Evaluate, Coordinate, Sow the Seeds of Mother-Hate (a.k.a. How to Accuse a Mom of Alienation)
Quick review: The purpose of the Family Law system is to engage Marriage Counselors (etc.) into the legal process, and produce ongoing business for mental health therapists, and retirement plans for court-associated personnel.
If you don’t believe that (yet), pls. review this 1966 TIME article, narrating the relationship between Judge Roger Alton Pfaff (who was childless) and Meyer Elkin (counselor) in the experimental “Conciliation” courts whose intent was to prevent divorce by forcing people into counseling who were headed for it:
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,842452,00.html#ixzz1P1f1mSR1
I am starting to get genuinely angry about the deceitfulness and arrogance of the material put forth in conferences which is designed for application in a custody case. Just because a group of people believe that Psychological Services = Salvation. Rather than, say, “divination” (and with the profits to match).
It’s not just the brazen marketing, and using federal monies to run social science demonstration projects on unsuspecting parents for the amusement (and profit) of the . . . . social scientists and nonprofit corporations that do their biddings. It’s not just the elitist, arrogant mentality behind the therapists (etc.) which scent is caught when one reads the conference jargon with a real-life perspective. And it’s not just the dishonesty throughout the system — although those certainly all figure in.
But yesterday, chasing down the yet another Warshak/Ricci/Stahl/Gardner Kids’ Turn copycat, I found that the Lackawanna County, Pennsylvani AFCC-curricula peddler Dr. Mukliewicz along with Mr. Libassi, M.S., C.R.C., now have (with the help of the Presiding Judge? Wm. E. Baldwin) have gotten Pennsylvania Civil Code of Procedure altered to specify their product as THE mandated parental education curriculum (at least in Schuykill County) whenever a custody or visitation order even THINKs about being filed. This appears to be in addition to some contracts they already have with the County to provide other services.
http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol40/40-50/2355.html
Title 255—LOCAL
COURT RULES SCHUYLKILL COUNTYAmended/Adopted Civil Rules of Procedure
[40 Pa.B. 7041]
[Saturday, December 11, 2010]Order of Court
And Now, this 23rd day of November, 2010 at 11:00 a.m., Schuylkill County Civil Rules of Procedure No. 1915.1(b), 1915.3, 1915.15 are amended and Civil Rule of Procedure No. 1915.3a is adopted for use in the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Twenty-First Judicial District, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, effective thirty days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
and…..
WILLIAM E. BALDWIN,
President JudgeProposed Revisions to Schuylkill County
Rules of Civil Procedure
Rule 1915.1(b). Definitions.
”Kids First.” A four hour orientation and education program established to help parents and other parties in child custody actions to understand the effects of separation, divorce, and family conflicts in their lives and in the lives of their children.
Rule 1915.3. Commencement of Action. Complaint. Order.
(c) In addition to the information required by Pa.R.C.P. 1915.15, every complaint for custody, partial custody or visitation, and every petition for modification of an existing custody order, shall contain the following language:
(1) ”Plaintiff has been advised of the requirements to attend the Kids First program.”
(2) ”Defendant has been advised of the requirements to attend the Kids First program.”
(d) A completed order shall be attached to the complaint or petition which includes a provision that all parties attend the Kids First program and the Custody Conciliation Conference which shall be in substantially the form set forth in Sch.R.C.P. 1915.15. All parties named in the pleadings must register for and attend the Kids First program as ordered.
Rule 1915.3a. Kids First Program.
(a) The Court Administrator shall determine the dates, times, and location of the Kids First program.
(b) The name, address, and contact information for the presenter of the Kids First program are: Anthony J. Libassi, 200 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503, (570) 558-1002, (toll free) 888-215-7445, and www.libassimediation.com.
(c) Brochures and registration forms for the Kids First program will be available at the Custody Office, Schuylkill County Law Library, and the Prothonotary’s Office.
