For Protective Parents. Your source for news and information on the broken Family Court System in Connecticut. I am NOT an attorney. This blog does not constitute legal advice.
PLEASE NOTE: This blog is a bigotry free zone open to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, political affiliations, marital status, physical or mental disability, age, or sexual orientation. Further, this blog is open to the broad variety of opinions out there and will not delete any comments based upon point of view. However, comments will be deleted if they are worded in an abusive manner and show disrespect for the intellectual process.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Sunday, February 11, 2018
NYAPRS CALL TO ACTION IN DEFENSE OF THE ADA: FIGHT AGAINST H.R. 620!
*NYAPRS **Note: Join us in the fight to defeat H.R. 620 in the House of Representatives by participating in the following Days of Action: *
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*SAVE THE ADA! - 2/8/2018*
Next week, on *Wednesday, February 14 or Thursday, February 15*, the House of Representatives may vote on H.R. 620, a dangerous bill that strips away the civil rights of people with disabilities. *We hope you will join the
disability and civil rights communities to fight this terrible bill.*
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*SAVE THE ADA! - 2/8/2018*
Next week, on *Wednesday, February 14 or Thursday, February 15*, the House of Representatives may vote on H.R. 620, a dangerous bill that strips away the civil rights of people with disabilities. *We hope you will join the
disability and civil rights communities to fight this terrible bill.*
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Friday, February 9, 2018
HEARING ON THE REAPPOINTMENT OF JUDGES, FEBRUARY 16, 2018!
PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA
Friday, February 16, 2018
10:00 AM in Room 1E of the LOB
NOMINATIONS FOR REVIEW
I. To be a Judge of the Superior Court:
1. The Honorable Jon M. Alander of Hamden
2. The Honorable Laura F. Baldini of West Hartford
3. The Honorable James M. Bentivegna of Avon
4. The Honorable Susan Quinn Cobb of West Hartford
5. The Honorable Susan A. Connors of Old Lyme
6. The Honorable John A. Danaher of West Hartford
7. The Honorable Maureen D. Dennis of Southport
8. The Honorable John C. Driscoll of Norwich
9. The Honorable Jane B. Emons of Woodbridge
10. The Honorable Robert L. Genuario of Norwalk
11. The Honorable James T. Graham of Bloomfield
12. The Honorable Arthur C. Hadden of Branford
13. The Honorable John F. Kavenewsky of East Norwalk
II. To be a State Referee
1. The Honorable Thomas A. Bishop of North Stonington
2. The Honorable Richard F. Comerford, Jr. of Stamford
3. The Honorable Thomas J. Corradino of Madison
4. The Honorable Dennis G. Eveleigh of Hamden
5. The Honorable Johnathan J. Kaplan of South Windsor
6. The Honorable Joseph Q. Koletsky of Waterford
7. The Honorable Karen Sequino of Woodbridge
8. The Honorable Joseph M. Shortall of Bloomfield
9. The Honorable David R. Tobin of Old Greenwich
Saturday, January 27, 2018
STROBEL V. STROBEL: THE QUINTESSENTIAL CUSTODY SWITCHING CASE!
Some of you may be familiar with the situation where a judge, citing Strobel v. Strobel, gives an order that certain Family Court litigants can no longer file motions to the Court without permission. I know Susan Skipp has faced this kind of order and it is also in place in connection to the Mathew Couloute case.
For a long time, I actually laughed at this order and made light of it. I couldn't believe that Family Court would actuallly have the nerve to cut off litigants' access to justice. As it turns out, however, the joke is on me because such an order is alive and well. This is what motivated me to take a look at the Strobel v. Strobel order and the case itself that gave rise to it.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
THE CT JUDICIAL BRANCH IS SOLICITING COMMENTS ON THE REAPPOINTMENT OF JUDGES!
