's home during the three months following the incident, until the criminal charge was filed.
"I think that speaks volumes about the strength of the [abuse] case against Steve," he said. "He found out the boy's mother took him to CYS again and he said, 'No. We're not doing this. You're coming with me.'
"Should he have handled himself differently that day? The answer is yes," Perry said. "But he reacted as most fathers would have."
Assistant District Attorney Sean McCormack disagreed and said he believed most parents would have allowed the interview to finish.
"Justified or not, the system has to work," McCormack said. "Other parents in similar situations have shown much more restraint."
McCormack said his office would file a similar charge against anyone who committed the same offense.
"The allegation here is that he forcibly removed a child from an interview," he said. "That's not something we can condone."
Krum has not been allowed to contact his son since the charge was filed, Perry said.
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Police protected dad who assaulted 11-year-old son, and reduced charges against him (New Zealand)
UNNAMED DAD since Judge Josephine Bousier got Daddy's named suppressed to protect his "reputation."
This kind of abusive daddy coddling is rampant everywhere--but is seldom dragged into the open.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/10237131/Police-mishandle-assault-on-11-year-old
Police mishandle assault on 11-year-old
TONY WALL
Last updated 05:00 06/07/2014
SORRY: Mark Loper of Bay of Plenty police apologised to the boy’s mother.
Police have apologised for their handling of a child assault case where a prominent professional escaped conviction and had his name permanently suppressed.
In a letter of apology to the mother of the 11-year-old victim, a senior officer admitted police had watered down the summary of facts, failed to keep her and her son informed of the fact they were reducing the charge against the offender, the boy's father, and failed to return the woman's phone calls.
"We pride ourselves on being victim focused and in your case we fell short of what we expect of our staff and of our processes," wrote Detective Inspector Mark Loper of Bay of Plenty police.
The offender, a Tauranga professional in his 50s involved in charity work, has subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of breaching protection and parenting orders by making unauthorised contact with his son. He will be sentenced in the Auckland District Court later this month.
The boy told police that after a dispute over a phone in November, 2012, his father slammed his head twice on to the concrete floor of their garage, dragged him up some stairs, banged him against the walls, dragged him across the lounge floor, sat him down and slammed his head on to the kitchen table.
He ran from the address, went to his grandmother's house and was taken to Tauranga Hospital with bruising to his neck and arms and swelling and bruising to his head.
He also complained of headaches and sore eyes and according to his mother, still suffers headaches, nausea and fatigue.
Police admit their summary of facts presented in court, which talked about the victim "falling over a suitcase" as his father "marched him to the dining room . . . to join the rest of the family for the evening meal . . . did not reflect the full seriousness of the assault".
The summary was written by one of the Bay of Plenty's most senior officers, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner. Loper and Turner last month visited the boy's mother at her home in Auckland and apologised during a meeting that lasted more than two hours.
The boy's mother, who has full custody of him, said the apology came only after she complained to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
"As far as I'm concerned they don't understand the nature of abuse," she said. "They say family violence is not OK and yet they do this. It's easier to let a woman and child take the [fallout] than confront a man who's connected, with power. It's the old-boy network.''
Ruth Money of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, who supported the woman during the meeting with police, said: "In today's culture of family violence awareness and so-called proactivity, the detective senior sergeant's conduct here is appalling."
The offender was originally charged with assault on a child, which carries a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, but police did a plea bargain and reduced the charge to common assault.
The father pleaded guilty last year and was discharged without conviction. Judge Josephine Bouchier permanently suppressed his name, after his Queen's Counsel argued that convicting and naming him would damage his reputation and affect his charity work.
Police further enraged the boy's mother last week when Loper said in a statement to the Sunday Star-Times that the charge was reduced because police believed there was no prospect of a conviction on the original charge due to a lack of "evidential sufficiency".
"I'm shocked and disbelieving," said the mother. "In the time they sat with me they never once said lack of evidence was why they downgraded the charge.
"They said it was to protect my son from going to trial. He wanted to go to trial and to tell the judge what happened to him. His words were ‘apparently I'm just a child and what I say doesn't matter'."
It is the latest Tauranga prosecution to cause concern, after an accused rapist who had a violence charge dropped went on to offend again, and a man who assaulted a woman, causing injuries that led to her death, was charged with only a minor offence.
Loper said in his apology letter that Turner would make time to meet the victim, now 13, and explain the decision to change the charge was "based on securing an acknowledgement of guilt only and was not reflective of the content of [the victim's] interview."
Loper told the Star-Times the assault was thoroughly investigated and the inquiry team "remained focused on securing a conviction and acknowledgement of guilt from the offender and achieved that outcome for the victim".
He said "police take all assaults on children extremely seriously and this was no exception".
Police had expended significant resources to the case but he accepted they could have kept the mother better informed. - Sunday Star Times
This kind of abusive daddy coddling is rampant everywhere--but is seldom dragged into the open.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/10237131/Police-mishandle-assault-on-11-year-old
Police mishandle assault on 11-year-old
TONY WALL
Last updated 05:00 06/07/2014
SORRY: Mark Loper of Bay of Plenty police apologised to the boy’s mother.
Police have apologised for their handling of a child assault case where a prominent professional escaped conviction and had his name permanently suppressed.
In a letter of apology to the mother of the 11-year-old victim, a senior officer admitted police had watered down the summary of facts, failed to keep her and her son informed of the fact they were reducing the charge against the offender, the boy's father, and failed to return the woman's phone calls.
"We pride ourselves on being victim focused and in your case we fell short of what we expect of our staff and of our processes," wrote Detective Inspector Mark Loper of Bay of Plenty police.
The offender, a Tauranga professional in his 50s involved in charity work, has subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of breaching protection and parenting orders by making unauthorised contact with his son. He will be sentenced in the Auckland District Court later this month.