And, in these jurisdictions, whenever your estranged spouse, ex, or the mother (or father) of your child wants to officially modify anything regarding custody, the first step is now to pay up (or else) and sit through this class. I’d bet (if I were a betting woman) that this class is ALSO subsidized by at least one federal grant, and that paying up would represent a double-billing. Which brings me to the wisdom that the word “County” is a derivative of the word “Count’ as in “royalty” as in “fiefdom,” basically. You can take the U.S. out of Great Britain (centuries ago), but I guess you can’t take the royalty mentality/patronage, etc. out of the United States, not entirely. Read on:
Rule 1915.15. Form of Complaint.
(a) In addition to the information required by Pa.R.C.P. 1915.15(a) and (b), each complaint for custody, partial custody, or visitation, or a petition to modify an existing custody order, shall have attached to its front an order in substantially the following form:
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS FOR SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
CIVIL ACTION – LAW
_________________ , : : Plaintiff, : : No.: S- VS. : : _________________ , : : Defendant. : ORDER OF COURT AND NOW, this __ day of _____ , 200__ . at __.m., you are hereby ORDERED as follows:
You have been sued in Court to obtain Custody, Partial Custody or Visitation of the child(ren) named in the Complaint.
I. PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM
1. ALL PARTIES NAMED ABOVE SHALL ATTEND AND COMPLETE THE ”KIDS FIRST” PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM IS REQUIRED FOR ALL PARTIES PARTICIPATING IN A CUSTODY ACTION. PARTICIPATION IS REQUIRED WHETHER OR NOT AN AGREEMENT IS SUBMITTED.
2. EACH OF YOU SHALL CONTACT ”KIDS FIRST” WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS OF RECEIVING THIS ORDER TO SCHEDULE AND REGISTER FOR THE NEXT AVAILABLE PROGRAM IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THIS PROVISION OF THIS ORDER, CONTEMPT CHARGES AGAINST YOU SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COURT.
TO SCHEDULE AND REGISTER FOR THE ”KIDS FIRST” PROGRAM CONTACT ANTHONY LIBASSI BY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
(a) internet: WWW.LIBASSIMEDIATION.COM
(b) telephone: 570-558-1002
888-215-7445 (toll free)(c) mail: ANTHONY LIBASSI
200 Adams Avenue, First Floor
Scranton, PA 18503YOU ARE EACH REQUIRED TO PAY A FEE OF FORTY DOLLARS ($40.00) DIRECTLY TO THE ”KIDS FIRST” PROGRAM AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION.
3. LOCATION OF ”KID[s] FIRST” PROGRAMS:
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
401 N. 2nd STREET
POTTSVILLE, PA
PHONE: 570-341-2007FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THIS ORDER MAY RESULT IN FINES, IMPRISONMENT OR OTHER SANCTIONS.
{{First things first. FIRST — go consume our product, not even based, probably, on original ideas. It’s a “Kids Turn” knockoff, I”ll bet…. based on whose other books are advertised at “Kidsfirst.cc” in Dunmore, PA:}}
II. CUSTODY CONCILIATION CONFERENCE
You are ordered to appear in person at the Custody Conciliation Office, of the Schuylkill County Courthouse on ______ , for a Custody Conciliation Conference.
You are further ordered to bring with you the fully completed conciliation questionnaire provided by the Court.
If you fail to appear as provided by the Order, and Order of Custody, Partial Custody or Visitation may be entered against you or the Court may issue a Warrant for your arrest.
A little more found on these two individuals (and their services) here:
– – – – – – – – – – –
Welcome!
The Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth & Family Services is a statewide organization of private agencies. Our members are the service providers who provide the direct “hands-on” programs and supports needed to achieve and maintain permanency and safety for children and youth and stability for families. The safety and well-being of Pennsylvania’s children and their families have long been held as priorities by private agencies who share a deep commitment to keeping children safe, families strong, and communities involved.
Our Mission Statement
To improve the quality of life for Pennsylvania’s children, youth, and families who are at risk by supporting and promoting an accessible service delivery system within our communities.
It’s all about service delivery, of course… This is becoming common, to have affiliated groups coordinated by website and networking: An organization (or nonprofit) can become a Member, a Friends Member, or an Affiliate Member. This appears to focus on: foster care, adoptions, and behavioral health, placements, etc. So that’s who put out this:
A “Needs based plan and narrative template” (FY2011-2012) for “OFFICE OF YOUTH & FAMILIES” (Pennsylvania) tells more about these two Kids First marketers
Chet Muklewicz (AFCC) & Andrew Libassi (probably) are between them among the 4 largest CCYA or JYO service providers for Lackawanna County. It is a “budget narrative” for the county to request monies for the service providers & contractors, i.e. “
“The following pages provide a template for counties to use to complete the narrative piece of the 2011-2012 Needs Based Plan and Budget.”
