Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History

I usually steer clear of this group, but there have been some “Family Squabbles” affecting bloggers I do hang out with, and share data with.  A little explanation, after pausing to look at the kid-artwork above about “Protecting OUR children” [WHOSE children?]   [boy, that protecting children theme really sets a group apart from the crowd, including CPS, crckids.org, etc.] and to notice the “ING” in “EnsurING the rights of children and protective mothers in family court.”  Remember my recent post in the “-INGS” in the industry?

Who is this?  well, it says, on the “About Us” page:

Lundy Bancroft is the author of three books in the field, including Why Does He Do That?, When Dad Hurts Mom, and the national prize-winner The Batterer as Parent. He has worked with over a thousand abusers directly as an intervention counselor, and has served as clinical supervisor on another thousand cases. He has also served extensively as a custody evaluator, child abuse

investigator, and expert witness in domestic violence and child abuse cases. Lundy appears across the United States as a presenter for judges and other court personnel, child protective workers, therapists, law enforcement officials, and other audiences.

Co-founder # 1 is (obviously) not a mother (which doesn’t mean he can’t empathize with mothers, or even protective mothers).  He is a professional in this field and on the conference circuit.  As such, he is in sales (see books) and in consulting (see conference circuit).  My pointing this out is not a valuation of Mr. Bancroft or his work, just a  mention of what business he is in.

Co-founder #2 IS a mother, a protective mother, and her profile resembles many protective mother profiles (at least the sector with degrees who married wealthy abusive husbands, as opposed to poor abusive husbands, as opposed to those who didn’t marry, all of who could easily become protective mothers once they hit family law.

Janice Levinson holds a BA degree from Saint Leo University in Florida.  She is a former teacher and protective mother of 3 grown children. She was a victim of  the corrupt family court system for over a decade. After divorcing her wealthy and abusive ex husband, Janice had full legal and physical custody of all three children.  {{That alone is unusual in these times; usually it’s joint both, or joint legal and sole physical:  what decade?}} By the time her youngest aged out of the system she lost custody of  her children, due to family court corruption. Janice was never accused of any wrong doing as she was an outstanding stay at home mother.  {{Again, representing some of the protective mother population.}}

Janice is currently a nurse working on her BSN with a background in Psychiatric nursing. {Presumably that photo is around 16 years old; kids have aged out.  If she’d put her baby’s photo on line with an open case, she might have been threatened with jail, like Ms. Dombroswki has been for doing this as a noncustodial mother.}

OK, so it’s one Mom who knows about wealthy abusive husbands, who lost in court {{might be helpful for understanding politics, methinks}}, who knows that family courts are corrupt, and one respected professional.  Now, what about this protective mothers alliance?  Is it a nonprofit and does anyone in it draw a salary?  Have they built upon prior SUCCESS in this field?  Because many organizations already exist. When did it start?

Janice along with Lundy Bancroft  co-founded Protective Mothers Alliance International in April of 2009.

• LAST YEAR?? ??? I spent most of 2009 researching information from a group that started in 1993, and validating its message.  Based on that the facts checked out, I expanded that information and started blogging the “missing data” that the professionals I guess just forgot to tell me in the prior decade.  Is any such newcomer going to have new information, insight, or perspectives on what already exists in this field and fails to protect mothers?  Has Janic’es veteran status helped her help a single other mother avoid the same pitfall and successfully retain custody, or regain it after losing it due to court corruption?  If that answer is “No” (most of ours would be also), that equals a level playing field unless something new is brought to the table.
  

Co-founded?  Well, who approached whom first, and why?  Did she attend a conference he was at?  Did he advise one of her court hearings?  Howsa about that anecdote?

Does “co-found” plan to be an empire?  Like founding fathers?  I guess so — they move fast:

Since then PMA has acquired {{Acquired?  Recruited??} more than 50 state chapter leaders in 30 states and several countries world wide. They have started a  PMA blog talk radio show dealing with the many issues that involve the continued abuse by fathers through the  family court system. {{Again, not necessarily unique}} Featured guests on the blog talk radio show are professional advocates in the movement with a special spot light {“spotlight“}on giving protective mothers a platform to tell their story.