The boy told police that after a dispute over a phone in November, 2012, his father slammed his head twice on to the concrete floor of their garage, dragged him up some stairs, banged him against the walls, dragged him across the lounge floor, sat him down and slammed his head on to the kitchen table.
He ran from the address, went to his grandmother's house and was taken to Tauranga Hospital with bruising to his neck and arms and swelling and bruising to his head.
He also complained of headaches and sore eyes and according to his mother, still suffers headaches, nausea and fatigue.
Police admit their summary of facts presented in court, which talked about the victim "falling over a suitcase" as his father "marched him to the dining room . . . to join the rest of the family for the evening meal . . . did not reflect the full seriousness of the assault".
The summary was written by one of the Bay of Plenty's most senior officers, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner. Loper and Turner last month visited the boy's mother at her home in Auckland and apologised during a meeting that lasted more than two hours.
The boy's mother, who has full custody of him, said the apology came only after she complained to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
"As far as I'm concerned they don't understand the nature of abuse," she said. "They say family violence is not OK and yet they do this. It's easier to let a woman and child take the [fallout] than confront a man who's connected, with power. It's the old-boy network.''
Ruth Money of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, who supported the woman during the meeting with police, said: "In today's culture of family violence awareness and so-called proactivity, the detective senior sergeant's conduct here is appalling."
The offender was originally charged with assault on a child, which carries a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, but police did a plea bargain and reduced the charge to common assault.
The father pleaded guilty last year and was discharged without conviction. Judge Josephine Bouchier permanently suppressed his name, after his Queen's Counsel argued that convicting and naming him would damage his reputation and affect his charity work.
Police further enraged the boy's mother last week when Loper said in a statement to the Sunday Star-Times that the charge was reduced because police believed there was no prospect of a conviction on the original charge due to a lack of "evidential sufficiency".
"I'm shocked and disbelieving," said the mother. "In the time they sat with me they never once said lack of evidence was why they downgraded the charge.
"They said it was to protect my son from going to trial. He wanted to go to trial and to tell the judge what happened to him. His words were ‘apparently I'm just a child and what I say doesn't matter'."
It is the latest Tauranga prosecution to cause concern, after an accused rapist who had a violence charge dropped went on to offend again, and a man who assaulted a woman, causing injuries that led to her death, was charged with only a minor offence.
Loper said in his apology letter that Turner would make time to meet the victim, now 13, and explain the decision to change the charge was "based on securing an acknowledgement of guilt only and was not reflective of the content of [the victim's] interview."
Loper told the Star-Times the assault was thoroughly investigated and the inquiry team "remained focused on securing a conviction and acknowledgement of guilt from the offender and achieved that outcome for the victim".
He said "police take all assaults on children extremely seriously and this was no exception".
Police had expended significant resources to the case but he accepted they could have kept the mother better informed. - Sunday Star Times
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Protest against judge who gave custody of 10-year-old girl to sexually abusive father (Atlanta, Georgia)
So typical. This is the kind of corruption and back scratching I experienced with Judge Willard Cass and Judge Judith Claire in Chautauqua County, New York.
http://www.cbs46.com/story/22786860/protestors-judges-are-putting-children-back-with-abusers
Protestors: Judges are putting children back with abusers
Posted: Jul 08, 2013 6:46 PM EDT Updated: Jul 23, 2013 10:08 AM EDT
By Jeff Chirico ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) - About two dozen protestors held signs and wore neon green shirts that read "Shame on you, Judge Goger" and "Shame on you, Judge Lane" as they marched outside the Fulton County Courthouse Monday.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge John Goger came under fire because of a recent order requiring a 10-year-old girl to live with her father, who was twice arrested for abusing her in a recent custody hearing.
CBS Atlanta News is not using the names of the parties to protect the child.
The mother of the girl told CBS Atlanta News reporter Jeff Chirico that she believes the judge did not consider the evidence and was influenced by her ex-husband's attorney.
Criminal charges against the girl's father were dropped for lack of evidence, but according to court records and the mother, five independent assessments supported the girl's story of repeated abuse.
Despite the allegations, the custody evaluator and court-appointed guardian ad litem, recommended the child be placed in the father's home because the mother was subconsciously "re victimizing" the child.
Deb Beacham, executive director of My Advocate Center, a resource group on child custody issues, said this isn't the only case in which a judge has placed a child back with his or her alleged abuser.
She said she believes judges sometimes consider their relationships with attorneys rather than what is in the best interest of the child.
"The judges are loyal to the relationships they have with attorneys and custody experts rather than heeding the evidence of the case and the needs of the children," said Beacham.
According to Beacham, the guardian ad litem in the case of the 10-year-old girl has charged the family $150,000 for his services.
"Why would a guardian ad litem make $150,000 suppressing evidence? Why would a custody evaluator make $65,000 on a case where the evidence is overwhelming?" asked Beacham.
"They don't need to make that kind of money, when they're preventing a child from being protected."
Goger's judicial assistant told CBS Atlanta News that he has no comment.
Protestors also railed Goger's fellow family court judge, Bensonetta Lane, for recent rulings that they said put children in danger and hurt relationships between children and a parent.
One father, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Lane drastically slashed his custodial time given by a judge in another state "to zero. For no reason. I didn't see my children for a whole month."
"It is strictly politics, hidden influence, backroom dealings," said Beacham.
She said she is asking Goger to sit down with the evidence and the experts that did the forensic evaluations.