THis also focuses on dependency hearings, although as we see Libassi is quite “in” on the custody hearings, with or without abuse allegations already.
The clinical unit also supports the county Family Court practice of returning to court within 45 days of the initial dependency to adopt a family service plan. All initial plans presented at dependency are related to completion of diagnostic assessments to better formulate a meaningful plan. This process is designed to both engage the family in the development of the plan and avoid plans of meaningless generalization.
They are the two largest providers of in-home services in Lackawanna County:
Review the Schedule of Existing Purchased Services and identify the four largest providers (regardless of whether it is a CCYA or JPO provider) as follows:
Two largest providers of In-Home Services. Include contact information. (displays better on the pdf, search for the name):
1: Libassi Mediation Service Children served: 168 $$ amount of services: $197,712
2: Chet Muklewicz, Ed.D Children served: 49 $$ amount of services: $120,000
Briefly summarize the services provided by these entities, the expected outcomes of those services, and how provider performance is monitored.
- Libassi Mediation Services coordinates all dependency and non dependency mediation. In addition, the service provides the service planning coordination for all three Intensive Reunification Courts.
- Chet Muklewicz, Ed. D provides the Family Peace Program for the Status Offence Court. This is a Parent Education program that teaches or restores parental hierarchy in the family. It has been largely successful in reducing the number and duration of placement for ungovernable, and/or truant youth.
- Dr. Muklewicz must file statistics showing youth in instruction, time in Status Offence Court, days of out of home placement if any.
The Kids First program relates to custody — not dependency– hearings. However, it’s also being marketed in Kentucky, through the Kentucky courts:
Kids First program is designed for parents to help their children cope with separation, divorce, and family conflict.
Parents are presented with information about how parental relationships have a direct effect on the children and how children might respond at different ages. Parents learn that parental conflict hurts children and, more importantly, learn what they can do to help their children to adjust to the changes in their family.
For additional information, contact Kids First, 1527 Adams Avenue, Dunmore, PA 18509 or 570-341-2007
I’ve seen a lot of court-mandated programs around, but Kentucky seems to have the full panorama, including extorting Dads in arrears to participate in “Turning it around” classes where they can learn “to be a man,” and other useful information, such as sexual responsibility and co-parenting. I’m sure a 12-week class is likely to change a person’s sexual habits. …. But they are extorted into it (or, go back to jail) like the separating parents in PA:
“Turning It Around” is a collaborative effort, which works in conjunction with the Home Incarceration Program, with most of the attendees coming from contempt proceedings in Family Court in non-support cases.
The purpose of the program is to increase the collection of child support payments, reduce recidivism in contempt cases, and encourage and increase cooperative parenting. Turning It Around may be offered as part of a plea agreement for those facing sentencing.
(It too, probably has some acess-visitation type funding behind it, and a nonprofit by Lord knows whom involved. This Kentucky state site has links eleven (11) Divorce Education classes, probably with coordinators (county-paid or state-paid) for each. I wonder for which nonprofits….)
How are people in Kentucky going to take a class run out of Pennsylvania — a cross-the-border commute? Or is it a pre-packaged curricula that Dr. Muckliewicz and/or Mr. Libassi can profit from separately, while running their own dependency service programs and functioning as faculty at the local college? Or is a royalty pulled each time it’s run — what’s up?
Here’s a local writer talking about a (different) local “Kids 4 Kash” scheme involving a single guardian ad litem (Danielle Ross) getting cases — $600 from parents upfront — and how, somehow, this county, almost 100% of the kids get a GAL: http://scrantonpoliticaltimes.activeboard.com/t42441326/kids-4-kash-danielle-ross-guardian-atty-nancy-barresse-and-c/
I’m going to print that commentary here:
Typically, a Guardian Ad Litem is appointed in Family Court matters where a child is at risk due to a crisis within the family structure. In most counties across the state, about 5 – 8 percent of all family court cases has a Guardian appointed to make sure that at-risk child(ren) have access to legal representation of their own. It’s a good idea and it often saves children from abuse. In all other counties, there is a list of attorneys to select from.