My Comment:

Protective mothers are very resourceful about telling their stories, and already had platforms.  Two of these are called “The Web” and include (free) blogtalkradio.  Believe it or not, many of us are articulate and resourceful, and some of us even strike it up with a professional here and there, as “Janice and Lundy” have (Is Janice remarried?  Does Mr. Bancroft have a tolerant wife in the wings somewhere? But I guess since this PMA is a “family” it’s good to have a Mommy figure and a Daddy figure around, on first-name basis to the rest of us.) Although it’s nice of them to give us some things we already had, platforms, apparently allegiance is expected in return — because this alliance (and especially recruiting & acquiring all those chapter leaders, persuading them that this is a better platform than the others…) must represent a whole lot of volunteer work, as Mr. Lundcroft sounds quite busy.  Aspects of this uncomfortably remind me of the Unification Church, with wise parents, family squabbles (which Mom — not Dad, who is busy elsewhere bringing home the bacon) is responsible to settle –and unruly children.

SO, I guess (based on this “About Us” description) I get it.  They lean towards the professionals as the centerpiece (called PR) and (for extra credit for the professionals, and PMA that is), non-gagged-by-a-judge Moms — who are already telling their stories, first, IN COURTS, and after that, nationwide, on blogs, on talk radio, and among themselves, and some even publishing, are not allowed to do it in on talkradio and in front of professionals and move over to the PMA umbrella, instead of whatever venue they were under formerly.  Again, not exactly that unique.

Janice and Lundy have started a PMA bi-monthly news letter which is another vehicle for education and exposure about family court corruption. Janice continues to move forward full force in shining the light on the truth about the many problems that children and protective mothers face in family court.

I get it.  Add to the above unique qualities (acquiring a network of  chapter coorinators so fast at least speaks of persuasive or efficiency!), modesty.

WITH THAT INTRODUCTION:

This post wont make sense unless one reads the comment string on this link below, with an exhortation Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? from a group known for backbiting, excommunicating, and pretending there’s persecution when — where is that “persecution, exactly?”  I dropped by to say, “Time’s Up!” on life is  a grade school playground, and a nice monitor would actually make a difference; we must all behave ourselves now….

Getting me irritated sometimes brings out a string of information stored in the warehouse of my mind (from prior research).  I thought it might be interested to post a (pretty much) first-run “rant” (I did pause to add links) that obviously went over comment length (4,096 characters is the common one). Rather than pare it down (what? and lose those choice tidbits and references?) I just moved the whole thing to my blog here as a post, adding a few lengths.  More coherent comments may be found at “rightsformothers.com” which graphically is easier on the eyes.  Those comments typically include blockquotes and links (at least three) and stay unified around the theme.

RE:

PROTECTIVE MOTHERS MOVEMENT NEEDS UNITY

(comments thread — here’s mine, that, as ever, was over “4,096” characters).

Good grief.

My intent in this comment (if approved) is to get enough people angry with me (if that helps) to check out a few non-coalition websites with a different approach than electing ONE set of leaders to speak for an entire nation of protective mothers. Remember, before USA, King George /British Empire was probably saying the same thing. “Why can’t we all just get along?  And keep them taxes coming, Colonies!  You are British subjects, right?”… The key concept is, who is colonizing WHOM in these matters?

Here are some interesting facts (themes) I discovered after following “characteristics of batterers” crowd (thereby losing my kids, or a more to-the-point approach of connecting the dots in the family law system) for a number of years

There are all kinds of interesting things one can learn by just NOT participating in “who’s your Daddy?” (or “Mommy?”) discussions — like these… Here’s a book that sustained me right after my abuse and gave me a vision for getting out of it. It contains zero professional jargon, but spoke to me, and   the women in it all got OUT.

Believe me, I can handle professional jargon in a number of fields; it’s not all “jargon” to me.  Unfortunately, the jargon in these industries frames AND limits the discussion from considering alternate viewpoints or explanations.

THE EVOLVING WOMAN
(google books link)

“The Evolving Woman: Intimate Confessions of Surviving Mr. Wrong.” Lanigan & Blanco. (c. 2000). These are short, written by real women survivors, and give hope.

Want something else to talk about besides who’s IN and who’s OUT –and from women in the system, AND if you would like to do this without promoting everyone else’s products for them, for free? hop on over to Nancy Carroll‘s blog (rightsformothers.com) and read some of its reporting, and I also comment there quite a bit (comments are post-length).

Or mine, as rough as it looks (not bad for someone’s first blog and without regular access to internet, either): “https://familycourtmatters.wordpress.com” . . .. Or any number of others who cover things NOT covered in the $135 or so downloadable book recently being promoted by Mo Hannah and Barry Goldstein. I will get it, when I get $135. To spare, that is. Also see (N. CA site) http://justicewomen.org and be sure to vote in any local D.A. elections and read its section on, does law enforcement have any duty to protect? (i.e., are restraining orders enforceable).