"We can't hide evidence. We can't hide damage to children," said Beacham.
http://www.cbs46.com/story/22786860/protestors-judges-are-putting-children-back-with-abusers
Protestors: Judges are putting children back with abusers
Posted: Jul 08, 2013 6:46 PM EDT Updated: Jul 23, 2013 10:08 AM EDT
By Jeff Chirico ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) - About two dozen protestors held signs and wore neon green shirts that read "Shame on you, Judge Goger" and "Shame on you, Judge Lane" as they marched outside the Fulton County Courthouse Monday.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge John Goger came under fire because of a recent order requiring a 10-year-old girl to live with her father, who was twice arrested for abusing her in a recent custody hearing.
CBS Atlanta News is not using the names of the parties to protect the child.
The mother of the girl told CBS Atlanta News reporter Jeff Chirico that she believes the judge did not consider the evidence and was influenced by her ex-husband's attorney.
Criminal charges against the girl's father were dropped for lack of evidence, but according to court records and the mother, five independent assessments supported the girl's story of repeated abuse.
Despite the allegations, the custody evaluator and court-appointed guardian ad litem, recommended the child be placed in the father's home because the mother was subconsciously "re victimizing" the child.
Deb Beacham, executive director of My Advocate Center, a resource group on child custody issues, said this isn't the only case in which a judge has placed a child back with his or her alleged abuser.
She said she believes judges sometimes consider their relationships with attorneys rather than what is in the best interest of the child.
"The judges are loyal to the relationships they have with attorneys and custody experts rather than heeding the evidence of the case and the needs of the children," said Beacham.
According to Beacham, the guardian ad litem in the case of the 10-year-old girl has charged the family $150,000 for his services.
"Why would a guardian ad litem make $150,000 suppressing evidence? Why would a custody evaluator make $65,000 on a case where the evidence is overwhelming?" asked Beacham.
"They don't need to make that kind of money, when they're preventing a child from being protected."
Goger's judicial assistant told CBS Atlanta News that he has no comment.
Protestors also railed Goger's fellow family court judge, Bensonetta Lane, for recent rulings that they said put children in danger and hurt relationships between children and a parent.
One father, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Lane drastically slashed his custodial time given by a judge in another state "to zero. For no reason. I didn't see my children for a whole month."
"It is strictly politics, hidden influence, backroom dealings," said Beacham.
She said she is asking Goger to sit down with the evidence and the experts that did the forensic evaluations.
"We can't hide evidence. We can't hide damage to children," said Beacham.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Battered mom reunited with 8-month-old daughter; dad accused of duping family court system (Seattle, Washington)
This mother is extremely lucky. First, that she and her infant daughter both survived this ordeal without being killed or seriously disabled. And second, that she was able to regain custody despite all the father's scams and manipulations. So many mothers who are the victim of these kinds of maneuvers never see their kids again.
UNNAMED DAD
http://q13fox.com/2014/04/03/domestic-violence-victim-reuinted-with-baby-father-arrested-for-duping-court-system/#axzz2xsVdQfoI
Domestic violence victim reunited with baby; dad accused of duping system
• 3 hours ago
by Dana Rebik
Q13 FOX News Reporter
SEATTLE — Cornelia Brown was just reunited with her 8-month-old daughter, Annabelle, this week. In December, Cornelia left Washington for Texas to escape what she says was an extremely abusive relationship with her baby’s father.
“He kicked my back when I was 6 months pregnant. He punched my belly when I was pregnant with her. He told me the only way I could leave him was in a body bag,” Brown said Thursday.
After Cornelia fled, Seattle police detectives say her boyfriend faked a parenting plan and manipulated the court system to gain custody.
“It appears he sought out friends and family to write letters on his behalf, making him appear to be a good parent for the child,” said detective Jennifer Sampson. “He then arranged through a process server to have the mother served, but there is evidence to show Cornelia was not in the state and that he arranged to have a woman stand in and impersonate her.”
In Washington, there is no law that requires court order servers to ask for identification; rather, the process is done in good faith.
“When he went to court, Cornelia did not show as she did not have knowledge of the custody hearing because she was in Texas. The court then defaulted to everything in his parenting plan,” said Sampson.
That allowed the man to travel to Texas and with a writ of habeas corpus and have police there take Annabelle back to Washington.
“I was holding her crying and couldn’t speak to the cops. I was just kissing her. I didn’t understand how he found me,” said Brown.
She contacted Seattle police who were able to put the pieces together. They arrested the baby’s father last week.
“We righted a wrong and I’m happy to be a part of that. I know I made a difference and that’s a good day,” said Sampson.
Many hope this case serves as an example of why a proposed Family Justice Center in Seattle could help victims like Cornelia. It was one of Mayor Ed Murray’s campaign promises, a centralized location where protection orders and custody hearings would take place and where victims could also get counseling and help with housing and other services.
Murray says the city is in the process of finding a director and hopes to have a budget proposal in place by the fall.
For now, Brown is looking forward to her new life in Texas with big dreams for her baby girl.
“I hope she knows me the way I know myself. I hope that she grows up healthy and strong and sees her mom as a successful woman,” said Brown.
The baby’s father is in jail and will appear in King County Court on Monday. He is facing felony custodial interference and perjury charges. Police say the woman who impersonated Brown could be charged as well.
UNNAMED DAD
http://q13fox.com/2014/04/03/domestic-violence-victim-reuinted-with-baby-father-arrested-for-duping-court-system/#axzz2xsVdQfoI
Domestic violence victim reunited with baby; dad accused of duping system
• 3 hours ago
by Dana Rebik
Q13 FOX News Reporter
SEATTLE — Cornelia Brown was just reunited with her 8-month-old daughter, Annabelle, this week. In December, Cornelia left Washington for Texas to escape what she says was an extremely abusive relationship with her baby’s father.
“He kicked my back when I was 6 months pregnant. He punched my belly when I was pregnant with her. He told me the only way I could leave him was in a body bag,” Brown said Thursday.