However, in Lackawanna County, the appointment rate of a Guardian is nearly 100% of all family court cases. And, there is no list from which to select. There’s one Guardian that gets all the cases. It’s been that way since Harhut took over Family Court.
For years now, Family Court judges have appointed Atty. Danielle Ross as the Guardian in practically every single case. About a dozen cases a week are handed to Ross on a silver platter. The parents have to immediately cough up $600 as her fee, plus she tacks on heavy fees once she’s on board if she’s called upon for a recommendation in a custody proceeding. Ross picks up about $7200.00 a week, every week of the year, and it’s been going on like that for years, which why she drives a bevy of exotic cars and takes non-stop vacations.
{{more than one income stream, county-mandated services, county-paid salary, plus what else?}}
90% of the families have no crisis situation that requires her presence. Some families have kids under five years-old who are not at risk of any abuse, yet they are ordered to pay Ross $600.00 anyway. Ross gets a salary from the county, plus a free county office, free phone and utilities and a free county secretary, even though she’s easily good for half-a-mil a year, year after year.
Then, there’s the quality of her work. Having so many cases, she’s often very difficult to access when problems arise. Once appointed, it takes her weeks to make contact with the family. In fact, she’s required to inspect every house, which she can’t possibly do, so she sends her county-paid secretary, Sue, with no qualifications, to inspect these houses and the family pays her an additonal $100.00, which, by the way, is required to be paid to Sue only in cash.
Ross has a history of making custody recommendations to the court that are extremely politically motivated. She meets with children as little as 5 – 6 years old and interrogates and manipulates them to get them to agree to certain custody conditions that certain “political” litigants want. She’s personally serviced many county employees or cronies to get them a customized custody order, because the judge of the day follows her recommendations. I have some of those outrageous orders in my possession. There are many very angry parents who want Ross’ head on a stake, to say nothing of lawyers on the business end of her biased and unjust recommendations.
Claire Czaykowski is the Court Administrator for Family Court. She’s Harhut’s former tipstaff. He appointed her upon his appointment as President Judge. Claire gets certain cases scheduled before certain judges to make sure the “right” judge hears the “right” cases. If you call Family Court, in fact, it’s Danielle Ross’ voice that welcomes you to Family Court.
{{Case-steering, in other words. it’s a network of interlinked associations…}}
If anyone has a Family Court case involving Danielle Ross, wherein they are unhappy with Ross’ recommendations and the Court’s Custody Order that was issued as the result of it, I’d like to hear from you. I’m in possession of quite a few now, but the more the better.
This Kids for Kash Scheme needs to come to a halt. It’s time to end Ross’ Cash Cow days. Rumors of her paying kickback are out there, but I can’t prove anything, yet. That’s yet. If a Guarian Ad Litem is needed, that’s all well and fine, but in most cases kids are not at risk and the family does not need Ross’ interference or expensive fees for nothing.
And the link contains the feedback, including that this woman drives a $145K Mercedes, and doesn’t even do her own work, but hires others out to do so. AMong the comments:
Ourtraged parents have had to be dragged out of the courtroom over complaints about recommendation made by Ross. On top of the $300 each parent has to pay, Ross then bills at $200 an hour for talking with the family. She likes being alone with the kids and asks them very compromising questions to help steer her findings to assist who she likes in a custody case. The woman knows nothing about what’s best for kids, only what’s best for who’s best friends with the court system.
Different venue, sounds like the same behaviors….
This isn’t about “Kids First,” or Kids, at all; it’s about Purchase Immediately My Products (a.k.a. PIMPs in Govt, Inc.). Public Service? This is the public serving the self-appointed parenting preachers under guise of “it’s good for you,” i.e., public benefit.
It goes on:
Counsel and litigants without counsel are ORDERED to immediately consult their schedules for conflicts and to promptly request a continuance where necessary because of a prior attachment or emergency situation. ALL requests for a continuance of a Custody Conciliation conference must be made on the APPLICATION FOR CONTINUANCE form available from the offices of the Court Administrator, Custody Conciliator or Prothonotary in the Schuylkill County Courthouse. The application must be filed in the Custody Conciliation Office. A continuance will be granted only upon good cause shown.