I’ll break ranks with some of my on-line friends and recommend reading — LOTS — of http://www.familylawcourts.com/domestic.html to understand — this person does– the finances behind the industry, and why you don’t ask a Commission from inside any industry on almost Anything to get things done, and how particularly foolish is asking the California Judicial Council to reconsiders its ways, before knowing what those ways are. Those who were demonstrating (West Coast) with a group called Center for Judicial Excellence about shredding of mediation records in Marin County, would be fascinated to find out what the transfer of an entire (that’s nationwide) computer system from PACER to SUSTAIN signifies to whether their own court orders are valid — or invalid. Makes a DIFF, folks. Google those terms, plus ZERNIK.

Guess what. This may lead you to some father’s groups supporting him also, reporting on Richard Fine’s wrongful imprisonment. Guess what. Anyone against corruption is on your side. Mr. Fine is, and what happened to him overlaps with our cause. Or see the lizlibrary.org, and how it’s not good custody evaluators or bad ones, but what are they doing in there to start with? ??? ???? (Therapeutic Jurisprudence). . .

. . . Or, how about the thing about judicial kickbacks, and bribes. It’s not like they “Just don’t understand” but perhaps there are some financial reasons they don’t? By the time we figure out which “Protective Mother Alliance” was the right one, (and, naturally, who is in its pantheon, and who’s head god), there might be no United States — they will be Federalized, like the domestic violence movement has been, and the fatherhood movement, and the child protection industry. I was asked to join PMA because of my research skills, after copying some charts to it in the earlier days. I declined, for specific and private reasons.

Well, one reason was that a quick look at the “Guardians of Truth” newsletter (grandiose, much?) showed, I felt, that the character was more about fan clubs and social alliances (plus Mr. Bancroft’s books and groupings. Notice, a fan of his writings, I have two of his books, have blogged him positively (for the most part) and have never had phone contact, or made that a high priority. However, if you want some little economic analysis behind the rhetoric, do your own audits (or visit my sites or anyone else who does this, PLUS sites ending *.gov).

Again this might be a little hard — a 1983 immigrant Ph.D. molecular biologist (Ph.D. obtained in U.S.) Dentist (picked up as a sideline? I think the guy has some brains…) in Los Angeles area (Joseph Zernik, Ph.D.) who doesn’t appear to have a vested interest (i.e. a product to sell) also picked up some skills in database (computer) analysis. I just heard about this recently, so here’s a few leads: “Computerized or Con-Puterized” by Janet Phelan (references also Kids For Cash and summarizes the problem), she also writes on the Probate Scams, which FYI relates to judicial corruption, i.e., kickbacks.

Guess what. Because these things keep going on, and trashing some women’s psyches (yours might be, too), sooner or later they could be elder incompetents, not just maternal incompetents, as far as someone who wants the assets is concerned. There is a network of judicial/guardianship/AND real estate issues in this matter, which (if understood) will clearly state that “educating a judge” is like Russian Roulette. Not wise to play….

When an L.A. judge throws an anti-trust attorney Richard Fine (also one who uncovered some child support scams, as the L.A. District Attorney Garcetti was sitting on $14 mil of collected child support) in coercive solitary confinement for over a year (age, 69) without a warrant FROM A COURTROOM and the arrest records are later doctored — I think it’s time to take notice.

So, you want “nationwide unity?” Does this mean leadership associated with this [PMA] group plan to take their products yet more national?

NATIONWIDE UNITY? Examples of total tribal “unity” — or else — are found in Nazi Germany, Rwanda, and other countries with similar genocides, or “genocide-like activities.”

I don’t think those are good role models. I disagree frequently with women I associate with on-line. It’s healthy, and sometimes even high-conflict, and productive. If any one of them had pulled this PMA style “gossip girl” or “ex-communication” routine, I’d not bother to revisit their site. Life, and time, is precious. Allocate it well. I’m only visiting this one now because I’m tired of intelligent women behaving like they weren’t (no offence to any intelligent men on this list).

NB: My father was a creative thinker, a.k.a inventor. Let’s not lose these qualities in our culture, OK? Without his NON-mainstream analysis of certain problems long ago, there wouldn’t be Facebook, let alone Facebook security leaks, and Facebook wars. There are IMPORTANT aspects of this system that Lundy’s wonderful books, much as I appreciate them, didn’t tell us, and that the latest one from Civic Research Institute also won’t (I looked at the [free] table of contents & front matter in detail, at least).   For example, who’s footing which bills for whom. You can go as psychological and “they need more understanding” as you want, but a good financial analysis (and corporation genealogies from time to time) will handle that real quick.