After Cornelia fled, Seattle police detectives say her boyfriend faked a parenting plan and manipulated the court system to gain custody.
“It appears he sought out friends and family to write letters on his behalf, making him appear to be a good parent for the child,” said detective Jennifer Sampson. “He then arranged through a process server to have the mother served, but there is evidence to show Cornelia was not in the state and that he arranged to have a woman stand in and impersonate her.”
In Washington, there is no law that requires court order servers to ask for identification; rather, the process is done in good faith.
“When he went to court, Cornelia did not show as she did not have knowledge of the custody hearing because she was in Texas. The court then defaulted to everything in his parenting plan,” said Sampson.
That allowed the man to travel to Texas and with a writ of habeas corpus and have police there take Annabelle back to Washington.
“I was holding her crying and couldn’t speak to the cops. I was just kissing her. I didn’t understand how he found me,” said Brown.
She contacted Seattle police who were able to put the pieces together. They arrested the baby’s father last week.
“We righted a wrong and I’m happy to be a part of that. I know I made a difference and that’s a good day,” said Sampson.
Many hope this case serves as an example of why a proposed Family Justice Center in Seattle could help victims like Cornelia. It was one of Mayor Ed Murray’s campaign promises, a centralized location where protection orders and custody hearings would take place and where victims could also get counseling and help with housing and other services.
Murray says the city is in the process of finding a director and hopes to have a budget proposal in place by the fall.
For now, Brown is looking forward to her new life in Texas with big dreams for her baby girl.
“I hope she knows me the way I know myself. I hope that she grows up healthy and strong and sees her mom as a successful woman,” said Brown.
The baby’s father is in jail and will appear in King County Court on Monday. He is facing felony custodial interference and perjury charges. Police say the woman who impersonated Brown could be charged as well.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Mediator blows whistle, prompts audit of family court services (Nevada County, California)
The evidence for family court corruption just grows higher and deeper everyday. Mediation is not the magic answer to every family's problems, especially for families with abusive fathers ("domestic violence"). And it's not really mediation if participants are coerced or threatened, is it?
http://www.centerforjudicialexcellence.org/documents/FinalEmilyRelease.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:February 10,2011
CONTACT:Emily Gallup
–
530.478.1340
emilygallup@yahoo.com
Kathleen Russell
–
415.250.1180
kr@centerforjudicialexcellence.org
Mediator Blows Whistle, Prompts Audit of Nevada County Family
Court Services
Court Took Retaliatory Action Against Mediator for Repeatedly Raising Issues
Nevada County, CA – A Family Court Services mediator has prevailed in her grievance against her former employer, the Nevada County Superior Court, prompting an independent audit of the Nevada County Department of Family Court Services. Emily Gallup claimed that Nevada County Family Court Services violated state statutes and rules of court governing the recommending mediation process, while retaliating against her after she raised these issues with courts officials. M. Catherine Jones of Nevada City represented Ms. Gallup.
“The Nevada County Superior Court and its mediators have been using undue influence to pressure parents into custody agreements,” says Gallup. Among the tactics used by the courts, Gallup explained that parents were routinely shown a picture of a young man who had committed suicide the day his parents had been unable to reach an agreement in court.
Mediators were also pressured to complete their cases in one hour’s time.
According to Gallup, violations include failure to review legal files and criminal records, failure to contact collateral sources, and failure to follow domestic violence protocol. Gallup maintains that children and families throughout Nevada County have been harmed by the flawed practices of the family court department.
Family Court mediators, like Gallup, are required by law to guide parents into reasonable custody arrangements that protect children’s best interests. Mediators in recommending counties, like Nevada County, are also charged with the task of making child custody recommendations to the court in the absence of parental agreement. These recommendations carry great weight with the court, and are usually ordered.
“Emily’s courageous first-hand account proves beyond a doubt what court reform advocates have been saying for years – and what the recent state audit confirms. Complaints about mediators ignoring criminal records, domestic violence protocols and endangering children’s lives are legitimate,” said Kathleen Russell, Executive Director for the Center for Judicial Excellence, which pushed for the recent state audit.
The order for an audit of the Nevada County Superior Court comes just weeks after the conclusion of a 17-month audit of the Family Court Services departments of Sacramento and Marin counties. The audit of those counties revealed that large numbers of mediators are unqualified, untrained and unsupervised, and that the family courts maintained inadequate complaint procedures for the public. Gallup believes that a statewide audit is warranted at this time.
In a final and binding award dated February 6, 2011, Arbitrator Christopher Burdick found that Gallup “had reasonable cause to believe that the Department of Family Court Services had violated or not complied with state statutes and rules of court in regards to the mediations required by the Family Law Code and the California Rules of Court.” He further ordered Family Court Services to undergo an audit to assess its compliance with the law. The cost of this audit will be born exclusively by the court, and the results will be released to the public.
Gallup repeatedly tried to address her concerns about the department with her superiors, including the Interim Director, the Family Law Judge, the Human Resources’ Director, and the Court’s Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Gallup’s efforts to bring her department into compliance with the law were unsuccessful.
Arbitrator Burdick found that “the Court took reprisal actions against Gallup for her repeatedly raising and discussing these issues.” Retaliatory activity against Gallup included negative performance evaluations, denial of her annual pay increase, and a written reprimand delivered to her the afternoon before her scheduled weeklong vacation. She was subsequently terminated from her job on December 21, 2010, prior to the conclusion of the grievance proceedings.
Burdick ordered the court to reimburse Gallup for her annual raise, her leave time, and attorney fees. It is estimated that the court’s handling of Gallup’s case has already cost taxpayers at least $100,000.
