Barbara C. Johnson appeared on Get Your Justice Live, Sunday May 25, 2008, to discuss an ongoing series of cases associated with the Massachusetts Board Bar Overseers. Barbara Johnson is author of www.falseallegations.com as well as a candidate in the 2002 Gubernatorial Campaign in Massachusetts. Many people remember that her candidacy was the only one associated with court reform, removing judicial immunity, as well as having a big red firetruck in the race. Barb Johnson states "we put over 5000 miles on that truck in one month!"
The ongoing court battles between the State Bar (BBO) and Barbara Johnson is chronicled in a series of online postings known as the "Drano Series" at http://www.falseallegations.com. The appropriate court headings are Barb vs. BBO and BBO vs. Barb.
A popular quote comes to mind when I think of Barbara Johnson's campaign against the Judiciary by George Orwell (Author of 1984). In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. Despite the attacks from the State Bar (BBO) she continues to advocate for court reform as well as reclaim her law license even at today's age of 73!
The Detroit News interviewed Beverly Morris, Founder of NANCM, and was told that there are over 4 MILLION Non-Custodial Mothers throughout the United States. This fact was not well-represented in the above referenced story, and I think for good reason. The reality is that the statements made by the opposition of equal rights for children to access both parents absent a strong reason to the contrary would have been obliterated with the exposed reality that all of these non-custodial mothers think that Equal Parenting should be the norm, not the exception.
The Court has no clothes and if you missed the live episode of Get Your Justice Live last Wednesday, you can listen to it right here by clicking Play on the below player.
Spread the word and help make this year's events, like the Equal Parenting Bike Trek a success by posting the information to media sources around the nation! Let everyone know that this affects everyone! Together, MOTHERS, FATHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS, AUNTS, UNCLES, AND COUSINS can all make a difference for our Nation's children and families.
UPDATE!!! The Equal Parenting Bike Trek will be received by the National DC FESTIVAL 2008 at Upper Senate Park in Washington DC on August 15 and 16 (2008)
Robert Pedersen is highlighted in this FRONT PAGE article covering the Equal Parenting Bike Trek and Equal Parenting in the State of Michigan. Read below the picture for links to participate in the discussion and to see one of the comments that I have left. Robert Pedersen also made a brief appearance on Sunday Night's Get Your Justice Live which you can listen to by pressing play on the player below.
Robert Pedersen plans to ride his bike from Lansing to Washington D.C. with five other supporters of Equal Parenting. View more about Mr. Pedersen at www.daddyblogger.com
The Court has no clothes, and are completely exposed in this article and with the numerous commenters that have already participated. Don't be left out.
My comment: Equal is as Equal Does
I am a producer and host of an online talk show called "Get Off The
Bench" where we have men and women join in and tell us what they
experience in the family court system. Although it is a national show,
with participants spanning every state in the United States, we have a
great deal of participation from Michigan. When I read this article I
was thankful of Michigan largest newspaper covering the single most
important topic that is affecting our economy, our communities, and our
government.
"They have always had more time and money to lobby lawmakers, while
mothers tend to devote their time to raising the children, she said."
The above is factually untrue. It shows time and time again that one
of the key reasons that a single-parent fights is over control and
money, not the best interests of the children. (The type of conflict
caused by an adversarial system promotes the same conflict that likely
resulted in the separation of the parents.) Somehow policy got skewed
where the best interests of a single-parent is the best interests of
the child. The adverse is the truth, single-parent households are the
WORST for children.
Of all of the child abuse and neglect to occur against a child it is
first by a biological Mom's live-in male roommate and seconded by the
biological mom. Removing Dads or excluding Dads not only removes the
primary protector of the children from their lives, but also
unfortunately excludes all of the secondary protectors, including
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Michigan ranks last in undistributed collected child support money,
so Michigan enjoys the current high-conflict legal system that pits
parent against parent. In fact, 56 Million Dollars were collected by
Michigan and not distributed. According to law, if they get away with
it for 1-year, Michigan keeps the money. On the other hand, Michigan
claims to have distributed just over 30 Million to actual needy
families. This is a horrible track record for our State.