Searching the Title of the Civic Research Institute Offering, besides this new publication, others on the same 3 topics already existed, and are getting scholarly sites as follows:

Scholarly articles for Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Custody
	… : The impact of domestic violence on child custody … – Cahn – Cited by 290 Domestic violence and custody litigation: The need for … – Keenan – Cited by 57 Child abuse and domestic violence: Legal connections … – Davidson – Cited by 72

 

RE: Judges just don’t understand.  Yes they do.  They understand, many of them, which side the bread is buttered on.

That’s the educator’s mantra.  When will they understand?  Understanding is directly related to caring; so the key question becomes, what do they care most about?  Go tell the IRS “you just don’t understand” and see if re-educating them about their “attitudes” works, the next time they want answers.

One thing a certain judge in Los Angeles understood clearly, is that a certain attorney was getting too close for comfort.  Response?  Jail the guy without filing charges, “coercive solitary confinement” on a 69 year old man, and falsify the records of arrest afterwards.  Now that news is not breaking, but that PROCESS should be in the headlines, and stay in our headlights.

The irritation in my tone here represents a LOT of legwork, googling, and producing chart after chart from government sites regarding HHS payments to (a) stop violence and (b) promote fatherhood = (c) undermine the process of law in the courts. Plus an awareness of the headlines, and awareness of what network marketing looks like — and this is network marketing, only unlike some groups, we are expected to network market without identifiable, tangible profits to those we are promoting.  For example, like 1% of sales, or discounts on our own purchases.   If this is all about altruism and helping women, then how about donating a percent of profits to legal representation — or, teaching us how to re-purpose information already available, congregate with likeminded people, and assemble and market (for free) a downloadable ebook?  And as a nonprofit?  And/or consult, based on the fact that you were connected enough and smart enough to get positioned in a new market niche? **

** (really:  those are valuable skills, and respected by others who exhibit them.  But when Moms needing help are homeless, on disability from their injuries and STILL not seeing their (minor) kids, perhaps there is a different priority of skillsets — and information — to acquire.  Like yours…)

Most people find charts “boring.” I find them fascinating, when what’s in them may relate to my future, or my daughters’. Or explains the “communication gap” in the courts. I almost never fail to learn something. For example, the HHS ones numbering in the million$$ and saying “Discretionary” “Demonstration” and “Non-Competing” are particularly interesting, lacking even an abstract of their purpose and with a Principal “Investigator” who lacks a web presence. How many Think Tanks does it take to grind the process of wisely choosing what to think about to a halt?

You should see what’s up in Texas these days, multi-million$$ “discretionary” grants. And you should know who’s getting them. I will not — I repeat NOT — give my (on-line or $$) allegiance or time to someone, particularly anyone selling something, or asking me to promote their philosophy in protecting anyone, who doesn’t “show me the goods” in this industry, and who refuses to acknowledge it is an industry. When it comes to custody, show me the testimonials of success (not failure; let’s not make a profession out of failures, pls.) their contact numbers, and their case activity dockets, and who paid which professionals(if any) how much in them

There are some ways to get continued attention and support (speaking for me, at least):