###
http://www.centerforjudicialexcellence.org/documents/FinalEmilyRelease.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:February 10,2011
CONTACT:Emily Gallup
–
530.478.1340
emilygallup@yahoo.com
Kathleen Russell
–
415.250.1180
kr@centerforjudicialexcellence.org
Mediator Blows Whistle, Prompts Audit of Nevada County Family
Court Services
Court Took Retaliatory Action Against Mediator for Repeatedly Raising Issues
Nevada County, CA – A Family Court Services mediator has prevailed in her grievance against her former employer, the Nevada County Superior Court, prompting an independent audit of the Nevada County Department of Family Court Services. Emily Gallup claimed that Nevada County Family Court Services violated state statutes and rules of court governing the recommending mediation process, while retaliating against her after she raised these issues with courts officials. M. Catherine Jones of Nevada City represented Ms. Gallup.
“The Nevada County Superior Court and its mediators have been using undue influence to pressure parents into custody agreements,” says Gallup. Among the tactics used by the courts, Gallup explained that parents were routinely shown a picture of a young man who had committed suicide the day his parents had been unable to reach an agreement in court.
Mediators were also pressured to complete their cases in one hour’s time.
According to Gallup, violations include failure to review legal files and criminal records, failure to contact collateral sources, and failure to follow domestic violence protocol. Gallup maintains that children and families throughout Nevada County have been harmed by the flawed practices of the family court department.
Family Court mediators, like Gallup, are required by law to guide parents into reasonable custody arrangements that protect children’s best interests. Mediators in recommending counties, like Nevada County, are also charged with the task of making child custody recommendations to the court in the absence of parental agreement. These recommendations carry great weight with the court, and are usually ordered.
“Emily’s courageous first-hand account proves beyond a doubt what court reform advocates have been saying for years – and what the recent state audit confirms. Complaints about mediators ignoring criminal records, domestic violence protocols and endangering children’s lives are legitimate,” said Kathleen Russell, Executive Director for the Center for Judicial Excellence, which pushed for the recent state audit.
The order for an audit of the Nevada County Superior Court comes just weeks after the conclusion of a 17-month audit of the Family Court Services departments of Sacramento and Marin counties. The audit of those counties revealed that large numbers of mediators are unqualified, untrained and unsupervised, and that the family courts maintained inadequate complaint procedures for the public. Gallup believes that a statewide audit is warranted at this time.
In a final and binding award dated February 6, 2011, Arbitrator Christopher Burdick found that Gallup “had reasonable cause to believe that the Department of Family Court Services had violated or not complied with state statutes and rules of court in regards to the mediations required by the Family Law Code and the California Rules of Court.” He further ordered Family Court Services to undergo an audit to assess its compliance with the law. The cost of this audit will be born exclusively by the court, and the results will be released to the public.
Gallup repeatedly tried to address her concerns about the department with her superiors, including the Interim Director, the Family Law Judge, the Human Resources’ Director, and the Court’s Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Gallup’s efforts to bring her department into compliance with the law were unsuccessful.
Arbitrator Burdick found that “the Court took reprisal actions against Gallup for her repeatedly raising and discussing these issues.” Retaliatory activity against Gallup included negative performance evaluations, denial of her annual pay increase, and a written reprimand delivered to her the afternoon before her scheduled weeklong vacation. She was subsequently terminated from her job on December 21, 2010, prior to the conclusion of the grievance proceedings.
Burdick ordered the court to reimburse Gallup for her annual raise, her leave time, and attorney fees. It is estimated that the court’s handling of Gallup’s case has already cost taxpayers at least $100,000.
###
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Dump the experts: Evaluator accuses kids of being "psychic" and reading mom's mind regarding sexual abuse by dad (Adelaide, Australia)
This is what Parental Alientation Syndrome (PAS) has wrought. You start with a garbage theory and the garbage applications just get more bizarre all the time.
PAS theorists have continually argued that sexual abuse allegations regarding fathers are always "lies" made up by hysterical mothers to get their way in court. When the children back up the mother's claims, the kids are labeled as brainwashed and "alienated." Though there isn't a shred of scientific evidence to support PAS, that hasn't stopped the popularity of PAS with defense attorneys and fathers rights types, who generally ignore any real evidence.
But of course, to make convoluted crap stick, you have to come up with stranger gyrations all the time. Stuff that utterly defies common sense. And this one takes the cake.
Not only do we have an "unqualified assessor" who labeled this mother mentally ill while ignoring all evidence to support her allegations, we have a dimwit who actually believed the kids were "psychic" and reading Mom's mind when it came to the father's sexual abuse of the children. WTF???
Of course, there is evidence of court corruption too. PAS and court corruption seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly.
And that, friends, is how pedo daddies get custody these days.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/expert-aghast-to-find-mum-was-declared-mentally-ill-while-reporting-child-abuse/story-e6frea83-1225981256959
Last updated: January 05, 2011
Expert aghast to find mum was declared mentally ill while reporting child abuse MILES KEMP From: The Advertiser January 03, 2011 8:42PM
CHILD protection expert Freda Briggs believes authorities are having mothers declared mentally ill when they complain their children are the subject of sexual abuse, because they are struggling to cope with an increasing number of victims.
The UniSA Emeritus Professor and child protection expert, Freda Briggs, has asked Families Minister Jennifer Rankine to launch an inquiry into one case in which a woman's complaint was dismissed after an assessor found her two then-pre-school-aged children were "psychic" and had read the mother's mind when she thought about the father abusing them.
Professor Briggs said the treatment of the mother - a social worker trained in reporting abuse and who by law must report it as part of her profession - was increasingly common.
She said she asked for an inquiry into Families SA's handling of the ongoing matter, which dates back to 2008, because of inconsistencies in the case involving the social worker mother, who cannot be identified. Other alleged inconsistencies include:
CCTV footage showing the children's claims against the father and highly sexualised behaviour of the older child.