NOTICE OF EVALUATION OF
INCUMBENT JUDGES WHO SEEK REAPPOINTMENT
The terms of the following Judges of the State of Connecticut will expire during the year 2019 and the nominations by the Governor will come before the Judicial Selection Commission for review commencing in February 2018.
There are 7 judges with terms expiring in 2019:
APPELLATE COURT
APPELLATE COURT
Hon. Alexandra D. DiPentima
SUPERIOR COURT
Hon. Barbara N. Bellis
Hon. Hunchu Kwak
Hon. Lisa K. Morgan
Hon. John M. Newson
Hon. M. Nawaz Wahla
Hon. Robin L. Wilson
Robert S. Bello
Chairperson
SUPERIOR COURT
Hon. Barbara N. Bellis
Hon. Hunchu Kwak
Hon. Lisa K. Morgan
Hon. John M. Newson
Hon. M. Nawaz Wahla
Hon. Robin L. Wilson
Comments regarding the reappointment of any of the Judges on the Reappointment List for 2019 may be submitted to the Judicial Selection Commission, 18-20 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT 06106 on or before January 31, 2018. Reappointment interviews of the listed Judges will commence in February 2018 and continue through June 2018. Accordingly, comments received after January 31, 2018 will be considered if received prior to a Judge's reappointment interview. Anonymous submissions will be considered but afforded less weight than signed submissions.
Robert S. Bello
Chairperson
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
DAVID MANDEL, SO-CALLED SAFE AND TOGETHER PROGRAMS, AND FATHERHOOD FUNDING!
By Doreen Ludwig,
Author of "Motherless America: Confronting Welfare's Fatherhood Custody Program"
website: www.maccabuse.org
DAVID MANDEL Domestic Violence Experts Do NOT Protect Parents From Legal Abuse – Is This Purposeful? |
Researching the special interests and funding that built the current administrative structure of family court, I reviewed Dave Mandel’s “Safe Engagement of Fathers When Domestic Violence is Present: Building a model response to domestic violence within the Responsible Fatherhood Programming.”
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
REFLECTIONS ON THE TASK FORCE OF 2013: WERE FAMILY COURT ACTIVISTS BETRAYED BY FATHER'S RIGHTS EXTREMISTS?
Sometime in the Summer of 2013, Jennifer Verraneault, a family court reform activist, contacted me and asked to meet with me to discuss family court reform. Her partner, Jerry Mastrangelo had been engaged in a lengthy court battle to see his three triplets towards whom he had inexplicably been denied access.
A year prior, she had taken the free Guardian Ad Litem class for the State of Connecticut and had been able to obtain certification despite not being a lawyer or having any background as a mental health professional. In fact, to my knowledge, I wasn't even clear that she had a College degree. I had also tried to sign up for that class, but the CT Judicial Branch had refused me admission, perhaps because I did have a college degree.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
DIVORCE IN CONNECTICUT'S TOP TEN BLOGS FOR 2017, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/11/25-strategies-divorce-attorneys-use-to.html
WOODY ALLEN AND THE POLITICS OF TOLERATION IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/11/woody-allen-and-politics-of-tolerating.html
CALIFORNIA MOM ROISIN CASSIDY: VICTIM OF AN ATTORNEY DISCOVERY SCAM!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/02/california-mom-roisin-cassidy-victim-of.html
SHARED PARENTING PUTS MEN IN CONTROL AND LEAVES WOMEN AND CHILDREN POWERLESS! BY DOREEN LUDWIG
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/03/shared-parenting-puts-men-in-control.html
LEGAL OBSCURITIES AND LOOPHOLES USED TO OBSTRUCT A COUPLE'S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE IN "PREDICTIVE NEGLECT" CASE!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/03/legal-obscurities-and-loopholes-used-to.html
THE CONNECTICUT JUDICIAL BRANCH DROPS A TON OF BRICKS ON JANE DOE'S HEAD. FAIR? UNFAIR? YOU TELL ME!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-ct-judicial-branch-drops-ton-of.html
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU EMPOWER A BULLY: THE TRAGEDY OF MATHEW COULOUTE!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/05/what-happens-when-you-empower-bully.html
FAMILY COURT ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT HAVE WORSE REPUTATIONS THAN PEDOPHILES
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/06/it-was-tough-to-read-may-12-2017-ct-law.html
ATTORNEY ROSA REBIMBAS, ATTORNEY BRADFORD BARNEYS AND THE INJUSTICE OF THE STVAN V. STVAN CASE!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/07/attorney-rosa-rebimbas-attorney.html
HOW CONSERVATIVE ATTACKS AGAINST SINGLE MOTHERS AND FEMINISM HAS IMPACTED FAMILY COURT!
