ALERT REGARDING COMMENTS TO THE TASK FORCE!

For those of you who read my minutes of the meeting for the November 7, 2013, you may have noticed the initial discussion in regard to public comments and how they should be handled. 

 

Judge Weissmuller was concerned that there is a procedure to place those comments on the record. 

 

Rep. Vargas was interested in having all the comments sent to the task force email forwarded to the individual members of the task force. 

 

At the same time, we were alerted as to the task force email address so members of the public can know where to send their comments. That email is as follows:   LDCC@cga.ct.gov.  Any comments not sent to that email address will not be included in the record for the task force.

 

I am aware that we are all eager to support the successful outcome of this task force.  However, I do think that it is important to note that at least three participants of this task force are members of the AFCC, an organization which is known to exploit litigants caught up in long lasting divorce cases. 

 

I would be careful about the comments that you choose to send to the task force email, particularly if you are still involved in litigation or newly coming out of a divorce with a final judgment. 

 

As you know, many of us have faced reprisals and nothing that this task force is doing indicates that there is any sensitivity to that concern.  There is no need to expose yourself or your children to possible hurt or harm which may result if you send in your comments and the word gets out and you experience retaliation. 

 

If  you face possible retaliation, but you still feel that you would like input into the work the task force is doing, I would contact any individual on the task force whom you feel comfortable with.  You can then personally convey your story on an anonymous basis.  It may not end up "on the record" but it can certainly inform the task force member so he or she knows what kinds of concerns to raise and what kinds of questions to ask. 

 

Another option is to explain to that individual task force member why you are afraid to come forward and ask for any suggestions he or she might have.  I think it is important for the task force to succeed, but not at the cost of putting any individual litigant and his or her children at risk. 

 

If you are currently in a position to present your comments and supporting documentation to the task force, I want to thank you in advance for making the effort.  The more information you can provide, the more specific the task force can be when it comes to solving the problems we are having in family court.