FOUR psychiatrists contradicted a Families SA finding the mother is mentally ill.
AN unqualified assessor found the mother was mentally ill, which was accepted by Families SA.
LINKS between the father's family and court officials.
FAILURE by Families SA to have the children's injuries assessed because it would be too stressful for them.
AN unqualified police officer decided injuries to the older child were caused by constipation.
Professor Briggs said the trend began when under the Howard government court rules were changed to give fathers greater custody of children, criticised by some children's advocates who argue some were delivered into the hands of their abusers. "This case is typical of what I'm getting when the mother reports child sex abuse, they say she has imagined abuse and convinces the child that s/he is abused when s/he isn't," Professor Briggs said.
The Advertiser's request for a response was rejected by a Families SA spokeswoman, who said its procedures were cleared by the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner.
PAS theorists have continually argued that sexual abuse allegations regarding fathers are always "lies" made up by hysterical mothers to get their way in court. When the children back up the mother's claims, the kids are labeled as brainwashed and "alienated." Though there isn't a shred of scientific evidence to support PAS, that hasn't stopped the popularity of PAS with defense attorneys and fathers rights types, who generally ignore any real evidence.
But of course, to make convoluted crap stick, you have to come up with stranger gyrations all the time. Stuff that utterly defies common sense. And this one takes the cake.
Not only do we have an "unqualified assessor" who labeled this mother mentally ill while ignoring all evidence to support her allegations, we have a dimwit who actually believed the kids were "psychic" and reading Mom's mind when it came to the father's sexual abuse of the children. WTF???
Of course, there is evidence of court corruption too. PAS and court corruption seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly.
And that, friends, is how pedo daddies get custody these days.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/expert-aghast-to-find-mum-was-declared-mentally-ill-while-reporting-child-abuse/story-e6frea83-1225981256959
Last updated: January 05, 2011
Expert aghast to find mum was declared mentally ill while reporting child abuse MILES KEMP From: The Advertiser January 03, 2011 8:42PM
CHILD protection expert Freda Briggs believes authorities are having mothers declared mentally ill when they complain their children are the subject of sexual abuse, because they are struggling to cope with an increasing number of victims.
The UniSA Emeritus Professor and child protection expert, Freda Briggs, has asked Families Minister Jennifer Rankine to launch an inquiry into one case in which a woman's complaint was dismissed after an assessor found her two then-pre-school-aged children were "psychic" and had read the mother's mind when she thought about the father abusing them.
Professor Briggs said the treatment of the mother - a social worker trained in reporting abuse and who by law must report it as part of her profession - was increasingly common.
She said she asked for an inquiry into Families SA's handling of the ongoing matter, which dates back to 2008, because of inconsistencies in the case involving the social worker mother, who cannot be identified. Other alleged inconsistencies include:
CCTV footage showing the children's claims against the father and highly sexualised behaviour of the older child.
FOUR psychiatrists contradicted a Families SA finding the mother is mentally ill.
AN unqualified assessor found the mother was mentally ill, which was accepted by Families SA.
LINKS between the father's family and court officials.
FAILURE by Families SA to have the children's injuries assessed because it would be too stressful for them.
AN unqualified police officer decided injuries to the older child were caused by constipation.
Professor Briggs said the trend began when under the Howard government court rules were changed to give fathers greater custody of children, criticised by some children's advocates who argue some were delivered into the hands of their abusers. "This case is typical of what I'm getting when the mother reports child sex abuse, they say she has imagined abuse and convinces the child that s/he is abused when s/he isn't," Professor Briggs said.
The Advertiser's request for a response was rejected by a Families SA spokeswoman, who said its procedures were cleared by the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Many speak for justice, but few have the courage to face down the devil in its name (Garvin County, Oklahoma)
Susan Murphy Milano is one of my personal heroes, so I'm happy to forward this media release to Dastardly readers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Many speak for justice, but few have the courage to face down the devil in its name.
October 15, 2010 National USA……With the arrival in Oklahoma of nationally-known author, media personality and activist, Susan Murphy Milano, there begins the process of shedding more light on some of Oklahoma's darkest secrets. For years, families have struggled in this State with a "good ole boy" system that delivered not justice, but cold justice.
The families affected by this system of justice in Garvin County, Oklahoma have called on Murphy Milano to help them bring national attention to the alleged corruption surrounding several cases of possible murder that have been covered up or improperly investigated by those sworn into positions of authority.
The climate is quite hostile and the safety of those speaking out has been threatened.
According to Attorney Jaye Mendros, “When a murder is covered up, or inadequately investigated, and an erroneous cause or manner of death determination is made by a good ole' boy who is NOT a physician, the Medical Examiner’s Office should NOT turn a blind eye and rubber stamp that determination.”
With the help of Oklahoma City attorney, Jaye Mendros, and Justice for the Dead, along with grass roots organization, The Eleventh Commandment, and the families of Chanda Turner, Sheila Deviney, Tom Horton, and others, they hope to illuminate the overwhelming evidence and bring justice to those who have gone without it for too long.
This corruption begs for national attention from major news networks. In an upcoming election is a Sheriff who was present at each of these death scenes.
Does Garvin County, Oklahoma want more of the same?
For more information:
http://murphymilanojournal.com/
http://theeleventhcommadment.org/
http://justiceforthedead.com/
###
Contact: ImaginePublicity 843.808.0859 (email) http://us.mc654.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=contact@imaginepublicity.comhttp://www.imaginepublicity.com/-- ImaginePublicitymarketing.promotions.publicityhttp://www.imaginepublicity.com/843.808.0859
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Many speak for justice, but few have the courage to face down the devil in its name.