http://divorceinconnecticut.blogspot.com/2017/10/how-conservative-attacks-against-single.html
Monday, December 25, 2017
Thursday, December 14, 2017
"FATHERING AFTER VIOLENCE" GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS PUT ABUSED WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT RISK!
By Doreen Ludwig,
Author of "Motherless America: Confronting Welfare's Fatherhood Custody Program"
website: www.maccabuse.org
Does Family Court offer protection to mothers and children who are victims of domestic violence? Many believe that the answer is no because father's rights extremists have been able to establish government programs which keep women and children vulnerable to ongoing abuse from violent men.
One such program is the Fathering After Violence Initiative.
Based upon this Initiative, instead of protecting women and children who have been abused, the Family Court System has a government mandate to foster and encourage the violent father's relationship with the children he has abused, regardless of the damaging consequences. Thus, in cases of domestic violence, the primary Family Court service offered to women and children who have suffered from a father's physical violence is supervised visits with the primary end goal of reuniting the father and children, even when these fathers will very likely continue to be violent and abusive.
In other words, according to an assessment prepared by Dr. Jessica Pearson, the Co-Director of the Center For Policy Research, (a part of the Fatherhood Research and Practice Network - FRPN), and the California Access and Visitation report to legislators, violent dads are given “step” visitation, i.e. supervised visits leading to unsupervised custody in as little as ten visits.
Author of "Motherless America: Confronting Welfare's Fatherhood Custody Program"
website: www.maccabuse.org
Does Family Court offer protection to mothers and children who are victims of domestic violence? Many believe that the answer is no because father's rights extremists have been able to establish government programs which keep women and children vulnerable to ongoing abuse from violent men.
One such program is the Fathering After Violence Initiative.
Based upon this Initiative, instead of protecting women and children who have been abused, the Family Court System has a government mandate to foster and encourage the violent father's relationship with the children he has abused, regardless of the damaging consequences. Thus, in cases of domestic violence, the primary Family Court service offered to women and children who have suffered from a father's physical violence is supervised visits with the primary end goal of reuniting the father and children, even when these fathers will very likely continue to be violent and abusive.
In other words, according to an assessment prepared by Dr. Jessica Pearson, the Co-Director of the Center For Policy Research, (a part of the Fatherhood Research and Practice Network - FRPN), and the California Access and Visitation report to legislators, violent dads are given “step” visitation, i.e. supervised visits leading to unsupervised custody in as little as ten visits.
Friday, December 1, 2017
DR. DONALD HEIBEL, THE HARVEY WEINSTEIN OF THE CT JUDICIAL BRANCH, REMAINS FREE TO CONTINUE HIS ASSAULTS ON FAMILY COURT VICTIMS!
In the wake of all these sex scandals including Bill O'Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, etc. there has been increased scrutiny surrounding powerful men who exploit their positions in order to sexually abuse or assault vulnerable women.
Often, people have asked how come no one spoke up about what was going on even though everyone knew what was happening. One of the reasons why so many men have gotten away with this kind of abusive behavior for years is because some women accepted settlements, signed confidentiality agreements, and simply faded away. This meant the perpetrators were free to abuse other women who were drawn into their orbit. In connection to Family Court, we may have exactly that kind of situation in connection to well known Family Court psychologist, Dr. Donald Hiebel.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
THE CT JUDICIAL BRANCH FAMILY CIVIL INTAKE FORM: IS IT A PATRIARCHAL TOOL OF OPPRESSION!