The moving party shall immediately serve on all interested parties a copy of the original pleading, this order, ”Kids First” registration and information, and a custody conciliation questionnaire; and shall further file an affidavit verifying service.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: The Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County is required by law to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For information about accessible facilities and reasonable accommodations available to disabled individuals having business before the court, please contact our office. All arrangements must be made at least 72 hours prior to any program, hearing or business before the court. You must attend the scheduled conference or hearing.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 10-2355. Filed for public inspection December 10, 2010, 9:00 a.m.]
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
This concept didn’t just appear fully-formed in the brain of this judge, this county, or these mediators; it was circulated among professionals with decades of experience requiring others to consume their product, get business referred to their nonprofits, and doing this at public AND private expense, and through the courts.
why do I think this is probably a Kids Turn knockoff? Call it feminine intuition, or that I happen to live in California where a man running for judge, who started a Kids First of Orange County (aka Orange County Welfare Coalition, a nonprofit) simply said he modeled it after Kids Turn:
http://www.fullertonsfuture.org/2010/gerald-l-klein-for-judge/
Among his accomplishments, he founded Kid’s First in 1996. It is a program for separated or divorced parents and their children. Both parents attend this 8 week course together with their children to help the kids cope with changes in the family.
Klein has been practicing law for 33 years and has sat as a temporary volunteer judge in Orange and Los Angeles counties since 1981. He is active in the community and he also teaches Family Law and Community Property as a part-time professor at a local law school. Although I only witnessed his expertise in family law, he is familiar with many types of law as he had a general practice in his early years.
The History
The “Kids First” program is a project of the Orange County Welfare Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit corporation started by Attorney Gerald L. Klein and Attorney Ruth Shapin, MFT, in 1975. Through 1990, the coalition assisted individuals in obtaining governmental entitlements including social security and supplemental security disability benefits.
Left to right: Robert Schuler, Gerald Klein, Sara Doudna and Ruth Shapin, along with Kids First Staff members Recognizing the need for a program focusing on the needs of children whose parents are separated, in 1995 Attorney Klein began looking for such a program. In 1995, he learned of the “Kids Turn” program in San Francisco which dealt with families going through divorce. The coalition adopted their idea and curriculum. Sara Doudna, MFT, became the Clinical Director, expanded upon it, and “Kids First” was born.
In 1996, “Kids First” became operational.”
Ms. Doudna-Klein (she married him??):
have worked extensively for twenty years with addiction problems and with individuals, couples and families in recovery. I am familiar with all forms of addiction but am most experienced with alcoholism. Ten years ago I co-founded a non-profit program for families in divorce. I am familiar with the issues that affect all members of a family during the divorce process. I am also experienced in the assessment and treatment of “Parental Alienation”.
- Positive co-parenting
- Single Parenting
- Parental Alienation
- Parent-Child Reunification
- Blended Families
These behaviors and products are prime-time AFCC.
and overall would be Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), and perhaps may be with, however, the habit of actually legalizing this behavior may compromise it from being prosecuted under RICO. Also, if it were fully explored and prosecuted, as I may just about to show, it would possibly not clean up, but also completely empty out the family law system Justice = Therapy-dispensing monopoly of judges, mediators, certified family law specialist, and all kinds of psychologist, from J.D.-endowed Psy.D.s to the lowly man or woman who paid up the latest AFCC-approved parenting coordinator, or mediator, or supervised visitation center training course.
Cleaning up the racketeering element of AFCC might end up shutting down the system, because it is probably (at this point) not possible to separate the private nonprofit association, “Association of Family & Conciliation Courts” from the concept (and practice) of family law, at all. this is such a fixture of our society that people forget it had an origin, and at one time, did not exist. This origin was NOT by public, grassroots demand, but it was (like most oppressive systems) from top-down; by highly placed legislators, judges, and/or others who got a law passed, started practicing, and then expanded.