October 15, 2010 National USA……With the arrival in Oklahoma of nationally-known author, media personality and activist, Susan Murphy Milano, there begins the process of shedding more light on some of Oklahoma's darkest secrets. For years, families have struggled in this State with a "good ole boy" system that delivered not justice, but cold justice.
The families affected by this system of justice in Garvin County, Oklahoma have called on Murphy Milano to help them bring national attention to the alleged corruption surrounding several cases of possible murder that have been covered up or improperly investigated by those sworn into positions of authority.
The climate is quite hostile and the safety of those speaking out has been threatened.
According to Attorney Jaye Mendros, “When a murder is covered up, or inadequately investigated, and an erroneous cause or manner of death determination is made by a good ole' boy who is NOT a physician, the Medical Examiner’s Office should NOT turn a blind eye and rubber stamp that determination.”
With the help of Oklahoma City attorney, Jaye Mendros, and Justice for the Dead, along with grass roots organization, The Eleventh Commandment, and the families of Chanda Turner, Sheila Deviney, Tom Horton, and others, they hope to illuminate the overwhelming evidence and bring justice to those who have gone without it for too long.
This corruption begs for national attention from major news networks. In an upcoming election is a Sheriff who was present at each of these death scenes.
Does Garvin County, Oklahoma want more of the same?
For more information:
http://murphymilanojournal.com/
http://theeleventhcommadment.org/
http://justiceforthedead.com/
###
Contact: ImaginePublicity 843.808.0859 (email) http://us.mc654.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=contact@imaginepublicity.comhttp://www.imaginepublicity.com/-- ImaginePublicitymarketing.promotions.publicityhttp://www.imaginepublicity.com/843.808.0859
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Auditor, Judicial Council spar over family courts audit (Sacramento, California)
Interesting problem here. When you're trying to do a state audit and the client refuses to hand over the required data, what do you do? One would suppose you would go to court. But what do you do if the client IS a court? Specifically the family courts of Marin and Sacramento Counties, which have been suspected of all kinds of financial double dealing, insider referrals, and general shenanigans for years. It seems pretty clear that what these courts are doing is something called stonewalling. I don't suppose they have anything to hide, do they?
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yr7vxhlwzi1xg1&xid=yr62vf6nkox10b&done=.yr7vxhlwzipxg1
Auditor, Judicial Council spar over family courts audit
By Malcolm Maclachlan 04/08/10 12:00 AM PST
State Auditor Elaine Howell and the Judicial Council of California continue to battle over her request for a wide range of documents she said she needs to conduct a legislatively-mandated audit of family courts.
The two offices have been in contact since last July, when the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) unanimously approved a request to audit the family courts in Marin and Sacramento Counties. The audit was requested by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, after numerous allegations of conflict of interests and other problems in those jurisdictions.
This correspondence became an open dispute last month, when the Bureau of State Audits threatened to subpoena documents it says it needs to complete the audit. This came in a March 18 letter from Sharon Reilly, chief legal counsel for the auditor’s office, who gave the Judicial Council a deadline of Monday, April 5.
The reply did come by the deadline. But the response from Mary Roberts, general counsel for the Judicial Council, continued to challenge many of the auditor’s requests. Roberts letter contends that the auditor is asking for “confidential/sealed documents” such as “criminal history reports, fee waivers, psychological reports” and similar documents.
“To be clear, the courts are not opposed to providing the bureau access to all individuals and records ‘necessary for the completion of this audit.’ Moreover, the courts have never opposed such access,” Roberts wrote, but said that they “must first give reasonable notice to the parties involved.”
“We’re trying to work it out with the auditor how much they åreally need,” said Judicial Council spokesman Philip Carrizosa.
According to Sacramento Superior Court Judge Eugene Balonon, who oversaw the Sacramento family courts for all ofå 2009 as part of a standard judicial rotation, notification would not be a very labor intensive process. The auditor would only be reviewing a sample set of cases, and it would merely be a matter of using an automated system to send out form letters to the people involved.
This notification, however, does raise the possibility that some people would object to their information being shared—and might attempt to take legal action to prevent it.
“That would be up to them,” Balonon said. “We’ve not going to give them any legal advice. All we want to do is make sure people know their confidential records are being accessed, and not by a judge. Our own court staff cannot even look at those documents.”
According to Roberts letter, the Judicial Council and the Auditor’s office have been arguing since at least November whether these kinds of documents were even necessary for the audit.
She continued, “None of these documents appears necessary or relevant to the completion of the audit inasmuch as they are in no way related to the process the court uses for court appointments.”
These “court appointments” are at the heart of the original audit request. The audit effort was pushed by a Marin-based group called the Center for Judicial Excellence (CJE). Their critique of the family courts claims that judges, attorneys and court-mandated specialists such as child psychologists have become overly friendly in these counties and a few others—with high-priced, court-mandated evaluation contracts being given favored to people. The CJE has also alleged that the high cost of these specialists and other aspects of family courts favor more well-off litigants.
Kathleen Russell, a consultant with the CJE, said the documents the Judicial Council is arguing are unnecessary could be very relevant in proving these allegations. She also noted that no confidential information would be in the auditor’s report.
“Innocent children’s health and safety is at stake here, and nine months later, the AOC [Administrative Office of the Courts, which oversees the Judicial Council] is still dragging its feet,” said Russell. “The California Judiciary has operated in the dark for decades, so the notion of transparency is pretty new to them. We applaud the auditor for not backing down from the courts’ stonewalling.”
According to Howle’s office, they’re still determining their next move. Leno said that he and the auditor do want to protect confidential litigant information, especially related to cases that are still open. But Leno also said that Judicial Council letter acknowledged the broad powers that auditor has to require disclosure.