Children should never be a source of income for our State or
conflicting parents. It produces incentive to fight instead of get
along. We have a situation now to correct many of the problems with the
family law system and it begins by reinstating the value of both
parents not undermine it. We will see our economy, communities, and
government prosper from only dabbling in cases that meet a threshold of
interference. It has been proven time and time again that government
was never meant to handle everything, only certain things. Let fit,
willing, and caring parents equally enjoy their children and focus on
those families that truly need help.
Listen to Wednesday's Episode: Judge Orders Man to Jail After His Adult Daugther Fails to Get GED
There was a call, leading up to Brian Gegner's Motion for Reconsideration on Friday, for nationwide protests from men and women around the country. Phone calls were made and several news outlets picked up the story, all indicating how outrageous of an order that was issued against the parent. Keith Owen of Families 4 Justice (F4J) indicated that "three representatives from our organization appeared for a small demonstration in front of the Juvenile Justice Center which made alot of employees give us the evil eye. I don't think government is used to citizens speaking out against bad family court policy."
The positive news is that Brian Gegner has been released from jail and the remaining balance of his ridiculous sentence was suspended as long as his daughter remains in the program to get her GED. The ruling again, bases Brian Gegner's freedom on someone else's performance which I certainly disagree with, but at this point the court is probably trying to save face at this point for the bad publicity that has been generated. Hopefully Brian Gegner joins the ranks of court reform to prevent unnecessary intrusion into other parents' lives.
For those of you familiar with other campaigns in the Butler, Ohio area... this should be a great reminder:
It is looking about time for Cynthia Brown and several of her co-workers to probably find new jobs. Hopefully she and several of her co-workers are some of the 20 layoffs that are coming down the pipe with Butler County Government looking to consolidate several of their bloated "agencies."
No less than one hundred news reports, not including blogger redistribution, report that Anne Heche has run out of money and can't pay her $14798.00 monthly payments. After a review of the legal documents it would appear that her former husband under Case No. BD 459 638 filed an Ex Parte Petition and Order to Show Cause against Anne Heche. A copy of the order after the ex parte hearing is found here.(31 pages)
A judge ruled she would not have to pay the July payment to ex-husband
Coley Laffoon, but Superior Court Judge Gail Ruderman Feuer ordered her
to provide updated income and expense information as soon as she had it.
Most individuals faced with such circumstances would be accused of not prioritizing their income correctly. However she has received a lucky break when it comes to the draconian family court system.
She adds in the court papers: “I do receive some residuals from previous acting work. However, the amounts are nominal and are offset by recurring business expenses that must be paid whether or not I am working.”
Amazingly, most average people wish they could get a temporary break from spousal or child support as a result of their unemployment. Often times regular folks are running into obstacles from judges and child support enforcement angencies, anxious to keep enforcement actions pending against individuals in an effort to continue revenue for the local and state government flooding in from the federal government. For every enforcement action taken against a debtor that costs a dollar, two more federal dollars stream in from the federal government.
A judge on Wednesday gave her a temporary break, saying she didn't have to pay her next support payment to her ex-husband Coley Laffoon, 34, covering the month of July. But Superior Court Judge Gail Ruderman Feuer ordered the actress to provide updated income and expense information, People reported.
The entire docket in the case is available online through the County of Los Angeles Online Civil Docket application.
Case Number: BD459638 COLEMAN LAFFOON VS ANNE HECHE
Filing Date: 02/01/2007 Case Type: Dissolution of Marriage (General Jurisdiction) Status: Pending
Future Hearings
05/21/2008 at 08:30 AM in department CE67 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 OSC-Modification
07/02/2008 at 08:30 AM in department CE67 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 OSC-Modification
This case will prove to be interesting and a great example of what type of conflicts continue to congest our legal system. These family court cases flood our courtrooms by allowing parties to continue fighting over money, children, and property. Our current adversarial system makes little sense because the fights are typically over the same thing that led to the initial dissolution.
An interesting blog popped up at the Detroit News Today on May 12, 2008. The title, Make Every Day Mother's Day, was an example for the State of Michigan to Follow. Follow the link to post your own comments at the Detroit News. Below is my comment.