*Ms. Doreen Ludwig, author of "Motherless America" provided the original inspiration for this article as well as a considerable amount of the material included in the article. The Divorce in Connecticut website would like to acknowledge Ms. Ludwig's outstanding contributions on behalf of Protective Mothers and their children.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
This website has often spoken about the fatherhood funding provided by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services which has been pouring into the States by the billions and billions of dollars. We have tracked how much of that money has been spent supporting abusive fathers in their custody battles in CT Family Court.
In the early days of spending on fathers, the CT Judicial Branch took on the development of the Family Civil Intake Screen, a form which Family Services now uses to screen people when they apply to them for services. The CT Judicial Branch is incredibly proud of this form. In fact, this Intake Screen has been shipped around as a model of excellence to other State Family Court systems throughout the country.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Sunday, November 19, 2017
25 STRATEGIES DIVORCE ATTORNEYS USE TO KEEP YOU IN COURT AND FIGHTING!
It has been interesting for me to read articles in "The Greenwich Times" about the horrific divorce cases which have taken place in Connecticut. These are cases where mothers often lose everything that they have, not only their financial base, but also their children.
Unfortunately, the focus in these articles has been on what litigants in family court have done rather than on the primary source of the problem, i.e. Family Court attorneys. So here for the uninitiated is a list of 25 things that Family Court attorneys do in order to generate conflict among family court litigants and profit from their distress. In no particular order, they are as follows. Such attorneys will:
Friday, November 17, 2017
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
WOODY ALLEN AND THE POLITICS OF TOLERATION IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES!
In the light of Ronan Farrow's exposure of the allegations against Harry Weinstein, the Woody Allen Child Sexual Abuse scandal has again caught notice. Why is it that Harvey Weinstein faces such overall condemnation in the movie industry and yet Woody Allen has not?
For instance, one reporter -- Molly Fitzpatrick of "Splinter News" -- investigated how actors have responded to Dylan Farrow's sexual abuse accusations against Woody Allen. Below are the names of actors she checked up on: Cate Blanchett, Alex Baldwin, Wallace Shawn, Diane Keaton, Louis CK, Scarlett Johansson, Marcia Gay Harden, Colin Firth, Jacki Weaver, Eileen Atkins, Mariel Hemingway, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, Anna Camp, Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively. Their responses have been neutral, indifferent, or a resounding "It's none of my business."
Monday, October 16, 2017
O'BRIEN V. O'BRIEN: YES, GUYS, THE AUTOMATIC ORDER THAT PROHIBITS PARTIES FROM DISPOSING OF MARITAL ASSETS APPLIES TO YOU!
I feel somewhat out of my depth when it comes to discussing divorcing couples who deal in millions when it comes to their Court matter, but I will try in my modest way to draw some parallels between my case and that of the O'Briens. I can't imagine having so much money to play around with and fight over!
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
HOW CONSERVATIVE ATTACKS AGAINST SINGLE MOTHERS AND FEMINISM HAS IMPACTED FAMILY COURT!
On February 26, 2010, several CT State Agencies came together to sign a multi-agency agreement to coordinate efforts to further the interests of fathers over that of mothers. These Agencies were the Department of Social Services, The Department of Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Department of Public Health. The beginning of this agreement made several statements in order to justify this promotion of father's interests over that of mothers in violation of the CT Constitution Article I, Section 20 which forbids discrimination based upon gender. One such statement was as follows, "Children who grow up in families headed by single mothers are five times more likely than two parent families to live in poverty." Subsequent statements continued on to blame single mothers for a high percentage of high school drop outs, juvenile delinquency, drug use, teen pregnancy and mental illness.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
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