I need to vent or I am going to go insane.

[Lyric]

There is a travesty of justice going on, regarding one of my family members, and I am in a RAGE of helplessness and anger over it. Our local family court judge is letting a psychotic woman take my sister's kids, for NO reason other than her own word that my sister allegedly told her that "she didn't want the kids", which is BULLSHIT because my sister has spent the past 8 months fighting this woman like a wildcat in the courts, trying to keep her from stealing the kids! The judge is either insane, evil, or a complete fucking MORON. Seriously! He *knows* my sister spent 8 months fighting this crazy woman for her kids, he KNOWS that the previous case was closed only 2 weeks ago when CPS found no wrongdoing on my sister's part, so why the hell would he ever believe that my sister would SAY something like that!

This is the same judge that has habitually taken the word of a psycho as FACT, without even hearing anyone else's side of the case. He declared my sister an "unfit mother" right in open court, and had never even HEARD her testimony! The same judge that held a hearing over this matter without informing my sister beforehand (she got her summons papers that evening, 4 hours too late to attend!) This woman (my sister's mother-in-law) can LIE and LIE and LIE, and no matter how many times we prove her wrong, he KEEPS BELIEVING HER! The kids are so traumatized that I'll be surprised if they don't need therapy for the next 10 years!

My sister is low-income and cannot afford to keep paying her attorney. Her mother-in-law is wealthy, and can afford to keep dragging this out and re-filing case after case after case until she breaks my sister completely, and I want to scream and break things because there is NOTHING I can do about it.

Is this what our justice system has degraded to?? That the rich can buy other people's kids, and the family courts act as the goddamned auctioneers?? My sister has done NOTHING wrong--the accusations against her are lies, horrible lies that we could prove if the judge would just listen, but he keeps taking the mother-in-law's word as proven fact, and he refuses to listen, and I do not know what else to do.

My sister is on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and if she collapses from the strain, that evil woman will just use it as one more piece of "evidence" that she's an unfit mother, and I just don't know how to help her. I'm crying my eyes out right now. :cry: :cry: :cry:

Edit: I should likely mention that my sister's husband is deceased, and this is HIS mother. She has literally gone insane from the grief of losing him (heart attack) and is trying to console herself for the awful way she treated him by taking his kids and raising them as her own. Also, the mother-in-law is black, my sister is white, and although only one of the kids is biracial, both of them were my brother-in-law's legal children (he adopted the oldest one).

[stuntcat]

1. :hug: What's eff'ed up more than anything

is that money is what's really the decider. It's also a shame that she's taken it to court over and over for custody.. the poor kids.. do they know all that's going on? How much will she get to be with them and how will that work, everyone evil-eyeing each other and whispering?? That's crap. And will the kids have to pack up and move?

You're a good sister, I mean even if all you can do is listen and cry.. this is how families should act, not fight in courts.

:hug:

[Lyric]

2. No, it's truly unbelievable.

According to my sister's attorney, she's *never* seen a judge behave this way. My sister's CPS caseworkers have come right out and told him that there is *nothing* wrong with my sister, and that the accusations against her were investigated and shown to be without merit, and he's even ignoring THEM! My sister's lawyer is just flabbergasted. None of us can figure out what the hell this guy this thinking. According to the lawyer, yesterday he imposed restrictions that she's NEVER seen imposed unless the kids involved were being horrifically abused--he gave temp. custody to the mother-in-law until December of this year--6 months!, and ordered NO visitation and NO phone calls for my sister. It's just outrageous. I know most folks would read this and think to themselves... "But she must have done SOMETHING to deserve that", but I swear on everything I hold dear that this is all completely fabricated! I'm still having trouble believing it could even HAPPEN. It's like waking up in the Twilight Zone.

It AMAZES me how much you can wreak havoc on someone else's life when you have deep pockets, the ability to fearlessly perjure yourself on the witness stand, and a judge who takes every word you say as 100% fact without even considering otherwise. He also made some comment about how my sister should be "grateful" that her mother-in-law was taking the kids. WTF? :nuke: We're just speculating at this point, because he won't explain himself at all, but we think he might be pissed off because he's the one who initially took her kids away last year, and another judge reversed his order and gave them back, as well as publicly saying that the first judge had made a mistake. Apparently there's some bad blood there, but we don't know the details.