On the other hand, passive inaction will just send the US economy downhill faster –a situation for which those who’ve been marketing these things will be in a better position to handle than those they force to consume their products. At least they know how to operate businesses, reduce taxes, and even in some cases do it under the radar, avoiding taxes and dumping the real social needs of society (housing, food, water, the ability to defend onesself and one’s property — or to own property or assets of any sort) on those already hardest hit.
The RICO link, above, explains how the law began in the 1970s to stop the Mafia, in 1980s was applied to more individual situations, and in the 1990s the federal government sought to restrict this use:
During the 1990’s, the federal courts, guided by the United States Supreme Court, engaged in a concerted effort to limit the scope of RICO in the civil context. As a result of this effort, civil litigants must jump many hurdles and avoid many pitfalls before they can expect the financial windfall available under RICO, and RICO has become one of the most complicated and unpredictable areas of the law.
Today, RICO is almost never applied to the Mafia. Instead, it is applied to individuals, businesses, political protest groups, and terrorist organizations.”
That said, let’s note that two judges in PA were convicted of this, recently — in Luzerne County; “Kids for Cash” scheme. And I cannot think of a better descriptive word, given the powerfully-connected (judges are members) and internet-connected, conference-churning, international, and training-oriented private “nonprofit” organization called “the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts” — particularly when the associated network of nonprofits working with it are considered. Talk about undue influence! People who are subjected to this treatment routinely call it “Mafia” or refer to extortion, which I believe overall, the practices are. Doesn’t that last one sound like extortion (though only for $40, do the math X how many divorces and custody modifications…..)? Why, for example, shouldn’t someone besides Libassi Mediation be able to run a simple Kids First class? And what happened to Dr. Chet? Has he got his own line of business with the county now?
HOW I”M GOING TO SPLIT UP THE 17,000-WORD POST:
I AM GOING TO JUST “CUT & PASTE” INTO DIFFERENT POSTS. THIS IS NOT CALLED EDITING, IT’S CALLED, I GUESS, MACHETE CopyEditing.
ONCE THE BASIC INFORMATION IS OUT, I DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE TO KEEP PUBLISHING AND BLOGGING IT — CAVEAT EMPTOR CUSTODY COURTS. THEY ARE BASICALLY (ANYMORE) PRIVATE, NONPROFIT ENTERPRISES WITH A VENEER OF PUBLIC LEGITIMACY. THOSE WHO DON’T TAKE TIME TO LOOK ARE PASSING THE BUCK TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD TO, BECAUSE THEY WEREN’T SO FORTUNATE IN LIFE (OR COURT) TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DODGE THIS RACKET.
Jesus Christ said, long ago, “the poor you have always with you…” It’s obviously that the leadership of the US has figured this out, and made plans with how to control them through a variety of institutions, lest they riot, or there be another civil war. Also, to keep a substantial enough portion of people desperate and competing for jobs they are underqualified for, while promising them more help through reforming the public education system, run as a monoply anyhow, etc. Bread & Circuses..
Yesterday, I compiled, but didn’t publish, a triple-sized post, explaining the relationship between AFCC, Parental Alienation, High-Conflict (talk) and Parenting Coordination. And the absolute mother-hatred in a certain parenting coordination handbook, which is standard. I also show (and it’s obvious to those who look) that state borders (and at a certain level, state laws) are becomign meaningless when, for example, an Ohio Supreme Court Task Force (date: 1999), heavily AFCC-stacked, and lifting portions of its “tasks” wholesale from AFCC leaders — decides, in studying how to reform child custody — to simply fly its personnel out to Arizona and attend and AFCC conference. Again, this was about 12 years ago and NOT blogged by domestic violence advocates.
If I am able to complete the series on the Ellen Pence/Casey Gwinn (I.e., DV advocate / Family Justice Center) connections, I believe this will show an educated (researched) “guess” as to why NONE of the Domestic violence coalitions and primary ‘battered women’s” advocate generally blog, report, publish, or scrutinize the AFCC, OR the fatherhood grants system, (and its religious connections). One of them (Center for Judicial Excellence) has made a habit of not doing this (though they are informed of it, as are many others) until very recently, I heard. And probably because a few bloggers continued to “out” them for failling to address it.
Mainstream, professionalized groups have their rhetoric set in stone, pretty much — and simply do not follow the money, or report to the general public on the conference circuits. These posts are “Public Service Announcements.” I am one (networked) person reporting certain themes. I do not have an editorial staff and am not paid for my time here, as a whistleblower. I write what I see, and I see a lot. The alarm is definitely appropriate.
INDIANA & AFCC
Indiana has lots of Justice. In fact, it has TWO Justice Centers from the Casey Gwinn/Gael Strack/GWBush Initiatives Alliance.
But this is about its AFCC-State Government connections (which, FYI, the Kids First & Kids Turn concept is).
Indianapolis, on the other hand, did it differently, and rather than going through the expense of flying its judges OUT, simply decided to invite AFCC to hold their fall conference locally. This is from the Domestic Relations Committee, June 2009 meeting:
Domestic Relations Committee / Judicial Conference of Indiana / Minutes June 12, 2009
…
1. Members present. Craig J. Bobay, Francis G. Hill, Karen M. Love, Sheryl L. Lynch, Nanette K. Raduenz, Deborah J. Shook, Dean A. Young and William C. Fee, Chair, were present.
2. Staff present. Jeffrey Bercovitz and Anne Jordan provided the committee with staff assistance.
3. Guests present. Amber Njau, Project Analyst; Cynthia Longest, Deputy Director, Child Support Bureau; Karla Mantia, Prosecuting Attorney’s Council, were also present.
4. Minutes approved. The minutes for the May 15, 2009 meeting were approved.
5. Draft child support guidelines. Committee members reviewed comments submitted by topic area:
a. The Health Insurance Premium Worksheet (HIPW) and the Child Support Obligation Worksheet was reviewed. The committee made changes to ease the preparation of the HIPW. b. Members of the committee agreed all commentary should be italicized in the child support guidelines. c. The “Child Multipliers” commentary was revised in the Support Guidelines and the Child Support Obligation Worksheet was revised to encompass eight (8), not just five (5) children in accordance with the amounts from Dr. Venohr.***
[[Dr. Jane Venohr runs nonprofit Center for Policy Research, along with Jessica Pearson et. al, and I believe also works for PSI, its nonprofit arm. These two organizations are all over the HHS grants circuit, and found publishing and promoting access visitation policies. She is active in child support matters…See my last post.]]
6. Domestic Relations Conference.
a. Anne Jordan reported the two-day domestic relations conference in the areas of child development, family dynamics, custody and visitation is scheduled for November 19-20, 2009 in Indianapolis. Committee members suggested the following topics:
(1) The economy’s effect on the family, e.g. mortgage foreclosure, high layoff rate, and the court’s ability to respond to a crisis if its staff is reduced.
(2) Professor Marcia Klien-Pruitt, Connecticutt, to speak on family dynamics.**
[[**Mis-spelled, Marcia Kline-Pruett is AFCC presenter, with her husband Kyle, and discussed later]]
(3) Child-Informed Mediation, where a psychologist interviews a child and brings this input this into mediation.
(4) Court ordered investigations in custody disputes. Some courts use a guardian ad litem for this purpose, to investigate mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and criminality.
b. Committee members discussed having the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) hold their fall symposium in Indianapolis in November 2011 and the Judicial Center using the monies they would otherwise have spent on the two-day domestic relations conference on having Indiana judges attend the AFCC fall symposium in Indianapolis. Magistrate Bobay moved to have the Judicial Center contact AFCC about holding their fall symposium in November 2011 in lieu of the two-day domestic relations conference, with the Judicial Center using the monies they would otherwise have spent to have Indiana judges attend. Magistrate Raduenz seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously.
As I see from the Feb 18, 2011 minutes (thanks for publishing them, guys….) the networking with AFCC is going to continue:
This time there was a different set of guests:
“3. Guests present. Stuart Showalter,** Indiana Custodial Rights Advocates, and Craig Scarberry were also present.”
{{The links are relevant: both are fathers’ rights advocates;
- Showalter characterized as former “Neo Nazi Skinhead” and in some trouble with the law (as a youth) for it. Later, he is found blaming a woman for her own stabbing death — because she sought a restraining order. She was stabbed to death in front of her two daughters, 8 & 12 Here’s the quote, just so we have a grasp on who was a Guest at the Indiana Judicial Conference this past February:
The wife was found stabbed in her bed at home on Sunday night. Investigators say the couple was going through a divorce and she had a protective order requiring him to stay away from her and their daughters. The killing came two days after the wife obtained a two-year extension on the order.
Angela Warnock’s use of the Indiana Civil Protection Order Act for leverage in the divorce proceedings with the father *of their two daughters failed her this past weekend. On Friday she had obtained an order that would keep the father from having any further contact with his daughters for two years. In addition she had the daughters, age 8 and 12, sleeping with her. These are both signs of Parental Alienation.
(Showalter’s comment was June 2009. Note: obtaining a restraining order is sign of parental alienation. wonder where that concept came from. It has nothing to do with protection, obviously — just using for an advantage in divorce. (the concept that perhaps her desire for divorce may have had to do with violence to start with doesn’t seem to have occurred to him…..)
- Craig Scarberry (unfamiliar to me) had custody reduced because he became agnostic, after being formerly Christian. Plans for fathers’ rights rally in Marion County… Another article from “the democratic underground” asks whether(I DNK….) this was the same Scarberry who sued the City of Chicago (etc.) on the same grounds, for interfering with the distribution of gospel tracts with “Repent America”: link shows the pleading: including the Statement of Facts, which begins ”
STATEMENT OF FACTS 7. Plaintiffs are Christians who regard the Bible as God’s literal authority. In keeping with this sincerely held religious belief, Plaintiffs believe that they are obligated to tell as many other people as they can about what they believe is their individual need to be “born again,” that is, to be reconciled to God. This comes only by believing that Jesus Christ is God,{{i.e., Trinitarian, which founding fathers primarily weren’t}} and that Jesus suffered and died on the cross (and was resurrected from the dead subsequently) to pay the penalty for the sins of humanity, particularly those individuals who will believe in him; and who seek healing and forgiveness for and deliverance from their past, present, and future personal sins—“sins” being defined as transgressions of the binding commands of the Bible.)
Just including to show the mindset of someone who would attempt to “witness” in a legal pleading. Probably the same Scarberry, although, who knows? If so, he first proselytized FOR his beliefs God and then, disgruntled, for how his agnosticism shouldn’t be held against him. While it indeed shouldn’t, either line of thinking wouldn’t affect his position regarding father supremacy, most likely..or that it’s appropriate that his current beliefs be inflicted on others…. These two are not the major concern, they are two guys with a cause who sat in on a judicial conference. It’s the conference we should be most concerned about, and this style of decision-making within government.
This 2011 Judicial Conference meeting concluded peacefully:
10. Future meeting dates. Committee members agreed to meet again on Friday, March 18, May 20, July 15, August 19, and November 18, 2011 from 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Judicial Center. They also agreed to meet in conjunction with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Regional Meeting in Indianapolis on Oct. 27-29, 2011 in Indianapolis.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey Bercovitz, Director Juvenile and Family Law
= INBRED with AFCC. So who ARE they, anyhow? What do they DO? (well, since you asked, I’ll keep posting….)
I don’t know how comfortable the average reader feels with abandoning due process, law, etc. and giving leaders a huge leash (or taking them “off-leash”) by simply ignoring what’s going on with the primary institutions that rule people’s lives, such as — say, the courts?
??
And behind the courts is the power to incarcerate, or transfer wealth, and offspring; to spare life or to waste life . . . ..
While an Indiana conference, or a Schuykill County parenting education mandate may not seem to relate to you — it does. We are a networked country, and the networks are to be watched. When not “nipped in the bud” these things only expand — and they are inappropriate tolls on the highways of life.
Would you trust this kind of back-door dealings with your life, or your children’s future? Do you want others — judges, psychologists, economists, and mental health practitioners (working together) to do the heavy thinking for you, so long as they leave you alone for a while? Even after they’ve been proven corrupt several times already?
(California’s illegal benefits to judges — legalized. Luzerne County, PA judges — sending adolescents to camps in which they had a vested interests, violating their rights and disrupting their and their parents lives . . . and here’s another post on some Pennsylvania court-based toll-gating with another individual:
Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History 
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