I enjoyed reading the most recent writings of Robert Pederson on the Detroit News. I found that the writing was a great example of focusing on the family. I have also found that this is rare in Michigan. Michigan's economy, families, and infrastructure are disintegrating as a direct result of Michigan's neglect toward the family.
Increasing financial subsidies for split households only encourages more of that which is rewarded. Tailoring programs and Michigan's growing bureaucracies to require parents to work together to raise children either in the same home or separate homes will do wonders for our next generation.
Respecting the family means respecting our spouses, our children, and the role of government in correcting problems instead of treating symptoms that allow for festering wounds that just get more infected. Thanks for taking the time to focus on the family Robert.
I hope the State of Michigan starts to catch on before there is no infrastructure, families, or capital left in this state to invest for a future for our children.
What good is an order like the one described below for society? Removing Judge David Niehaus should be a high priority, especially since both the mother and the daughter came forward and claimed responsibility for the daughter not receiving her GED. Further, the father has no ability to purge himself based on his OWN ACTS, it is contingent on SOMEONE ELSE'S PERFORMANCE. The order is blatantly unenforceable as it is written.
Judge Orders Man to Jail After Adult Daughter Fails to Get a GED; Sparks Call for National Protest by Both Men and Women
The California Alliance for Families and Children (“CAFC”) today called for a national protest by both men and woman over an Ohio judge’s order to jail a father for 180 days, because his daughter did not get her General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
Michael Robinson, Executive Director of CAFC, said, “This is one of the most outrageous court rulings we have seen in a long time – and that’s saying something. Under the judge's logic, more than a million men and woman alike -- who are parents of high school dropouts -- should all be put in jail. This judge is out of control, and should be immediately removed from this case.”
Butler County Juvenile Court Judge David Niehaus ordered Brian Gegner to jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor by not following a court order, an order which required Gegner to be sure that his daughter got her GED. While the father had technical custody, the daughter actually lived with her mother while she was truant from school.
ABC station WPCO reported that the daughter, Brittany Gegner -- who is now 18 -- says the order is “ridiculously wrong,” adding that if anyone should go to jail, she should and not her dad. Brittany was quoted: "I'm about to be 19 and my Dad's being punished for something I did when I was 16," she said. "I would way rather me go to jail than my Dad."
Her mother also volunteered to go to jail. "They probably should have punished me if they were going to punish
anybody," said Brittany's mother, Shana Roach. "Because she did live with me at the time, but because he had the custody, that's why he's being punished." "But I don't understand the punishment all together, because she's going to school, she's been going for four months," said Roach. "The only thing that's holding her back is she can't pass her math test."
Society has done a wonderful job at claiming that "child support" is a special kind of "debt." Society has also done a wonderful job in convincing the public that people sentenced for owing debt to prisons nationwide is a good thing. Where is the societal value in placing a 51-year old man in PRISON for years on a debt that is likely going to cause a significant recitivism rate, especially since once this man gets out his employment is likely going to be minimum wage work? Who is really penalized by this? The taxpayers are penalized more than anyone, as well as this man's children.
The child support enforcement program was intended to pay back the federal government for welfare payments they were making to the States to operate their social welfare programs. What is odd, is that the program has morphed into a cumbersome and bloated bureucratic machine that doesn't benefit society, only those that are directly employed by the system. If anything, the programs are encouraging more out of wedlock births, more fights over money, and more dissolutions of marriage because it is now financially beneficial to separate. The government is simply glorifying the bad behaviors of society while punishing the tax payer. Read the below article and tell me where the value to society is.
A 51-year-old Kosciusko man was sentenced to 10 years in prison with eight suspended and ordered to pay $68,215.87 in back child support. [This man will likely no longer be as marketable when he gets out of prison, therefore reducing his earnings potential and contribution to society dramatically.]
Dennis Kern was sentenced Wednesday, April 30, by Oktibbeha County Circuit Court Judge Lee Howard on charges of refusing to provide for the support and maintenance of his children.
The case was prosecuted by Mississippi's attorney general. [This AG should have been focusing on serious crimes.]
The court ordered Kern to start paying the owed child support payments 60 days after his release from prison. [Unlikely because most employers will not want ex-cons working for them.]
He will be on supervised probation once he's out. [More Fees for the System]