The lawyer is going to try and get this judge to recuse himself. Family Court judges do NOT ignore the recommendations of Child Protective Services, much less try to circumvent the orders of another judge for no better reason than spite. It's just unheard of, and yet that's exactly what he's doing.

[idgiehkt]

4. hmmm

"WTF? We're just speculating at this point, because he won't explain himself at all, but we think he might be pissed off because he's the one who initially took her kids away last year, and another judge reversed his order and gave them back, as well as publicly saying that the first judge had made a mistake. Apparently there's some bad blood there, but we don't know the details."

sounds about right. That is permanent public record, looks bad on him.

"The lawyer is going to try and get this judge to recuse himself. Family Court judges do NOT ignore the recommendations of Child Protective Services, much less try to circumvent the orders of another judge for no better reason than spite. It's just unheard of, and yet that's exactly what he's doing. "

People do all kinds of nasty, trifling things out of spite. You'd be surprised...or maybe not, after this. It sounds to me like the lawyer knows what is going on and is on the right path. Best of luck to you.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. That story is just nuts.

The judge needs a spanking. The mother-in-law needs a shrink. Chances are very good that those kids will come to despise her for this action.

I truly hate family traumas like this. No one comes out unscathed. I hope that your sister's lawyer is effective in his efforts and that when your sister gets custody again that she and m-i-l can find a way to make peace for the sake of the kids.

[stuntcat]

7. omg the judge's ego-trip from before..

that's totally got some part in it.
This is such bullshit, that lady is just wrecking the family. And in the long run will she do such a great job with them, will they be happier with her?
I hope something good can come out of all this in the end, I'm so sad for your sister :grouphug: :hug:

[pitohui]

9. don't you think the judge is being paid off?

maybe i have lived in louisiana too long but when i hear a story this hinky, i don't assume the judge has a brain tumor, i assume the judge has received title to the mom-in-law's house or some other valuable

what a terrible experience for your sister and the kids, i don't know what to say or suggest

:hug:

[idgiehkt]

11. I wanted to say something like that as well

but I don't know much about that behind the scenes stuff. Wow. Completely believable, perhaps mom is banging him in chambers or something. :shrug:

[Lyric]

3. Oh--and thank you

It meant the world to me that you cared enough to reach out when I'm torn apart like this. :hug:

[Inchworm]

5. That is a crock

:hug:

It totally sucks when judges decide based on their assumptions let alone assumptions created by a crazy person. It really sucks when the crazy person is believed in all the lies and no one can say anything to the judge to make him/her realize. :(

I am so sorry that you, your sister, and the children are going through this. :hug:

It's just not fair.

:cry:

[Guava Jelly]

8. vent away

:hug: I'm sorry green eyes :hug:

[MichiganVote]

10. Welcome to CPS. Most worthless government entity we have.

Let me explain something to you. In some areas, too many areas, the family court and CPS are politically and philosophically incestuos. Coupled with attorneys and guardian ad litums, CASA workers and extremely poor so called social workers (most of them aren't even degreed)....and you can be a in a boatload of trouble.

If you're a single female, white or black, your kids are preschool or early elementary age---you can be a target of one of the groups above. Seen it, heard it, fought against it...these peopel view themselves as mini societal gods and they make life a living hell.

Good luck and be prepared for a long ass fight.

[Lyric]

15. This time CPS is actually on our side.

My sister's caseworkers know full well that she's not guilty of any wrongdoing--heck, they just gave her the kids back a couple of weeks ago, and have been keeping up with her, making sure that everything is going okay. Her CPS caseworkers have tried appealing to this idiotic Family Court judge, and he has completely ignored their recommendations to give the boys back to their mother. The kids' own Guardian Ad Litem attorney advises giving them back to their mother. Hell, EVERYONE is telling him that he's wrong on this one, and the man will NOT listen. It's enough to make me blow my top in frustration.

We can only hope one of the higher judges steps in again. This guy needs to be taken down a few pegs. What a freaking EGO. :mad:

[MichiganVote]

22. Then it sounds to me that there is either a conflict of interest going on

or the judge is being bribed. Your sister/attorneys can petition to have a judge removed from her case but not w/o proof. Dig deep.

[idgiehkt]

27. amen

:thumbsup:

[SeattleGirl]

12. Jeebus, but this is totally fucked up!

The judge obviously doesn't care about the kids; and he is unabashedly prejudiced against your sister. You mentioned that another judge had overturned his previous ruling, giving the kids to the MIL. Is your sister appealing this decision too? Seems it could again be overturned.