“At this point we just have to be patient and await the determination of the auditor and her legal counsel,” Leno said. “The audit will be conducted, and on the terms of the auditor.”
The Auditor’s office is also set to begin another audit involving the courts this month. On Feb. 18, JLAC approved a request to audit the California Case Management System. CCMS, as it is known, is a new computer system designed to track court records. Its goal is to standardize court records while protecting confidential data and streamlining record retrieval.
The original price estimate for the system was $260 million back in 2004. But CCMS’s cost has skyrocketed, to $1.7 billion. The State’s Chief Information Officer, Teri Takai, has also conducted an audit on the system. Those results are due within the next two weeks.
At their April 23rd meeting, the Judicial Council will also hear results from yet another look into the court system. The Elkins Family Law Task Force will present findings of review of family courts that began when they were seated back in May 2008 to “conduct a comprehensive review of family law proceedings,” according to the Judicial Council website.
The Task Force has gathered testimony on problems with the family courts at numerous meetings around the state. It has also become a focal point for many groups that have been critical of the family courts in California, often pitting organizations representing battered women against father’s rights groups.
http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=yr7vxhlwzi1xg1&xid=yr62vf6nkox10b&done=.yr7vxhlwzipxg1
Auditor, Judicial Council spar over family courts audit
By Malcolm Maclachlan 04/08/10 12:00 AM PST
State Auditor Elaine Howell and the Judicial Council of California continue to battle over her request for a wide range of documents she said she needs to conduct a legislatively-mandated audit of family courts.
The two offices have been in contact since last July, when the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) unanimously approved a request to audit the family courts in Marin and Sacramento Counties. The audit was requested by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, after numerous allegations of conflict of interests and other problems in those jurisdictions.
This correspondence became an open dispute last month, when the Bureau of State Audits threatened to subpoena documents it says it needs to complete the audit. This came in a March 18 letter from Sharon Reilly, chief legal counsel for the auditor’s office, who gave the Judicial Council a deadline of Monday, April 5.
The reply did come by the deadline. But the response from Mary Roberts, general counsel for the Judicial Council, continued to challenge many of the auditor’s requests. Roberts letter contends that the auditor is asking for “confidential/sealed documents” such as “criminal history reports, fee waivers, psychological reports” and similar documents.
“To be clear, the courts are not opposed to providing the bureau access to all individuals and records ‘necessary for the completion of this audit.’ Moreover, the courts have never opposed such access,” Roberts wrote, but said that they “must first give reasonable notice to the parties involved.”
“We’re trying to work it out with the auditor how much they åreally need,” said Judicial Council spokesman Philip Carrizosa.
According to Sacramento Superior Court Judge Eugene Balonon, who oversaw the Sacramento family courts for all ofå 2009 as part of a standard judicial rotation, notification would not be a very labor intensive process. The auditor would only be reviewing a sample set of cases, and it would merely be a matter of using an automated system to send out form letters to the people involved.
This notification, however, does raise the possibility that some people would object to their information being shared—and might attempt to take legal action to prevent it.
“That would be up to them,” Balonon said. “We’ve not going to give them any legal advice. All we want to do is make sure people know their confidential records are being accessed, and not by a judge. Our own court staff cannot even look at those documents.”
According to Roberts letter, the Judicial Council and the Auditor’s office have been arguing since at least November whether these kinds of documents were even necessary for the audit.
She continued, “None of these documents appears necessary or relevant to the completion of the audit inasmuch as they are in no way related to the process the court uses for court appointments.”
These “court appointments” are at the heart of the original audit request. The audit effort was pushed by a Marin-based group called the Center for Judicial Excellence (CJE). Their critique of the family courts claims that judges, attorneys and court-mandated specialists such as child psychologists have become overly friendly in these counties and a few others—with high-priced, court-mandated evaluation contracts being given favored to people. The CJE has also alleged that the high cost of these specialists and other aspects of family courts favor more well-off litigants.
Kathleen Russell, a consultant with the CJE, said the documents the Judicial Council is arguing are unnecessary could be very relevant in proving these allegations. She also noted that no confidential information would be in the auditor’s report.
“Innocent children’s health and safety is at stake here, and nine months later, the AOC [Administrative Office of the Courts, which oversees the Judicial Council] is still dragging its feet,” said Russell. “The California Judiciary has operated in the dark for decades, so the notion of transparency is pretty new to them. We applaud the auditor for not backing down from the courts’ stonewalling.”
According to Howle’s office, they’re still determining their next move. Leno said that he and the auditor do want to protect confidential litigant information, especially related to cases that are still open. But Leno also said that Judicial Council letter acknowledged the broad powers that auditor has to require disclosure.
“At this point we just have to be patient and await the determination of the auditor and her legal counsel,” Leno said. “The audit will be conducted, and on the terms of the auditor.”
The Auditor’s office is also set to begin another audit involving the courts this month. On Feb. 18, JLAC approved a request to audit the California Case Management System. CCMS, as it is known, is a new computer system designed to track court records. Its goal is to standardize court records while protecting confidential data and streamlining record retrieval.
The original price estimate for the system was $260 million back in 2004. But CCMS’s cost has skyrocketed, to $1.7 billion. The State’s Chief Information Officer, Teri Takai, has also conducted an audit on the system. Those results are due within the next two weeks.
At their April 23rd meeting, the Judicial Council will also hear results from yet another look into the court system. The Elkins Family Law Task Force will present findings of review of family courts that began when they were seated back in May 2008 to “conduct a comprehensive review of family law proceedings,” according to the Judicial Council website.
The Task Force has gathered testimony on problems with the family courts at numerous meetings around the state. It has also become a focal point for many groups that have been critical of the family courts in California, often pitting organizations representing battered women against father’s rights groups.
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