• First of all, if it’s a professional in the courts speaking, PROOF: LET’S SEE YOUR TRACK RECORD (custody cases reversed after switch to batterer, or a challenge to get it to the abuser defeated — using your suggested techniques). If this is a NON PROFIT, I want the EIN# too, because the entire family law system got started, from what I can tell, with a slush found out of the LA County Courthouse. Give me that EIN# and first, we find out if you’re honest about the incorporation (and salaries of CEOs). Anyone running a for-profit or for-PR storefront shouldn’t be leading. They may follow, but they should not lead.
• Second, does your analysis account for ALL the primary principal “players” in this industry? Correctly?
• Does it allow for the possibility of actual corruption and bribe-taking? If so, it doesn’t acknowledge how government works. Let’s not be gullible in this matter, please. There’s organized crime (RICO), and then there’s government doing the same thing, only under the facade of legitimacy. Google “Dianne Masters” case in Chicago Area (these got caught, at least). Generally trafficking in drugs + children go together, and, again, a site: “http://inproperinla.blogspot.com”
• Any consideration that fails to take into account the actual (as opposed to supposed) role of the child support agency (Federal level, “OCSE”) in influencing the child custody business — and compromising the laws at a state level — through GRANTS to the courts – was born yesterday, and is either likely in on something, or clueless.
• Also relevant — I’m fed up with marketing “Risk Assessment,” whether the 1990s version of the more recent version, Borders & McLaughlin marketing to judges. Suppose they’re right even? (They seem reasonable, MOSAIC(tm) and that) why aren’t they fundraising for mace for battered women, or self-defense training? What level of risk would be acceptable for YOUR firstborn, or any others?
• I’m fed up with “Family Justice Center Alliance” concept which was essentially San Diego’s Casey Gwinn’s personal retirement plan, plus a $1 million grant from Verizon, in San Diego, afterwards, inflicted on the rest of us. In Northern California, the (virtually useless) ‘Alameda County Family Justice Center” got funded with a $3.8 million grant, exaggerates its figures of people helped, and the Exec Director was a crony (wife) of Bill Lockyer, appointment not quite above-board, as fund was obtained by Nancy-appointemtn not quite above bboard either O’Malley, D.A. in SF Bay Area. Oakland, being about the 4th or 5th most dangerous city to live in (nationwide) perhaps the appointment of a new D.A. (who decides to a good deal which cases do, or don’t, get prosecuted), maybe this criminal law enforcement CEO’s appointment should be run by the local residents openly, vs. faking openly;. I’m sure other areas have the same types of issues, many of which are not discussed, but could affect life or death.

Protective Mothers need to know about these issues and just not leave them up to others. There are many things Im fed up with, but unlike a judge or custody evaluator, I’m not going to affect your case outcome. On the other hand, if you developed a shorter attention span for nonsense, there’s a lot of valuable, ACTIONABLE information, right on the web. We are not in grade school anymore. There is no extra credit for barking a certain way, or barking up the wrong trees.

Unity among a “movement” is great — IF you have a good product and are totally ethical and honest about what’s going on. However, how about a little free-market capitalism and discriminating consumers, among traumatized parents?

Anyone people wanting to lead should open their books. Personally, I’m in favor of smaller, more localized and focused “salt-of-the-earth” groups who know each other, and hopefully make room for blathering idiots (case in point) with an eye for the odd detail or willing to track a hot lead, as well as the more polished leadership.

Can we dump the social scientists, PUH-LEEZE? If you don’t understand their role, wade through some of my site, I’ll help. This is where tax $$ are going. Get also a working definition of RICO and recognize it in operation. Also, it’s not for the weak of stomach. It really isn’t once the scope of the issues becomes apparent. Look what Jesus did starting with 12, or the 13 colonies did two centuries ago, being out-gunned by the British Empire.

And if you want to cite the civil rights movement hear, or Gandhi, etc. Remember this word: BOYCOTT. And, be prepared; jail might be involved. I have trouble with sign-ins on comments, but FYI I”m “Lets Get Honest” at familycourtmatters.wordpress.com. The blog is a little over a year old, has international visitors, and about 26,000 ** of them so far. (Have a nice day)

** per “statcounter” which got installed before “Feedjit” to right…

This NONPROFIT (if incorporated — I didn’t check) ALLIANCE is beginning to resemble, in website and behaviors (with the exception of the girl-gossip on-line mentioned above) the very same conference-circuit coalitions etc. that are getting co-opted by Federal funding, after which a centralized program theme is more easily distributed through the ranks (Training the trainers) while excluding less popular, and possibly caustic analyses that might put force many of the professionals to find a new line of work, as their role became extinct.  This might put the non-mothers in the group in a better position to understand what it’s like to lose something precious, irreplaceable and which one has put dedicated years into.

BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE.  LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THOSE THAT GOT GOVERNMENT “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE” GRANTS AND WHO WOULD BE QUOTED IN THE HEADLINES REGULARLY, AFTER THE NEXT SET OF FATALITIES:  Notice books being promoted:

I

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So the top point to bear in mind as you read [this book] is to listen carefully to what I am saying, but always to think for yourself.” He maintains this level of sensitivity and even empathy throughout discussions on the nature of abusive thinking, how abusive men manipulate their families and the legal system and whether or not they can ever be cured. Jargon-free analysis is frequently broken up by interesting first-person accounts and boxes that distill in-depth information into simple checklists. Bancroft’s book promises to be a beacon of calm and sanity for many storm-tossed families. click here to order The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics The Batterer as Parent takes the reader inside of homes affected by domestic violence, imparting an understanding of the atmosphere that battering men create for the children who live with them. 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