Also, is there any way a formal complaint could be lodged against this judge? I'm not sure where such a complaint could be filed, but something has to be done here. This is so horribly horribly wrong.

I'm so sorry for your sister and the children

:grouphug:

[Lyric]

13. We're working on it, but

it takes time, and it's upsetting that the kids have to be put through this again and again and again. The first time this judge took my nephews and gave them to their grandmother, another judge reversed his ruling after a lengthy investigation which proved beyond a doubt that the allegations were untrue. It took *months* to accomplish this, and the kids had only recently be reunited with my sister. Apparently this didn't sit well with the first judge; he was basically chastened right in open court by the second judge when he reversed the ruling, saying that the whole thing "should never have happened" and he "didn't know what Judge C*******r was thinking" when he took them the first time. The grandmother was PO'd because she lost the case, obviously.

So when they gave my sis the kids back, my sister decided that since the boys are small (3 and 5 years old) and had been living with the grandmother for months, it would probably be in their best interests to let them spend time with her for the first few weeks they were home--lessening the trauma of switching homes yet again. She dropped the boys off for their scheduled overnight visit, and went to work. The next day, the grandmother failed to bring the boys back like she was supposed to. My sister called and called, but nobody answered. Nobody was at home when she drove by. Later that evening, my sister was served with papers. Apparently, the grandmother had run to the courthouse the *minute* that my sister dropped the boys off, and gotten a temporary custody order put in place *again*, accusing my sister of "putting them in danger" (we still don't know the specifics of that). The asshole judge held a court hearing THAT DAY, within hours, and the grandmother testified on the stand that my sister had told her on the phone that she "didn't want the kids". This is pure, 100% fabrication, as is the made-up story that the kids were somehow in danger. Anyway, Judge C*******r decided to not only grant her temporary custody, but to grant it for SIX MONTHS, and to specifically disallow any phone calls or visits for my sister! My sister didn't even know there *was* a court hearing until 4 hours after it had already been held, when she received a summons. That alone is just infuriating!

My sister desperately wants to pursue action against both the judge and the grandmother, but she's running out of cash to pay the lawyer, and Legal Aid will not cover this stuff--I don't know why. The fact is that my sister is being harassed in an extreme manner, and the judge is blatantly misconducting himself--we suspect because he's still angry that his first order was reversed and he was made to look like an idiot. I don't understand why he thinks making the same mistake a second time is going to make him look smarter, but at least the bias is so blatant this time that he might actually find himself being censured over it. We shall see. *sigh*

[SeattleGirl]

16. I hate it when people use children to punish another adult, as your

sister's MIL is obviously doing. How in the hell does that say "care" and "love" to the children? And the thought of your sister losing the children because she isn't rich is truly horrendous (and I know this happens to many. many people in all kinds of situations). I am so, so sorry this situation is happening in your family.

One thing that your sister might try, if she hasn't already, is write to the governor. In my field of work (I'm a vocational rehab counselor, and get referrals from the state dept. of Labor & Industries), if an injured worker feels they are not being treated fairly, they will sometimes write to the Governor, particularly if the problem is with the state, and believe me, they get paid attention to, and action gets taken. Again, I don't know if that will work here, but it might be worth a try. Just a thought.

[Lyric]

18. Actually, that is a terrific idea!

I hadn't thought of that. I'm going to call her right now and get her to come over here so we can work on it. Thank you for the suggestion!

[SeattleGirl]

24. Good. I'd like to know what the result is, if you feel like sharing it.

:hi:

[treestar]

14. Being a lawyer, and having been in family court, I smell

the usual "how dare they listen to the other side and make a decision other than the one I want?"

The courts are bot wrong for listening to both sides and then making the decision. If it's not the one that one side wants, well, that's because they listened to both sides.

Too many people think family court exists to carry out their personal will.

[Lyric]

20. I fail to see how expecting the justice system to be "just"

is akin to expecting the courts to carry out "our personal will". But hey, whatever.

[idgiehkt]

28. I think grandparents should have some rights, but this is ridiculous

as you shared, this judge has had a ruling of his overturned once before. Something is amiss; were I you or your family I would look for connections between the MIL and the judge...like perhaps might they have been schoolmates back in the day or something, since it is a small town? Something is going on.

[Richard Steele]

17. I'm gonna bite my tongue....

Nothing I can say would really "elevate" the level of discussion, y'know?
I've seen similar things, and I tend to get irrational about them.

I'll just offer this: :hug:

[Lyric]

19. Thank you

:hug: I've been so stressed out over this. My family hasn't ever dealt with this kind of situation before, so we're all just walking around in utter disbelief that such things can happen. :(

[BlueIris]

21. I hate to ask, but are any of the things your sister is accused of

hot button political issues in your area? Could this by why the claims are being given credence by this judge?

[Lyric]

23. We're not even sure what she's being accused of this time.

It's just a vague accusation that she somehow put them "in danger", and that she allegedly told the MIL that she "didn't want the kids anymore". Absolutely ridiculous, considering she'd been fighting like crazy to get them *back* after the last time this happened. I think the MIL just makes this stuff up as she goes along, not caring if it sticks or not, because she can afford to keep going back to court over and over again, and my sister can't. I suspect that her plan is to wear my sis out financially, then pounce again when she can no longer afford a lawyer at all.

The woman is truly mental.

[I Have A Dream]

25. It sounds to me as though her mother-in-law should ultimately be forced...

to pay your sister's attorney fees because, in the end, if there's any justice at all, it will be deemed a frivilous lawsuit.

I'm so sorry that this is happening. I will be sending as many good vibes as I can muster on behalf of your sister and her children. :(

:hug:

[VenusRising]

26. My best friend is going through almost the same thing.

My friend's husband left because he was jealous of his own daughter. He got violent, was using coke, and sleeping with the woman in an apartment downstairs that he got his coke from. Mt friend filed for divorce, but thought that her daughter should be able to see her father. He never saw her. He never called her. Nothing. That was fine with my friend, but she felt sad for her daughter.

Now enter the new wife. She is a young girl and her father is a county commissioner with a lot of connections. The new sife has made it clear that the little girl is her daughter, too, and that the has rights to her. She bleached the girl's hair when she was 4 and had acrylic nails put on her without ever asking my friend. There was a recent incident where my friend went to pick up her daughter and the ex and new wife dragged my friend into the house while she was holding her daughter and proceeded to yell at my friend and even assaulted her. My friend had a tape recorder in her pocket for evidence, and the judge didn't even listen to it. She tried to get the cops on it, but the ex and new wife conveniently were never home to get a statement from. So, nothing has come of it.

This last week, the ex and new wife took the girl without giving notice for their month in the summer. They showed my friend the letter of notice through the window of the car with the little girl inside screaming. They have called CPS on my friend numerous times, and have even taken a 4 year old little girl to the ER for a rape kit to try to prove that my friend is abusing or allowing others to abuse her daughter. The doctor told them that he wouldn't traumatize a child like that when there is no sign it is warranted. My friend only found that out through he attorney talking to CPS about the harassment.

My friend doesn't have any money either. She is barely keeping her head above water, and she still keeps getting screwed over. I am so sorry for your sister. I know exactly how you feel. Just be there for her. Maybe someone at a University close to her in the law department can help her. My friend is in a small town, and there is no law department at that school.

:hug: to you and your sister. Sending good vibes and wishes. :hug:

[SeattleGirl]

29. Aw, geez, VR, another horrible situation.

What in the HELL is the matter with people??? When my ex and I divorced, there was a lot of anger, but we vowed to never EVER use our daughter (who was 2 at the time) to get at the other one, nor would we ever badmouth each other in front of her or to her. We stuck with that (she is now 27, and has told me so). The anger has long since dissipated, but keeping our mouths shut was one of the best things we could have done for her.

Here's a :hug: for you sister and one for you, too. :hug:

[VenusRising]

31. I wish I knew what was wrong with people.

This new wife is just a crazy psychopath.

Thanks for the hugs. I'll pass them along to her. I know she will appreciate them.

:hug:

[Lyric]

30. How awful *hugs*

Please tell your friend that she isn't alone out there. I swear, all of this crap is making me seriously consider going to law school myself, just so I can be a real part of the solution. There must be other families out there who are getting screwed, and it would certainly be a very fulfilling career to help them...

[VenusRising]

32. It gets very frustrating.

Unfortunately, in our cases, it seems to be the judge that is the problem. Maybe you should be a family court judge. :hug:

Tell your sister to hang in there.

:hug::hug: