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A Change of Pace…

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This rarely happens, but I have just been unable to wrangle alien computers into actually saving my blogs.  I am so tired of this topic, and missing my children, and the total roller-coaster of dealing with dishonest people who expect to be taken at face value, year after year.

I never expected not to get free from that situation.  With all the professionals squawking at each other, the people in the field just don’t have proper input.

I have a good post coming up about two major “stakeholders,” and a common heritage.

However, it’s too sloppy to post. (It was up briefly, last 24 hours). 

Here are some older sites or books worth reviewing:

justicewomen.org

 http://www.justicewomen.com/help_family_law.html

Explains difference between family and criminal law, and why we need to continue making our own organizations.

I get so tired of identities and labels being shoved at (mothers, in particular) from different sources.  How’s about a little privacy?  How are people who have no connection to my life, and haven’t witnessed it, going to define it?

I get so tired of the various linguistic “hood-lums.”  Fatherhood, Motherhood, Neighborhood. 

Here’s one book I found helpful:

Front Cover

Book overview

In this practical follow up to Refusing to be a Man, John Stoltenberg uses a combination of case studies, autobiography, checklists and discussion points, to speak directly to men about how the social construction of manhood operates in everyday relationships and to show how these same dynamics drive the behaviour of gangs, race-hate groups, and international imperialism. Readers will find here new perspectives on intimacy, gender, and violence and be pushed to re-examine their ideas of manhood and gender identity generally. Stoltenberg’s new introduction sets the book in academic context, summarising the game theory of gender which underlies all his work.
Limited preview – Edition: 2 – 1999 – 314 pages – Social Science

 

He talks about how one cannot have BOTH “manhood” AND “justice.”  That sounds strange, but it’s expressed well in the book, which has these contents:

http://books.google.com/books?id=6_Zk9th1sPYC&lpg=PR1&ots=0pJUojfgP6&dq=The%20End%20of%20Manhood&pg=PR9#v=onepage&q=&f=false

This is from 1993….

=======Chapter 4.  “How do we know what manhood really is?”

AND THIS; from STREET SPIRIT:

http://www.thestreetspirit.org/about.htm

Which talks about giving others a voice. 

Street Spirit is a publication of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) that reports extensively on homelessness, poverty, economic inequality, welfare issues, human rights issues and the struggle for social justice. For the past 10 years, Street Spirit has been dedicated to empowering poor and homeless people and giving a voice to the voiceless, at a time when the voices of the poor are virtually locked out of the mainstream media.

American Friends Service Committee shoulders the entire printing costs of more than $3,000 per month to give our homeless vendors a positive alternative to panhandling, and to give our readers a progressive alternative to the corporate-controlled mainstream media. Help us remain an independent voice for justice! Please donate or subscribe to Street Spirit.

Street Spirit features investigative reporting about an alarming new wave of civil rights abuses and police harassment targeted at homeless people. Our articles document the struggle for dignity and human rights by low-income psychiatric inmates, street youth, homeless women, welfare recipients, and poor seniors facing eviction. Street Spirit reports with a truly populist perspective from the shelters, back alleys, soup kitchen lines and slum hotels where mainstream reporters rarely or never visit – speaking truth to power and breaking the corporate media’s “vow of silence” about the growing disgrace of ever-widening poverty in the richest nation on earth.

Written by Let's Get Honest|She Looks It Up

March 4, 2010 at 2:54 PM

CFFPP and FVPF, where the word “families” really means “fathers..” [First publ. March 3, 2010 with July 27, 2016 update, and Nov., 2017 related posts referencing this one].

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Post title (updated to identify later posts referencing this one):CFFPP and FVPF, where the word “families” really means “fathers..” [First publ. March 3, 2010 with July 27, 2016 update, and Nov., 2017 related posts referencing this one]. ( With case-sensitive, word-press generated shortlink ends “-pG”).


This background-color and box (text inside borders) is a 7/27/2016 Update

(see related post “SFFI- CFFPP – JustGive...” Published 7/26/2016; see also, same day, “Do You Know Your Social Science PolicySpeak?”

Both those posts have details on CFFPP (the second, more where it fits in the larger picture), but the “SFFI” one is more focused one of its listed “Funders” — “JustGive.org” as a substantial ($32M or so) on-line funding platform — and who THEY are related to.

FORMATTING: This short statement (post) I wrote March 3, 2010, a VERY tough time in my life personally.  I see I was not too “html-competent” at the time (it may have to do with input equipment also, which wasn’t a laptop as I recall).  Apart from that, CFFPP is a LITTLE (size-wise) nonprofit with famous people on its board (mostly unpaid) but somehow two pages of famous foundation funders also.  The corporation/tax return history of this organization reveals some oddball (although not for the field of “fatherhood practitioner” sponsoring 501©3s, I’ve learned since).  Also, several of the links to documents quoted on this page are, as happens, “Page Not Found” over at the CFFPP.org website.  Here in this update are some similar, if not necessarily, identical links:

In the “Technical Assistance Series” — on Fatherhood Promotion:   {{2017 update: both these next two links became broken sometimes between it seems July 26-27, 2016 (my posting this) and late Nov., 2017 (my revisiting this for follow-up information.) lhe website has been updated, so that’s not too surprising.  Large portions of them are quoted below, however.}}

  • Please notice  Esta Soler and Tangir Mangat, as well as Board of Directors CFFPP  — and their organizational or university affiliations — as well as Staff.  Which (unformatted) for this document is:
    • Board of Directors Esta Soler • Interim Chairperson, Family Violence Prevention Fund /Tanvir Mangat • Treasurer, Private Consultant  /Margaret Stapleton, J.D. • Secretary, National Center on Poverty Law /Adrienne Brooks • Private Consultant /Carole Doeppers • Consumer and Health Privacy Consultant /Earl S. Johnson, Ph.D. • California Health and Human Services Agency / John Rich, M.D., M.P.H. • Boston Public Health Commission / Beth Richie, Ph.D. • University of Illinois at Chicago /Gerald A. Smith • IBM /Oliver Williams, Ph.D. • University of Minnesota  {{See “IDVAAC.org”}}
    • CFFPP Staff Jacquelyn Boggess, J.D. • Senior Policy Analyst / Rebecca May • Policy Analyst /Louisa Medaris • Office Manager /David Pate, Ph.D. • Executive Director / Marguerite Roulet, Ph.D. • Research Associate Scott Sussman, J.D. • Legal Analyst
  • http://cffpp.org/publications/TA_Fthd_DomViol.pdf by Marguerite Roulet, also C. 2003, and about “two meetings held in Madison 2001 and 2002.”  Slightly different Board of Directors lineup, starting with “Wendell Primus, Ph.D.” of Center on Budget and Policy Priorities listed first, and Esta Soler, J.D. of FVPF second.

THIS report is based on two meetings held in Madison, Wisconsin in May 2001 and July 2002. The Center would like to thank the Public Welfare Foundation, the Hill-Snowdon Fund of the Tides Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, whose generous support made these meetings possible. We would also like to thank the many individuals who contributed their time and expertise to the meetings and whose on-going work to fight poverty and racism in the U.S. inspires. Thank you Abdillahi Alawy (Public Welfare Foundation), David Arizmendi (Iniciativa Frontera), Adeyemi Bandele (Men on the Move), …

“Sentence” highlit in yellow above is an incomplete sentence, missing a final word (probably direct object) after the word “inspires”.  My posts also have long but grammatically incomplete sentences — on the other hand, I don’t do this with help from major tax-exempt foundations and a significant staff including at least two people with advanced degrees (I see  (Jacquelyn Boggess — J.D. and David Pate, a Ph.D.) or even a budget for the writing.

Because now I know how to show the images, I’m going to add two pages here — the CFFPP people (first image) and the EXTENSIVE “Acknowledgements” page — both the organizations that funded the meetings, and lots of other people…//LGH:

CFFPP (%22Fathers%22 name, co2003) Fatherhd & DV TA, Page 2 CFFPP personnel ONLY viewed Jul2016

click image to enlarge as needed

CFFPP ('Fathers' in org. name|co2003) Fatherhd & DV TA, Page 3|Acknowledgmts| ONLY viewed Jul2016

click image to enlarge as needed

page 2, left, has figures in background, page 3, right is the plain text one.
CFFPP (“Fathers” in its name, co2003) Fatherhd & DV TA, Page 2 CFFPP personnel ONLY viewed Jul2016

CFFPP (‘Fathers’ in org. name|co2003) Fatherhd & DV TA, Page 3|Acknowledgmts| ONLY viewed Jul2016

[the pdf links above produce same result as clicking on the image.  Technological tweak (setting adjustment) on the image upload menu I hadn’t noticed yet, but now use regularly, making the extra “pdfs” unnecessary except where they are for files more than a page (i.e., one image) long].

Next quote (inside this 2016 update) shows Resources and References from this CFFPP “Fatherhood and DV” Document make NO reference to the multi-million-dollar HHS-backed “responsible fatherhood/ healthymarriage” grants stream which — trust me — plenty of the participating groups knew about (see http://TAGGS.hhs.gov to compare which of them may have been recipients).

I notice heavy references to “Oliver Williams” including the “IDAAV” under “resources” which (in this part) doesn’t specifically mention his name, but which he’s basically (with steering committee) been leading — for years… and probably back then, too.  NOTE:  the “IDVAAC” does NOT appear to be an independent 501©3 or registered business entity– at least not in Minnesota, where it’s been operating from:

References

Carrillo, Ricardo and Jerry Tello, eds. 1998. Family Violence and Men of Color: Healing the Wounded Male Spirit. New York: Springer Publishing Company, Inc.

Raphael, Jody. 2000. Saving Bernice: Battered Women, Welfare, and Poverty. Boston: Northeastern University Press.

Williams, Oliver, Jacquelyn Boggess, and Janet Carter. 2001. “Fatherhood and Domestic Violence: Exploring the Role of Men Who Batter in the Lives of Their Children” in Sandra A. Graham-Bermann and Jeffrey L. Edleson, eds. Domestic Violence in the Lives of Children: The Future of Research, Intervention, and Social Policy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 157—187.

Williams, Oliver. 1999. “Working in Groups with African American Men Who Batter” in Larry E. Davis, ed. Working With African American Males: A Guide to Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, pp. 229-242.

Williams, Oliver. 1999. “African American Men Who Batter: Treatment Considerations and Community Response” in Robert Staples, ed. The Black Family: Essays and Studies, 6th edi- tion. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, pp. 265-279.

Resources

• Building Comprehensive Solutions to Domestic Violence: a Collaborative Project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, University of Iowa School of Social Work, and Greater Hartford {{CT}} Legal Assistance—a series of policy and practice papers

Connecticut’s Evolve Program: a 26 and 52 week culturally competent, broad based, skill building, psycho-educational curriculum for male domestic violence offenders with female victims, by Denise Donnelly, Fernando Mederos, David Nyquist, Oliver Williams, and Sarah Wilson. State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, June 2000

• Men of Color Fatherhood Education and Violence Prevention Project, a joint project of the Domestic Violence Program and the Father-Friendly Initiative of the Boston Public Health Commission

National Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community ((Not mentioned — Oliver Williams’ involvement in this..I don’t know also whether the word “National” was ever in its name. See idvaac.org website))
National Latino Family and Fatherhood Institute (not mentioned — See Jerry Tello)

Basically, they (participants/conference leadership) are referring to themselves and their own work. Re: references to states of Connecticut and Massachusetts: AFCC has had a strong presence in both states for years (see my Jun/July 2016 posts for more; not necessarily legally incorporated the whole time) and Connecticut also had — starting about this time — a significant “Fatherhood Initiative of Connecticut” (i.e., statewide)

Shortly after this (and after having corporate status suspended in Illinois) CFFPP underwent a corporate name change — and address change.  This was, however, recorded on an improper EIN#, using “39” where the correct number was “36.”

p17 ONLY, IL (Form NFP112.45:113.60) Appl for Reinstatemt (not stamped %22Rec'd%22)@CFFPP's Amended FY2003 Return as EIN#394038873 (2nd digit should be %226%22) showing Req for Namchange Signed 2-24-2005 in WI (Certific of Diss:Revoc Dec1,20014 (19pp)

p17 ONLY, IL (Form NFP112.45:113.60) Appl for Reinstatemt (not stamped “Rec’d”) @CFFPP’s Amended FY2003 Return as EIN#394038873 (2nd digit should be “6”) showing Req for Namchange Signed 2-24-2005 in WI (Certific of Diss: Revoc Dec1, 20014 (19pp)

p17 ONLY, IL (Form NFP112.45:113.60) Appl for Reinstatemt (not stamped %22Rec’d%22)@CFFPP’s Amended FY2003 Return as EIN#394038873 (2nd digit should be %226%22) showing Req for Namchange Signed 2-24-2005 in WI (Certific of Diss:Revoc Dec1,20014 (19pp)

 

 

 


(End of 2016 Update Section);

March 3, 2010, post (vs. its update, above) Begins Here.

In the last post, a FVPF (Family Violence Prevention Fund) Program targeting fathers was supported by several groups, one of them “CFFP,” a name I recognized (along with most of the others). Which prompts me to finish this draft, a few days old, which began…

“I am tired and ornery today, and instead of blogging current news, I’m going to blog “vocabulary news.” Because I believe the gap between theory and practice in the courts is a vocabulary problem. Yes, you heard me right.”


There’s an established group (since 1995) called “CFFP.” For what that acronym stood for (originally) and stands for (now), read on. It doesn’t take much scrutiny to figure out that what originally said “fathers” now says “family.” On their home page, currently, is a 40 page pdf summarizing the marriage/fatherhood movement in lay terms.

Those at sea in terminology might wish to read this:
Read the rest of this entry »

“Where’s Mom?” and other vocabulary issues

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We have to have a talk about the word “children” and “families” when it really means “fathers.”

 

This is from FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND, a.k.a. “endabuse.org”

FIRST, a little indicator of the funding behind this organization.  But my point is, the vocabulary.  So the charts, are for an indicator, at this point, of the influence. 

For some years, I read materials from this group, and associated groups, and inside, went, “YEAH!  Right-On!” and “THANK YOU! for validating what I (and others like me) already know by experience!”  This is a very big deal when one has been in isolated circumstances and living with a person, or dealing immediately post-separation, with personalities who are still in the gaslighting (crazy-making) mode, i.e., we imagined our own abuse, and that evidence really doesn’t count, etc. 

But I was in the family law system, and the credibility gap between this obvious information and their practice still remained.  I was going through the experiences, without support or help IN THE COURTROOM, because once it hit family law, it was not considered the venue of the federally-funded or other nonprofit DV organizations.  Go figure — once a divorce is filed, or custody action, then suddenly the violence becomes irrelevant?  Not quite, but it might as well be, from the handling in that venue.

So, here’s FVPF.org:

For years, this has been a leading organization in stopping violence against WOMEN movement, but as its funding has changed, so has its vocabulary.

I think it can be identified as a major “player” in this field: (from USASPENDING.gov, I searched on the title).  2000-2010

Federal dollars: $32,245,683
Total number of recipients: 1
Total number of transactions: 68

FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND $32,245,683

It is receiving funds from multiple agencies:

Top 5 Agencies Providing Assistance

 DOJ – Office of Justice Programs $18,464,457
 HHS – Secy. of Health and Human Services $9,607,290
 HHS – Administration for Children and Families $4,071,750
 HHS – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention $102,186

 

Assistance Type

Grants and Cooperative Agreements $32,245,683
Other $0
Insurance $0
Direct Payments (both specified and unrestricted) $0

 

Trend

Bar chart is from the data in the below table

2000Data from census.gov $1,229,542
2001 $1,591,442
2002 $2,466,092
2003 $2,916,044
2004 $1,940,689
2005 $3,573,082
2006 $585,210
2007Data from Agencies $5,243,959
2008 $3,373,812
2009Agencies start send Recovery Act  data $7,825,811
2010 $1,500,000

2009 was clearly a banner year, and the Congress apparently likes this group.  Kids are still getting killed on court-ordered visitation, and sometimes the Moms, and sometimes the fathers too, or bystanders, but this group is going strong for sure.

Top 5 Known Congressional Districts where Recipients are Located Known Congressional District help link

 California 8 (Nancy Pelosi) $5,602,750

Top 10 Recipients

 FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND $32,245,683
 HERE”s ANOTHER SEARCH, from the TAGGS (HHS only) SITE:

Results 1 to 22 of 22 matches. (may not be all:  I just searched on the Institution title on TAGGS.hhs.gov….)

Page 1 of 1   1 
Fiscal Year Program Office Grantee Name City State Award Title CFDA Number CFDA Program Name Principal Investigator Sum of Actions
2010  OPHS/OWH  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FY09 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN – EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM  93088  Advancing System Improvements to Support Targets for Healthy People 2010 (ASIST2010)  LISA JAMES  $ 1,500,000 
2009  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $- 1 
2009  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTERS FOR INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  DEBBIE LEE  $ 1,353,812 
2009  OPHS/OWH  Family Violence Prevention Fund  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FY09 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN – EDUCATION, TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM  93088  Advancing System Improvements to Support Targets for Healthy People 2010 (ASIST2010)  LISA JAMES  $ 31,000 
2008  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTERS FOR INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  DEBBIE LEE  $ 1,323,812 
2007  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTERS FOR INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  DEBBIE LEE  $ 1,394,127 
2006  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTERS FOR INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  DEBBIE LEE  $ 1,145,872 
2005  CB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT  93670  Child Abuse and Neglect Discretionary Activities  ESTA SOLER  $ 496,000 
2005  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 1,240,689 
2004  FYSB  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 1,215,689 
2003  NCIPC  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  PUBLIC HEALTH CONFERENCE SUPPORT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT  93283  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention_Investigations and Technical Assistance  ESTA SOLER, PRESIDENT  $ 102,186 
2003  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 1,133,236 
2002  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 1,113,796 
2001  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 958,542 
2000  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES – SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTER  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 804,542 
1999  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES – SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTER  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 698,710 
1998  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 50,000 
1998  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES – SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTER  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 678,710 
1998  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  LRNI MARIN  $ 50,000 
1997  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES – SPECIAL ISSUE RESOURCE CENTER  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  ESTA SOLER  $ 637,604 
1997  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  P.A. FV-03-93 – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: HEALTH CARE & ACCESS: SIRC  93592  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Discretionary Grants  JANET NUDELMAN  $- 9,549 
1995  OCS  FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND  SAN FRANCISCO  CA  P.A. FV-03-93 – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: HEALTH CARE & ACCESS: SIRC  93671  Family Violence Prevention and Services/Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters: Grants to States and Indian Tribes  JANET NUDELMAN  $ 451,525 

 

Here’s a recent program listed:

National Institute on Fatherhood and Domestic Violence

 National Institute on Fatherhood and Domestic Violence

It’s no surprise that children who are exposed to domestic violence need supportive and protective adults in their lives to mitigate the effects of exposure. The FVPF has created many programs and campaigns in response to this need. We also know that there are many adverse outcomes for children who are exposed, but how can we as a society make it better for the next generation? One way is to create more opportunities for abusive men and fathers to stop their violent behavior and make amends.

Since 2002, the FVPF has been developing a framework, strategies and products to help further the work of keeping abusive fathers accountable, while supporting them to change their behavior. Partnering with batterers intervention programs, victim services, child witness to violence programs and supervised visitation centers across the country, FVPF created Fathering After Violence (FAV), an initiative to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by motivating men to renounce their violence and become better fathers and more supportive parenting partners. As a continuation of this work, in 2008, the FVPF created the National Institute on Fatherhood and Domestic Violence (NIFDV). We are adapting the original framework and guiding principles for use in new and different practice fields and create the next generation of champions for this work.

Guiding Principles of the Fathering After Violence Initiative

The working collaborative behind the Fathering After Violence Initiative developed the following guiding principles to inform its work:

  • The safety of women and children is always our first priority;   {{{OH??? I HAPPEN TO DISAGREE!}}
  • This initiative must be continually informed and guided by the experiences of battered women and their children;   {{Oh??  HOW CAN IT WHEN OUR INPUT IS NOT SOUGHT, we ARE STUCK IN FEAR & LITIGATION OVER CUSTODY, FINANCIALLY STRAPPED, AND FORCED INTO MEDIATING WHAT ARE CRIMINAL MANNERS, WHICH DEPRIVES US OF DUE PROCESS?  }}
  • This initiative does not endorse or encourage automatic contact between the offending fathers and their children or parenting partners;
  • In any domestic violence intervention, there must be critical awareness of the cultural context in which parenting happens;
  • Violence against women and children is a tool of domination and control used primarily by men and rooted in sexism and male entitlement;
  • Abuse is a deliberate choice and a learned behavior and therefore can be unlearned;

LOOK, the courts are either for justice, or they are not.  If they are social transformational behavioral modification centers, then forget the Bill of Rights, OK?  Which is exactly what is happening….

  • Some men choose to change their abusive behavior and heal their relationships, while others continue to choose violence;
  • Working with fathers is an essential piece of ending violence against women and children; and
  • Fathers who have used violence need close observation to mitigate unintended harm.

Personally, I  think this is just about a lost cause.  Get protection for the women, teach them to protect themselves, and allow them to separate.  Acknowledge that if you are going to abuse a woman, you forfeit fatherhood privileges.  I’m sure the message will get out sooner or later, instead of the contrary message now being sent — nothing much will happen….

Public and Private Partnerships:

The NIFDV has been supported by public and private partners including the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Office on Violence Against Women, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Family Violence Prevention & Services Program, Administration on Children and Families. 

This project is being developed in partnership with other national organizations, such as the>> Center for Family Policy and Practice, <<the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community, the National Latino Alliance to Eliminate Domestic Violence, Mending the Sacred Hoop, the Domestic Violence Resource Network, and the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse

The National Institute has three core elements:

  1. Training and Technical Assistance Leadership Academy
  2. Program Practice and Development Center
  3. Information Clearinghouse

Fatherhood has proven to be a powerful tool to reach men in understanding the effects of family violence. There is much to learn in this area and we need to move cautiously forward. Safety for women and children remain the focus and center of our work. By working with fathers in breaking the cycle of abuse, we will enhance the safety and wellbeing of their partners, children, grandchildren and future generations yet to come. ===========

 Fatherhood is not a tool, it’s a role that responsible (versus violent, and intending only to control and dominate) men fill.  It’s not an entitlement. 

Amy Castillo, who lost 3 children drowned in a bathtub years ago, because some judge was smarter than her, when she warned he was unstable and had threatened to kill them or himself (she’s a pediatrician — what would she know?  In family law, she’s just a woman) now is trying to make a difference for future women, and took more insults in public recently.  This link from 2/28/2010 and yesterday’s post, comments on it:

Amy Castillo testified at this hearing, as she tried to get a protective order in 2007, but was denied.  Her husband Mark Castillo had their three children on visitation after when he murdered all three in a Maryland hotel, drowning them in the bathtub.  At the protective order hearing, her husband’s lawyer questioned her (from the transcripts):

Douglas Cohn–Defense Attorney, Mark’s Attorney: “He threatened to kill your children and you, and you made love to him that night.”

Amy Castillo: “Yes, because I’m scared of him.  If I act scared or upset or emotional, he really reacts to that, and I didn’t want him to know I was trying to get a protective order.”

With this, the judge denied the protective order.   Judge Joseph Dugan ruled “There is not clear and convincing evidence that the alleged acts of abuse occurred.”  This left Mark Castillo the opportunity to murder the children.

28.Feb.2010 Maryland Mother Fights to Change Law After Husband Killed Children

Updated: Friday, 26 Feb 2010, 12:26 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 25 Feb 2010, 7:15 PM EST
By Sherri Ly

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – When Amy Castillo’s husband, Mark, killed her three children nearly two years ago she knew he’d carried out his threat.  “He said well really the worse thing I could do is kill the children and not you so you have to live without them,” Castillo said.

Fifteen months earlier she told a Montgomery County judge the same story but he denied her final protective order because there wasn’t “clear and convincing evidence.”  Castillo says she was devastated.

The interim protective order had already angered her estranged husband, who suffered from mental illness and transcripts show had planned to violently end his own life.  “I think he would have had to have hurt them before, in the past, actually physically injured them. All along I felt that you have to actually hurt someone or prove you sexually abused them before you can get any help,” Castillo said.

For her efforts, she is insulted again…

AND we are talking about fatherhood after violence?  Pierce county, same thing:  PARENTING CLASSES to handle an out of control man who doesn’t respect the law.  More important to get those kids with Daddy. 

This post to be continued…

Before cops and man got shot, the ubiquitous “parenting classes . . . . “

leave a comment »

 

This post makes sense primarily if you read the end of the last post, where David E. Crable, in general hell raiser and felon not being treated like one, eventually shot a responding deputy, who then managed to kill Mr. Crable, but ONLY Mr. Crable, thanks to Mr. Crable’s 16 year old daughter, who pro-actively rushed him and grabbed his gun.

WITHOUT a bullet proof vest or training in these situations.  But clearly wi th some prior experience of his danger, and I’d say her “lethality assessment” skills were just fine.

The excellent reporting by Anne Caroline Drake obviously grabbed my attention, and I read some more links, and found out that a superior court judge assigned this man some PARENTING CLASSES & PROBATION before he’d finished his rampages.

So, I looked up “Pierce County Parenting Classes.”  WHere t here’s smoke, t here’s fire, right?

In case you wonder why judges think (apparently) that parenting classes are going to stop bullets, or knives, or violence — perhaps there is a financial connection, eh?  Whether or not, I found this, which we by now should all know is a booming business:

Ari Novick, PhD.

He hails from Southern California, and unlike a lot of families dealing with domestic violence, runs apparently a thriving business, with clientele from the courts, and other places…

 

Ari J. Novick, Ph.D, is a practicing licensed psychotherapist, anger management and parent educator in Southern California. He can be reached at (949) 715-2694, on the web at www.ajnovickgroup.com or by email: ari@ajnovickgroup.com. Dr. Novick’s is an approved provider of the Orange County Probation Department for both Parenting and Anger Management. He is also an adjunct professor of psychology for Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology.

Parenting Classes for Washington

Online Parent Class is one of the leading providers for taking a quality, trusted and approved parenting or co-parenting class. We are an ideal resource for court, legal, social service, probation or personal growth needs. All participants of our online parenting classes will have access to an instant “proof of enrollment” form once signed up. You will also receive an official “certificate of completion” when you finish the class. All certificates are mailed free of charge, expedited shipping is available. Why spend time away from family and work commitments? Take your parenting class from an industry leader. Click here to Register.While we have participants taking our program throughout many counties and cities in the state of Washington. Some of the most common areas include: Brellingham, Cashmere, Eatonville, federal way, Kirkland, Lacey, Lake Stevens, lynnwood, milton, Mountlake Terrace, north bend, Olympia, Orting, Othello, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Puyallup, Renton, Sea Tac, Seattle, Sequim, Snohomish, Spanaway, Spokane Valley, vancouver and yelm

 

Not only is this class getting apparently business from the court, but they also pay a referral fee.  The sticker on the logo says “Court Acceptance Guaranteed.”

Partnership Opportunities

Any business or individual can raise their revenue by becoming our affiliate. Each time you refers a student to this website, and the customer completes our the course, your affiliate account is credited for the amount of the referral. For our online parenting courses, the commission rate is $45 per referral. In addition, the customer you refer will automatically receive a $5 discount. The more customers you refer, the more you will make.

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This process is very simple. We provide banners and links that are placed on your website. Customers directed to our website from an affiliate’s site that completes our course will be counted as an affiliate sign up.

You can also provide your affiliate code to any potential customer. They can type this affiliate code in during the registration process and they will also count as your referral customer.

There is no cost or other obligations for becomming an affiliate. We do screen affiliates to make sure that they are relevant to our products.

Other Parenting Class Locations

Now do you have a concept of what I’m talking about when I talk about the BUSINESS of the family law system?  Most people where domestic violence is a factor have at least some relatives, intimate partners, or children involved.  not all, but a good percentage. 

Those that do, this is what you really need, not weapons or survival training.

I think perhaps we ought to take some common sense lessons from our teenagers, they seem to have more sense in a crisis….

Again, here was the story which led me to this:

Two Pierce County deputies shot; one critical

Suspect also killed; had history of domestic issues

(yeah, “issues” all right…)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Last updated 5:36 p.m. PT

By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

photo

scene of a shooting that involved two Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, near Eatonville. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Two Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies were “basically ambushed” Monday night when responding to a domestic violence call near Eatonville, a spokesman said.

The shooting was the third within two months in which police officers in the Seattle-Tacoma metroplitan area were targeted by gunmen.

  Crable
    Pierce County
  David Edward Crable

The suspected shooter, identified as David Edward Crable, 35, was shot and killed during the incident, which happened shortly after 9 p.m

. . .

Troyer said Crable had lost some sort of custodial right in seeing his daughter, because he had assaulted her in the past.

The deputies were let inside the residence by Crable’s brother but were unaware that Crable was hiding upstairs, Troyer said. Investigators said Crable, who had had some clothing in a bag, fired several rounds.

“It happened in a matter of seconds,” Troyer said. He said Mundell fired at the suspect after being hit multiple times, and that investigators were still piecing together the chronology. He also said domestic violence calls are the most dangerous kind of call.

OFFICERS KNOW THIS !! !!!  WHY DON’T, apparently, JUDGES??

“You have three people shot,” he said. “It’s a horrific scene.”

The shooting was the latest in a spate of officer shootings since Oct. 31, in which at least eight deputies or officers have been shot in Western Washington. Police say all attacks were apparent ambushes. At least five have been fatal.

“She said (Crable) was holding a knife and pointed it at her several times, though she was not scared by it,” Pierce County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brian Wasankari wrote in charging documents. “She said the defendant then escorted her to her room, slapping the back of her head several times.”

When Crable and his daughter got to her room, the girl allegedly told police he “shoved her into the corner, grabbed the back of her head and shoved her face up against the wall, causing her chin to get cut.”

A deputy who responded noticed the girl had an abrasion on her chin.

Crable’s younger brother, 32, had come to the house and confronted him, “but (Crable) grabbed him by the throat and pushed him out of the house,” according to charging documents.

The brother told police that while he was sitting in his vehicle, Crable walked out of the house with a knife and slashed the tires.

. . .

He received two 365-day sentences. All but two days, for which he was granted time-served credit, were suspended on the conditions that Crable pay restitution, show law-abiding behavior and take parenting classes.

Crable was also ordered to have no hostile contact with his brother or teenage daughter.

Written by Let's Get Honest|She Looks It Up

March 1, 2010 at 1:13 PM

When Judges Ignore Evidence, and Women’s Gut Instincts, Again…

with 2 comments

 

I don’t know that reporting problems is going to change them.  Our society is becoming immune, rapidly, but there is clearly a VIEWPOINT divide between the potential victims and those charged — at public expense — with protecting them.

MY common sense says, don’t lean on the broken posts to protect onesself.  What the other legal options are is clearly up to each individual — or relative/friend of someone being stalked — to figure out. 

WOMEN TARGETED BY STALKERS NEED MORE SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT, if not some EQUIPMENT, too, and LESS  TRAINING IN RISK-TAKING BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS SEEKING HELP THROUGH PROTECTION ORDERS

Among the SELF-DEFENSE measures available — sometimes — can include, if possible — LEAVING THE AREA.  Is it better to be totally uprooted, even poor — but alive?  Or well-grounded and respected in the community, hoping the powers that be will do what they are supposed to do,  and staying, until caught by a stalker who went over the edge, or got tired of playing cat and mouse, and went to endgame mode…  Like in the incident reported below.

Again, an “ORDER” is a piece of paper issued by the judge.  It does not possess magical powers. 

When a piece of paper comes up against a person intent on stalking and making sure no one else gets a woman, no matter what, that person is going to get what (he) wants unless he is behind bars.  Even from then, there’s the potential to incite others of similar mentality. 

There’s a real backlash against assertive women in religious circles, at a minimum.  Well, if we can’t be assertive in these situations, what is the option?

From the site Anne Caroline Drake.com

This site has organized commentary and detailed summaries on news events.  These posts are worth checking regularly, particularly if my lack of spell-checking is a hard read. 

 Teacher Murdered by Stalker while Legislature Bickers

Friday morning, February 26, Jed Ryan Waits waited two hours outside Birney Elementary for Ms. Paulson to come to work at 7:30 AM.  She was with a colleague.  Without saying a word, he fired three shots and killed Ms. Paulson.  The fire department arrived within seven minutes to find Ms. Paulson bleeding profusely, but there was nothing they could do to save her life.

Within a half hour, a deputy spotted Waits’ car and pulled him over.  Ironically, it was at a day care parking lot in Frederickson.  When Waits fired at the officer, the deputy returned fire and killed him.

Four hundred children go to Birney Elementary.  The newspapers didn’t say how many kids were already at the daycare center.

What were the options?

Get her a bullet proof vest, and wear it daily?

MOVE, and change her identity, including name and social security #?  Her stalker had military training, and was persistent.  He’d met her in college!!

 This isn’t even an intimate partner relationship.  However, the theme of stalking IS  family court matter, and so I find it relevant.  Continuing, from this website:

Pierce County and Olympia:  What if Jennifer Had Been YOUR Daughter?

Pierce County has a very long history of callous disregard toward domestic violence.  They didn’t lock up domestic violence perpetrators Tacoma Chief of Police David Brame or the DC Sniper or Isaiah M.K. Kalebu or Maurice Clemmons or Darrel Street or David E. Crable or dozens of other people they knew or should have known would kill.

Judge Thomas Felnagle refused to grant bail to a couple of punks who savagely murdered a stray dog, but he let Maurice Clemmons go home to further terrorize his 12-year-old step-daughter, who he allegedly raped.  Maurice Clemmons assassinated four cops in Lakewood while out on bail.

The legislature got all excited when David E. Crable, who had been abusing his 16-year-old daughter for years, killed a deputy sheriff and wounded his partner.  Crable’s daughter Bryona had to rescue the cops {{SEE BELOW}} who were supposed to be protecting her.

Legislature Bickers and Keeps the Status Quo Firmly Entrenched

Did the legislators in Olympia focus on the domestic violence underlying these killing sprees?  Hell, no!  Did they try to pass a law to deny bail to domestic violence perpetrators?  Hell no!

The law enforcement task force focused on protecting the cops rather than people experiencing domestic violence.  Gov. Christine Gregoire, who perpetually evidences callous disregard for domestic violence, according to the Seattle Times:

The original bill proposed by Gov. Chris Gregoire would have let judges deny bail if they determined that the suspect posed a public safety risk, but in order to get enough support in the House, the criteria was narrowed to those who would face a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole and if the suspect is considered dangerous.

By the time the bill got to the state senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Adam Kline, who also has his head up his ass, said:

A prediction of violence is a shot in the dark right now.  We’re not going to have judges deny a consititutional right on a hunch.

(HERE”s MY rant on that).    He happens to be right on the matter of PREDICTING violence.  That’s what the experts do, and want us to participate in helping them do.  Here’s a new one from Michigan I became aware of recently:

 

 http://www.biscmi.org/thelethalityequation/index.html

And here’s the sales plug.  Notice:  WHO (to “whom”) is it addressed?

  • Do you feel like there is more to evaluation than current assessment tools provide, but you’re not sure where to turn?
    Are your current lethality assessments and abuse histories enough to adequately understand and predict future intimate partner violence and sexual assault?
    Would you like to learn more about what to assess with individual perpetrators within your community?
  • If so, join us at this training and learn more about personality issues among those who are violent and abusive to others.

Not to minimize the research and expertise that went into exploring this, but WHY should I want to know more about personality issues among those who are violent and abusive to others.  Isn’t this information already available by listening to their victims?  What benefit will a new set of vocabulary to describe what we already know “dangerous” is?  HUH?

What does a large cat predator do before the kill?  It stalks!

So how much more does one need to fine-tune that, rather than get that woman protection, including if necessary OUT of there?

Yeah, Anne Caroline is right to be on a rant (and I’m out of time, also). 

However, since constitutional rights aren’t going to be infringed upon (when it comes to certain profiles of people), we’ll just have to go back a little further than this Constitution, I guess, and remember some INALIENABLE RIGHTS, the FIRST one of which is to LIFE.  That’s physical, breathing and not having that breathing stopped violently or suddenly by force.  Then LIBERTY.  Being stalked compromises one’s freedom to wander about at will, freedom that people NOT being stalked may take for granted but we (yes, I said “we”) can’t. 

In this country, women attempting to leave violent relationships involving children for the most part CAN’T.  They have to show up again and again and fork over either more funds for court-appointed professionals, or court-associated professionals, OR if they can’t afford this, they too often have to fork over their children to the batterer, or the state.

Just like the anti-harrassment orders in This case (resulting in one dead woman), that too is regardless of court orders.

This is where the “cult of the experts” leads to, logically speaking.  IF “we” (collectively) are going to farm out the basic things of life:

  • Thinking
  • Self-Defense training for ALL
  • Knowing how our legal and economic systems really work, for ALL (male & female, rich and poor)
  • Raising our young and educating them
  • Governing ourselves.
  • Restraining people close to us from violence
  • Also entertaining ourselves without pornography, excesses of drugs, alcohol, violence, or simply mind-numbing idiocy (sometimes I’m not sure which is worse)
  • Respecting people of other faiths or no faith, by which I mean, not trying to press OUR views onto OTHERS’ kids — and this is going to require a hard look at the school system also.  The message is in the system, not just the supposed content of it.  These schools are war zones, and the response is too often to blame the parents.  Parents then blame the schools.  Well, come on folks, it’s an interactive system!
  • Living moderately and requiring that our politicians and leaders ALSO do.
  • Health, Welfare, and things pertaining to general HUMANITY

Then what kind of country is this? 

Rep. Mike Hope and Rep. Chris Hurst, who are former cops, went ballistic.  Rep. Hurst told the Seattle Times:

I can’t remember a time when a couple folks sat down behind closed doors and didn’t talk to their colleagues, didn’t talk to the law-enforcement community.

We will not leave this session without this legislation.  This is the most important piece of criminal-justice legislation in decades.

Amen.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing a half hour after Ms. Paulson was gunned down.  I’m willing to bet they still didn’t get it.

We the People get it.  And, we’re mad as hell at your callous disregard for our safety and welfare.

 Click on her links and learn how the abused daughter protected the cop.

Here’s a sample, as summarized on same website:

Deborah Horne onKIRO7 has just reported that Pierce County deputy sheriff Walter “Kent” Mundell passed away this evening at 5:04 p.m. 

He had been on life support at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle since being gunned down during a domestic violence call near Eatonville in Pierce County, WA on December 21. 

NOTE:  shortly before the holidays…

Police officers had been keeping a 24/7 vigil at the hospital. 

Last night there was a candlelight vigil at the LA Fitness outlet in Puyallup, WA where deputy Mundell worked out. 

His partner, Sgt. Nick Hausner, visited him at Harborview after he was released last week from Madigan Army Medical Center at Ft. Lewis, WA.

Sgt. Hausner credited Bryona Crable, the 16 year-old daughter of David E. Crable (the perpetrator who gunned down the deputies), with saving his life

Apparently, she courageously jumped her father during the close-range shoot-out and took his gun away before he was fatally wounded by deputy MundellHer aunt and uncle pulled Sgt. Hausner to safety. 

HERE is a SEATTLE TIMES account of this incident, in which a pro-active teenager saved what could easily have been more lives, although her own father and eventually a police officer died.  THIS FAMILY knew more about the “danger assessment” of their relative David Crable than, apparently, a Pierce County Superior Court judge, which shows up in prior sentencing to “parenting classes.”  When in doubt, a parenting class will stop bullets, abuse, and change behavior for sure.  Do you think the policy of assigning parenting classes to men who are terrorizing their family is going to change just because it resulted in deaths of a cop, and in essence, Suicide by cop, this time?

Bryona Crable, 16, whose dad shot 2 deputies, is a heroine, possibly saving Sgt. Nick Hausner’s life

December 27, 10:35 AMSeattle Family ExaminerIsabelle Zehnder

December 27, 2009 – 16-year old Bryona Crable is being called a ‘herione’, {spelled like that?] according to The Seattle Times. She didn’t just stand by and watch as her father opened fire on two unsuspecting Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies who were at her home responding to a family violence call. Instead she grabbed her father, pushed him to the floor, possibly avoiding additional gunshots from being fired, and possibly saving Sgt. Nick Hausner’s life.

Deputy Kent Mundell, 44, was shot multiple times by Bryona’s father, David E. Crable, 35. Mundell was able to fire back and kill David Crable. According to Ed Troyer, Spokesman for Pierce County Sheriff’s, Mundell now remains in ‘grave’ critical condition. He is on life support at Harborview Medical Center.

During the shoot-out David Crable was hit. His daughter, Bryona, “jumped on her dad and fought him for his gun,” Troyer said. “He went down and never got up again.”

Bryona ran outside to get help from neighbors and to call 911. She and Jason’s girlfriend, Bridget Warren, protected Hausner by dragging him to another room, barring the door, and administering first aid, “while Bryona went for help.”

She’s absolutely a hero, but she’s also a victim. She witnessed her dad being shot,” Troyer said. “She’s had a bad life at her dad’s hands. She saw her dad shoot two deputies and she stood up and did the right thing and tried to help our guys.”

The Seattle Times reported that Bryona has been in the middle of family fights involving her father whose life, according to court records, was plagued by alcohol and violence.

After the shooting Edward, David’s brother, Bryona, and Warren, were forced to leave their Eatonville home with ‘little more than their clothes’. The property has been ‘torn to pieces’ during the criminal investigation. According to Warren, it took more than two days for them to even retrieve their cell phones.

We’re going minute by minute,” Warren said Thursday morning. “Obviously, we can’t go back to our house, so at this point, everything’s up in the air.”

The three have been staying with friends due to a lack of relatives in the area. They are trying to figure out what to do about a funeral for their troubled relative, David E. Crable.

Background of sentencing? (Maroon print, below, from HERE):

Callous Indifference to Domestic Violence Reigns in Pierce County    

Gimme a break.  Let’s review the myriad opportunities various government officials had to stop Crable:    

  • Spring, 2007:  Crable was hospitalized after threatening suicide.  He was arrested on domestic violence charges against his mother and daughter.
  • June or July, 2007:  Crable’s brother Jason sought a protection order against David because he had threatened “to kill my dogs and damage my car. .We started talking and he started to get upset then started yelling. . .he was going to ruin my life and do anything to possible to mess up my move.”  This was a clear indication that Crable was a pit bull abuser.
  • February, 2008:  Crable was charged with DUI, fined $966, and sentenced to 24 hours of community service.
  • May 18, 2009:  Patsy Jo Crable (his 71 year-old mother) asked for a restraining order against her son David:  “I am afraid in my own home with  him because of the many guns he owns. . .before I left home, he was always threating suicide, and told his daughter he wanted to die. . .The altercations have escalated.  This constant threat of what he’s going to do has caused me great stress.  I have a heart condition, and he constantly gets in my face and tells me he wants me to die.”  She described him as armed, suicidal, violent, and abusing drugs.
  • May 28, 2009:  Crable was arrested at his mother’s home after getting into a fight with his brother, choking his daughter, threatening to punch her in the face, and pointing a knife at her.  All four of the tires on his brother’s car were slashed.  This was the first police standoff.
  • June 25, 2009:  Crable pleaded guilty to a third-degree malicious mischief, to unlawful display of a weapon, and to unlawful carrying of weapons in Pierce County Superior Court.  Judge Vicki Hogan suspended his sentence, put him on two years of probation, and ordered him to pay $800 in fines and court costs, to have no hostile contact with his brother Jason, and to take parenting classes.

OK — did you GET THAT?  They finally arrest the suicidal, assaulting people, threatening people, property damage people who is totally out of control, and escalating, has access to weapons (which kill people, right?) and a (female, but that may not really be as relevant as the system that spawned judges that come up with “solutions” like this) says “be a good boy now, and take some nice, friendly, parenting classes.”

Should we fast forward to the latest AFCC conference about the REAL CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER is not enough funds for court-associated professionals to do MORE parenting classes and behavioral modification programs ???  Sure, yeah…

  • June, 2009:  Child Protective Services (CPS) received a complaint that Crable had assaulted his 15 year old daughter.  The allegations were deemed to be “founded,” but nobody at CPS did anything to protect his daughter.
  • November 14, 2009:  Crable was arrested for a DUI.
  • Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist said multiple protection orders were issued against Crable:  “They are a result of people saying this guy is a danger to me.  I think you can reasonably infer from his history, he had an alcohol problem.”

Crable obviously had more than a problem with alcohol.  But, Lindquist, Troyer, and the judges in Pierce County minimize and trivialize evidence in domestic violence cases.  Perpetrators get a slap on the wrist.  Crable, for example, was never charged with a felony despite abundant evidence that his long history of terrorizing his family was escalating.  He was, therefore, allowed to own guns.  His victims survived the best they could with nothing but a piece of paper to protect them.    

Crable’s daughter wasn’t the only terrified teenager in Pierce County in 2009.  Maurice Clemmons’ daughter was similarly left unprotected after her daddy raped her until her daddy assasinated four Lakewood cops.  Then, the system pulled out all the stops to arrest him.  The people who allegedly aided and abetted him before he was murdered by a Seattle cop are facing serious jail time.    

THE QUESTION IS NOT, IS THIS NOW ROUTINE?  THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THOSE CLOSE TO THEM GOING TO DO, IN LIGHT OF THIS INFORMATION?

Here’s from the Pierce County, WA, website (I went there and searched on “domestic violence.”)  They have a Domestic  Violence Diversion Coordinator . . . .  This is about their Domestic Violence Unit Image of DV unit

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Domestic Violence Unit was established in 1995 in order to more effectively stem the tide of what is a very serious and harmful crime to society.

That’s apparently why, when it occurs, the perpetrator can get “parenting classes and probation…”

The Unit is comprised of detectives and deputies whose responsibility it is to investigate domestic violence related crimes including assaults, property damage, court order violations, rapes, threats, custodial interference, and others. Additionally, Unit members serve as liaison to health care providers, advocacy groups and social agencies to improve identification and reporting of existing instances of domestic violence and develop prevention strategies linking law enforcement and community efforts. We review cases to more quickly identify high rate offenders and high rate victims and direct coordinated intervention efforts toward these groups. We identify high rate locations for domestic violence, especially multi-family housing units. We work with patrol, crime-free multi-unit housing coordinators and social service agencies to focus on early, comprehensive attention to cases of domestic violence.

The Unit also serves arrest warrants and develops new, innovative programs to help deal with domestic violence.

Should you have any questions about the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Domestic Violence Unit or wish to contact us for any reason, please call us at (253) 798-6516.

?? ??? ???

They also have one of those “family justice centers” that are now becoming commonplace. 

Sunburst Header 

 
The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center will work collaboratively to achieve the following objectives:

  • Coordinate and consolidate existing resources to better serve victims of domestic violence.
  • Ensure that services and support provided to victims will address the initial crisis, as well as, the long term needs of victims and their children beyond the crisis.
  • Reduce the number of domestic violence cases that go unaddressed in Tacoma and Pierce County.
  • Ensure domestic violence perpetrators are prosecuted.
  • In working toward these objectives, the FJC seeks to realize the following goals:
  • Provide victims and their children with the tools they need to live a life free of family violence.
  • Reduce domestic violence incidents, recidivism and homicides in Pierce County and the incorporated cities within its boundaries.

 

 

The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center (FJC) opened in December, 2005. Over 800 clients were served the first year of operation. Many of these clients have been to the FJC more than once. Our service providers handled 1200 client visits to the FJC during this time period.

The FJC was created as a result of an interlocal agreement between the City of Tacoma and Pierce County. The City and the County jointly fund the FJC. An Executive Board oversees the operation of the FJC and is comprised of two County Council members and two City Council members and a fifth person of their choosing. The FJC was named in honor of Crystal Judson Brame.

In addition to funding from the City and the County, the FJC has received financial contributions from the City of Lakewood, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department, the City of University Place, the City of Gig Harbor, and the Federal Government.

=================

Oh well . . . .

Hazards of (reporting) Intimate Partner Violence — Chicago, New York

leave a comment »

 

Here’s a woman who got the man out, and then the place she rented tried to put HER out.  USUALLY, the matter is economics, not altruism.

For this one, check out the lively comments following the post.  It dates back to October, 2009. 

(1) In CHICAGO:

Get him out, and risk getting thrown out yourself…  Guilty by association…

The Perils Of Reporting Domestic Abuse

We’ve already written about domestic violence as a pre-existing condition for health insurance {{So have I, on this blog…}}. Now recent cases show that victims who report abuse lose their homes — but people who don’t report it face jail time.

Sara Olkon of the LA Times tells the story of Kathy Cleaves-Milan, who called the police when her boyfriend threatened her and her daughter with a gun. Soon she’d been evicted from her Chicago apartment because a crime was committed there, even though she was the victim and not the perpetrator. She’s now suing Aimco, the company that owned her complex, for discrimination. Aimco spokeswoman Cindy Duffy says, “As the safety of our residents is our top priority, we have a zero-tolerance policy for any criminal activity at our communities.” She adds that “if there is an arrest or a violation, all of the occupants on that lease are subject to eviction,” and that “the basis for that eviction was the fact the violence had occurred.” But, somewhat inconsistently, she also claims that the reason Cleaves-Milan left was that she couldn’t pay her rent without her boyfriend’s help, an allegation Cleaves-Milan denies. Duffy said, “it certainly wasn’t our attempt to penalize her in any way for her situation,” but that’s exactly what the company did.

According to Olkon, federal law protects public housing residents from being evicted because of violence, and some states have enacted laws to protect the housing of domestic abuse victims, but no across-the-board protection for these victims exists — yet another reason for them not to speak out. Complicating the abuse picture further is the status of people who know about it but don’t speak up. Feministe pointed us to the story of Fannie Schwartz, an Amish woman charged with failing to report her husband Johnny’s sexual abuse of two teenage girls. Coverage of the case is a little confusing — prosecutor Danette Padgett says that though Schwartz didn’t go to the police, she “did, at different points in time, report it to the church and the church took care of that situation, in their opinion.” But according to another statement in the case, she “said it wasn’t bothering her like it should have been.” If convicted, she could serve several years in prison.

Feministe links Schwartz’s case to a recent Times article on sexual abuse within Orthodox Jewish communities. In that article, some members of these communities expressed the fear that trying to handle abuse accusations internally protected criminals and allowed them to hurt more victims. And the fact that Fannie Schwartz had to go to church elders “at different points in time” suggests that they weren’t effective at stopping the abuse the first time. Clearly religious communities aren’t always capable of protecting their own, and those who conceal an abuser’s actions deserve to face consequences. But Jill of Feministe handily sums up the complexities of Schwartz’s case:

[I]t’s rare to see criminal charges brought against non-abusers who knew about the abuse and didn’t interfere. Again, I don’t think it’s wrong to prosecute those who aid and abet abuse; I just wonder where we draw the line when it comes to knowing about and ignoring abuse, and how much we factor in obligation to the abused (i.e., in my opinion, it matters more if the person doing the ignoring had some degree of responsibility for the abused – a teacher, a doctor, a parent, etc), and the relative power of the abuser over the person who knew and did nothing.

The power of the abuser is an important concern here — someone who molests two teenage girls might well be capable of severely threatening his wife. And, says Sheriff Roye Cole, there are cultural issues at play in cases of abuse within the Amish community:

Do they even know they need to report it? Who’s going to report it? And how do they report it? I don’t think the Amish community’s going to have a list of phone numbers so they know to call the hotline. They need to know how to help children when they need it.

This last line applies not just to the Amish, but to Orthodox Jewish communities as well, and really to anyone who’s in a position to learn about child and domestic abuse. Both Schwartz’s story and the Times piece reveal the need for better relationships between law enforcement and religious groups, and for these groups to create an atmosphere where it’s easier for victims and those who know about abuse to come forward. As Cleaves-Milan’s case makes clear, this remains difficult, whether you’re a member of a religious minority or not. Many obstacles remain between reporting abuse and actually getting justice, and if our legal system is serious about reducing domestic violence and sexual assault, it needs to eliminate these obstacles.

Image via LA Times.

Domestic-Abuse Victim Says She Was Evicted For Reporting Crime [LA Times]
Amish Wife Is Accused Of Not Reporting Husband’s Sexual Abuse Of Girls [KY3.com]
Amish Wife Accused Of Not Reporting Sex Abuse [Feministe]
Orthodox Jews Rely More On Sex Abuse Prosecution [NYT]

Send an email to Anna North, the author of this post, at annanorth@jezebel.com.

NOTE:  Let’s Get Honest has not checked any subsidiary links on this one.  Others report the Aimco Fiasco, too:

MORE LINKS:

  • Evicted Over Boyfriend’s Alleged Abuse, Woman Files Sex

    Oct 13, 2009 A representative of Aimco, the defendant company that owns and they evicted her, the 36-year-old tells the Chicago Tribune. Although some states have clear laws against evicting women due to domestic violence,
    http://www.abajournal.com/…/evicted_over_boyfriends_alleged_abuse_woman_sues_landlord_for_sex_discrimin/ – Cached
  • Management Company Sued For Evicting Victim of Domestic Violence

    Dec 18, 2009 that they violated the Fair Housing Act when they evicted a tenant as a result of domestic violence against her in her AIMCO apartment.
    shareinc.wordpress.com/…/management-company-sued-for-evicting-victim-of-domesticviolence/ – Cached
  • Clipmarks – Chicago tribune Clipmarks

    Luckily Aimco dropped this fee, but only after the Chicago Tribune inquired. While the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 protects domestic abuse victims housing from eviction, the law concerning private landlords is unclear.
    clipmarks.com/tags/chicago+tribune/ – Cached
  • Clipmarks – Domesticviolence Clipmarks

    POPSEvicted for Reporting Domestic Abuse. ljsdesign Luckily Aimco dropped this fee, but only after the Chicago Tribune inquired.
    clipmarks.com/tags/domesticviolence/ – Cached
  • Los Angeles Apartments 16 thru 25 for Rent – Los Angeles

    She was upset about being evicted. She soaked her mattress in gasoline and set it Do your homework before leasing an AIMCO Apartment – Hello People of
    http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/CA-Los-Angeles-2.htmlCached
  • News

    January 1, 2010. Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Get New Legal Protections Chicago Tribune article by Megan Twohey Domestic-abuse victim says she was evicted for reporting crime She is now filing a lawsuit against Aimco, the company that owns and operates the apartment complex.
    bessconsortium.org/?option=com_content&view… – Cached
  • Domestic abuse call leads to help, then eviction for caller

    A day after the Chicago Tribune asked about this fee, Aimco officials decided to For victims of domestic violence, a call for help can lead to eviction
    http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/legal-services…/13247933-1.htmlCached
  • Family News

    Three weeks ago in family court, reviewing a domestic violence order for protection, the managers of her Elmhurst apartment complex served her with eviction papers for Attorneys for Cleaves-Milan have filed a lawsuit against Aimco, ….. Norberto Rodriguez was fired as a Chicago Police officer in 1997 for
    victimsoflaw.net/Motherhood.htm – CachedSimilar
  •  By the way, this last blog (victims of law.net/motherhood) is worth some serious perusal . . . .

    And here, “HOT OFF THE PRESS” is Page A1, New York Times: . . . . .Remember especially not to report if your abusers is highly placed….(said, tongue in cheek)

    (2) NEW YORK:

    (Not commenting on this here, just posting it.  I have to still digest..  …. My question:  WHAT was that violent situation doing in “FAMILY” court?  Because of a 4-year relationship, the woman had a 13 year old son; but he was not stepdad or anything approaching it, apparently.  This is a criminal matter, and like most criminal matter, it ends up in FAMILY court when a child is even within shouting distance.

    WHY?  That’s a good question.  Maybe the last post (California) has a clue….)
      Click here: Question of Influence in Abuse Case of Paterson Aide – NYTimes.com 
    “Last fall, a woman went to court in the Bronx to testify that she had been violently assaulted by a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson, and to seek a protective order against the man.

    In the ensuing months, she returned to court twice to press her case, complaining that the State Police had been harassing her to drop it. The State Police, which had no jurisdiction in the matter, confirmed that the woman was visited by a member of the governor’s personal security detail.

    Then, just before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed.

    Many details of the governor’s role in this episode are unclear, but the accounts presented in court and police records and interviews with the woman’s lawyer and others portray a brutal encounter, a frightened woman and an effort to make a potential political embarrassment go away.

    The case involved David W. Johnson, 37, who had risen from working as Mr. Paterson’s driver and scheduler to serving in the most senior ranks of the administration, but who also had a history of altercations with women.

    On Wednesday night, in response to inquiries from The New York Times, Mr. Paterson said in a statement that he would request that Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo investigate his administration’s handling of the matter. The governor also said he would suspend Mr. Johnson without pay.

    Through a spokesman, Mr. Paterson said the call actually took place the day before the scheduled court hearing and maintained that the woman had initiated it. He declined to answer further questions about his role in the matter.

    The woman’s lawyer, Lawrence B. Saftler, said that the conversation lasted about a minute and that the governor asked how she was doing and if there was anything he could do for her. “If you need me,” he said, according to Mr. Saftler, “I’m here for you.”

    Mr. Saftler said the governor never mentioned the court case, but he would not say if the call had influenced her decision not to return to court.

    The call also came as The Times was examining the background of Mr. Johnson, whose increasing influence with the governor had disturbed some current and former senior aides to Mr. Paterson.

    Further on in the main article, Gov. Paterson notes he “fessed up” about extramarital affairs up front, lest he become, I guess, a Hot Mike Duvall or a Gov. Sanford. . . . But, us poor folk still get the abstinence education fer sure…

    The governor said he had met the woman only three or four times.

    Mr. Paterson, who has championed the cause of battered women, then made extended remarks on the case of Hiram Monserrate, the former state senator who was convicted of misdemeanor assault against his companion and ousted from the Legislature. Mr. Paterson said he was offended that while the woman had been granted an order of protection against Mr. Monserrate, the senator’s aides had continued to have contact with her and assist her.

    “The order of protection is designed to allow for independence of the victim,” he said. “This victim apparently had no independence.”

    He said the conduct of the aides warranted a criminal investigation, perhaps for witness intimidation.

    “There have got to be some issues or some questioning of this woman not on the witness stand about how she was handled,” the governor said. “Because that’s the whole essence of what domestic violence is. It’s control.”

    One of Mr. Paterson’s earliest steps after becoming governor in March 2008 was insisting that the State Police end any meddling in political matters.

    Mr. Paterson called on Mr. Cuomo to investigate the State Police, saying he believed there was a unit within the agency collecting information on public figures. He said such concerns led him to admit publicly, on his first full day in office, to having had extramarital affairs.

    Mr. Cuomo’s report, issued in September 2009, did not find a rogue political unit per se but did find evidence of political interference by senior police officials, including an episode in which a police superintendent ordered changes to a domestic violence report involving a Republican congressman, John E. Sweeney, to make it less damaging. Mr. Paterson and his superintendent, Mr. Corbitt, had pledged to overhaul the agency.

     

    ALSO IN NEW YORK (12/2009)

    NEW YORK  

    Outrage over convicted divorce judge

    By Thomas Tracy, YourNabe.com

    12-10-09 — The fact that disgraced judge Gerald Garson will be home for the holidays is “reprehensible” and a “mockery of justice,” a group of divorced mothers and domestic violence survivors claimed Monday as they protested the convicted septuagenarian’s early release from prison. . . . “Money talks and Garson walks,” screamed Karlene Gordon as she and a handful of protestors from the Voices of Women Organizing Project (VOW) stood across the street of Brooklyn Family Court on Jay Street Monday afternoon. “Gerald Garson and his partner in crime Paul Siminovsky deceived, corrupted and destroyed lives with judicial immunity and protection. Sentenced to a county club, resort-like prison, then allowed to escape his judicial slap on the wrist, Garson’s early release from jail is a slap in the faces of those lives he irreparably destroyed,” she added. “He will complete his sentence, yet the families he injured, on so many different levels, are still serving the sentence this felon imposed on them. His victims continue to suffer in silence without justice or recourse.” . . . Gordon said she knows about suffering in silence all too well.

    {{Garson case involved a pro-active woman helping get the evidence of bribery in case-fixing.  It’s fairly high-profile.  This response is not over-blown,a t all…}}}

     

    And lastly, California (FYI), from that victimsoflaw.org/motherhood site:

    CALIFORNIA

    You be the judge: A prayer for relief from court sanctioned child abuse

    LA Family Courts Examiner Laura Lynn

    This is the last in a series of the text of a Petition for Writ of Mandate to change venue of a family law case and other relief. You may want to read parts one, two and three first.

    VII. PRAYER
    8-30-09 — The Petitioner has no expectation that justice will be done here. She asked for justice May 27, 2008 from this court, and this court denied her request summarily. The Court is acting criminally and is making a concerted effort to ruin the Petitioner emotionally, physically and economically. . . . The Petitioner is not trained in the law, yet she is held to a standard that is far higher than the standard of the Court itself. . . . I pray that the Court will reconsider its ruling of May 29, 2008 and see that Commissioner Alan Friedenthal should have been disqualified from presiding over this case from the start. . . . Criminal charges should be filed against the parties who altered, falsified, and destroyed court documents. Criminal charges should be filed against the officers of the Court who held these corruptions in their hand and did nothing to further the cause of justice. Criminal charges should be filed in Federal Court against the Officers of the Court who perverted justice.

    Well, my friend, that just isn’t likely to happen.  Do like the woman did in Simonovsky/Garson — follow the money.  It got a slap on the wrist, at least.

    Fort Bragg tries to redeem itself — McNeill/Vargas families reeling…

    with one comment

     

    (See yesterday’s post):

    Today, this is all over the internet.  I’d like to post a few links:  again, as you read, remember that there are certain venues where this IS taken seriously, and others where it is NOT. 

    Save Aaron Vargas

    Target:
    Mendocino County District Attorney, Ukiah, California
    Sponsored by: 

    Please go to http://www.saveaaron.com/ to read more about Aaron’s story and child sexual abuse.

    Aaron endured decades of sexual and psychological abuse by Darrell McNeill. Many others in the small community of Fort Bragg, California were also abused by McNeill.  Victims, as well as McNeill’s former wife, went to the police but no investigation was ever done. Aaron was stalked and harassed continually by McNeill. Aaron was arrested on 2/8/09 and is being charged with killing McNeill. I don’t believe that Aaron had the . . .

    http://www.saveaaron.com/

    Please E-mail the District Attorney and ask for leniency. She is seeking a sentence of 50-years-to-life

    This has a link on the difficult topic of child rape:

    Most perpetrators don’t molest only one child if they are not reported and stopped.

    • At least 20% of child sex offenders have 10 to 40 victims.
    • An average serial child molester may have as many as 400 victims in his lifetime.

    Point in case: 

    Delaware crime: Grand jury indicts Dr. Earl Bradley in sexual abuse of 103 child patients

    Lewes pediatrician faces 471 counts

    By CRIS BARRISH • The News Journal • February 23, 2010

    For nearly two months prosecutors have suggested Dr. Earl B. Bradley, the alleged pedophile pediatrician from Lewes, had molested an unknown number of girls, far more than the nine patients he was charged in December with raping.

     

    On Monday, the Attorney General’s Office made its suspicions official, with a grand jury indictment accusing Bradley of sexually assaulting 102 girls and one boy he treated – a more than tenfold increase in the number of victims originally alleged.

     

    Attorney General Beau Biden expects even more victims to be found.

    The vast majority of the crimes occurred since 2007, the indictment said. One victim, Jane Doe No. 39, was raped 15 times over 13 months, prosecutors allege.

    The case against Bradley could be the worst child sexual abuse by a pediatrician in American history, some abuse experts have said. Biden called it “unique” in Delaware history. Nationally, he said, “I know of no other [case] that has this many victims.”

     

    The case now moves toward a trial that would be held late this year at the earliest. Unless he posts $2.9 million cash bail, Bradley, 56, will await his day in court at Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna.

     

    Investigators from the state police and the FBI have completed their analysis of 13 hours of videotapes, computer hard drives and digital files seized from Bradley’s home and office, Biden said

    That is ONE caught pediatrician…  Back to the other link:

    Vulnerability Factors: 

    Children are vulnerable to sexual abuse because of their age, size and innocence. When a child or youth is molested, she/he learns that adults cannot be trusted for care and protection: well-being is disregarded, and there is a lack of support and protection. These lead to grief, depression, extreme dependency, inability to judge trustworthiness in others, mistrust, anger and hostility. And as if all that isn’t enough, children’s bodies often respond to the sexual abuse, bringing on shame and guilt.

    Points to consider:

    »  Children/youth are unable to protect themselves and stop the abuse
    »  Children/youth are susceptible to force
    »  Children/youth are susceptible to the use of trickery by offenders
    »  Often times, children/youth have no control over their own bodies
    »  All too often, children/youth are unable to make others believe them

    The above factors lead to:

    »  anxiety
    »  fear
    »  shame
    »  a sense of inadequacy
    »  the need to control situations and others
    »  a perception of self as victim
    »  identification with the aggressor

     This link (related) talks about Stockholm Syndrome in terms of survival for the person experiencing abuse.  It is NEVER right to condemn them for staying in it, or failing to break loose.  For some, it is an assessment of life or death; the weight is to NOT speak out.  If society further dismisses, or suspends belief, or (case in point, Vargas) when police don’t act (or can’t for some reason), the person is in worse shape than before he/she started to report, and the doors may shut even more tightly. 

    This can affect family systems, when they become rigidly defined, and outsiders who rock the assigned roles (or secrets) are then perceived as enemies.

    While the psychological condition in hostage situations became known as “Stockholm Syndrome” due to the publicity – the emotional “bonding” with captors was a familiar story in psychology. It had been recognized many years before and was found in studies of other hostage, prisoner, or abusive situations such as:

    • Abused Children
    • Battered/Abused Women
    • Prisoners of War
    • Cult Members
    • Incest Victims
    • Criminal Hostage Situations
    • Concentration Camp Prisoners
    • Controlling/Intimidating Relationships

    In the final analysis, emotionally bonding with an abuser is actually a strategy for survival for victims of abuse and intimidation. The “Stockholm Syndrome” reaction in hostage and/or abuse situations is so well recognized at this time that police hostage negotiators no longer view it as unusual. In fact, it is often encouraged in crime situations as it improves the chances for survival of the hostages.

    Here, from the SF Examiner:

    However, not all of McNeill’s victims were silent about his abuse.

    In 2001, a young man who wishes to remain anonymous to the public, filed a police report detailing the molestation he alleges McNeill committed.

    The family of Jamie Specie also went to police and reported that McNeill had molested their son. Depressed, and apparently unable to cope with what had happened to him, Jamie committed suicide in January 2006.

    Aaron‘s sister, Mindy Gallani, told me that McNeill’s first wife had also reported her husband to the police, after discovering that her oldest son had been molested.

    Not once, after any of those reports did the Fort Bragg Police Department act on the complaints. There was never an investigation conducted into the allegations against McNeill.

    Fort Bragg City Attorney Mike Gogna said of the 2001 complaint filed against McNeill: “nothing ever happened with that report.”

    In July, the Press Democrat spoke to one of McNeill‘s alleged victims, who said: “In a small town you save face. You keep your mouth shut because it’s embarrassing and you don’t want anyone to know.”

    He continued: “Aaron may have made a bad choice, but he did what he thought was right.”

    Why would the police simply ignore these reports? Was Darrell McNeill so adept at hiding his deviant behavior that he was viewed as beyond reproach?

    Darrell McNeill worked as a realtor, and owned the American Home Store in Fort Bragg, selling appliances and mattresses. He was also a Boy Scout troop leader, and a mentor in the Big Brother Big sister program, both of which placed him in regular contact with many young boys.

    Aaron’s attorney Tom Hudson has reported that several young men have given him detailed accounts of the years of abuse that McNeill inflicted upon them. Many of them have said that the Boy scout leader gave them drugs and alcohol before molesting them.

    Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but in this case, it may be safe to say that if the police had acted against McNeill, Aaron Vargas would probably not be sitting in a jail cell today, separated from his family.

    This article relates viewpoints from some other victims.  It turns out that McNeill’s son, here was possibly his STEPson.  Consider:

    . . . Richard Masingale, whose younger brother, James Specie, killed himself in 2006, four days after confiding that he had been sexually abused by Darrell McNeill from the ages of nine to 14-years-old, while in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

    “I attribute the loss of my brother’s life to that,” said Masingale. “Until he was nine he was a good kid. But after [the abuse], he took another path. He didn’t trust nobody in life…My little brother became addicted to cocaine, methamphetamines. He didn’t do well with the pressures of everyday life after that.” (Neither Big Brothers Big Sisters or the Boy Scouts were able to confirm McNeill’s involvement in their organizations. Neither maintains records that go back to the 1980s. But Dr. Guy Grenny, who has been involved with the Fort Bragg Boy Scout troop for decades, confirms that McNeill was involved sometime before 1986 and members of the McNeill family have said that Darrell McNeill was Species’ Big Brother.)

    McNeill, meanwhile, found other boys to abuse.

    His former stepson, John Clemons, said that McNeill sexually abused him from when he was 11 until Clemons “got big enough to where I told him if he ever touched me again, I was going to beat the hell out of him.” Clemons’s mother, Jenny, divorced McNeill when Clemons was about 14. Then, Clemons said, “when my brother got big enough, he started using my brother to get to my brother’s friends. Me, I just stopped bringing my friends around.”

    See also, a comment from McNeill’s Daughter on 

    http://www.sonomacountygazette.com/blog/2010/01/aaron-vargas-murder-trial-examines.html

    http://theava.com/archives/2113

    In Vargas Case, Prosecutors Bring Out the Big Guns

    by Freda Moon on Jan 26th, 2010

    It’s official. The Aaron Vargas murder trial has entered the realm of theabsurd. Facing a tough trial in a county known for its independent, anti-authoritarian impulse, the District Attorney’s office, lead by ADA Beth Norman, has brought in the big guns.

    Norman has solicited Emily Keram to bolster the case against Aaron Vargas. Keram is a nationally-known psychiatrist—and famous for her 120-hour Gitmo interview with Osama Bin Laden’s driver, Salim Hamdan. She later testified as a defense witness at Hamdan’s trial. With Vargas’s trial set to begin on March 1, Norman filed a motion last week that would allow Keram, the prosecutor’s ace psychiatric witness, to evaluate—and possibly interview—Vargas without his lawyer….

    AND SO ON. . . . .

    Judicial Issues in Pennsylvania… since Luzerne Co.

    with 2 comments

     

    I browsed, and thought it appropriate to my recent topics.  This is called a fly-by post.  Read at your own risk.

    http://annecarolinedrake.com/2010/02/16/corruption-in-pa-courts-you-cant-make-this-stuff-up/

    Good Golly Grief, here’s ONE judge of the 40% in Luzerne County, PA who have had to resign or stepped down, or been PUT OUT, some of them for fraud.  When you consider the cases they are ruling on…  This link is from Ms. Drake’s site, above….

    Supreme Court suspends judge serving in Luzerne County

    By Michael R. Sisak (Staff Writer msisak@citizensvoice.com)
    Published: January 21, 2010

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    WILKES-BARRE – A senior judge accused of attacking his wife at their Plymouth Township home Saturday night was suspended by the state Supreme Court on Wednesday, hours after the wife shared details of the alleged altercation in her petition for a Protection From Abuse order.

    C. Joseph Rehkamp, the former president judge of Perry and Juniata counties, will not be permitted to handle any matters, including two capital homicide cases in Luzerne County, at least until his own case is resolved, state courts spokesman Art Heinz said.

    Luzerne County President Judge Thomas F. Burke said he and his colleagues would implement a contingency plan Thursday for the reassignment of Rehkamp’s cases.

    Rehkamp, 61, turned himself in Sunday on charges he assaulted his wife Valerie, 50, after they returned home from celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary Saturday night. Police said Rehkamp pushed his wife down, slammed her into a chair, placed both hands on her neck and choked her, leaving red marks on her neck.

    Senior Judge Carson V. Brown issued a temporary protection from abuse order Wednesday, barring Rehkamp from contact with Valerie or her sons, ages 16 and 18. Brown said he would determine whether to extend or end the order at a hearing scheduled for Jan. 28 in Luzerne County Court.

    In her petition, Valerie Rehkamp described her husband as an obnoxious drunk whose verbal assaults – shouting obscenities in a restaurant and harassing the bartender and waitress – devolved into a physical attack when they arrived home.

    Rehkamp, who Valerie said was staying in Harrisburg with a daughter from his first marriage, could not be reached Wednesday. A voice mailbox connected to his telephone line was said to be full.

    State court administrators originally assigned Rehkamp to Luzerne County in November as a stopgap to handle pending cases left by Michael T. Toole, the latest of the three former county judges snared in an ongoing federal corruption probe.

    The corruption charges and a lingering misconduct dispute have left the court four shy of its normal complement of 10 judges.

    Rehkamp had been scheduled to preside over the capital homicide trials of Donnell Buckner, 35, of Wilkes-Barre, who allegedly gunned down his estranged wife while her three children looked on, and Hugo Selenski, who is accused of strangling a pharmacist and his girlfriend and burying their bodies behind his Kingston Township home.

    Quick commentary — I immediately (first read) noticed the age difference between judge and his wife.  Reading further, she’s a second wife.    The drunkenness and verbal assaults are inappropriate for those in judicial offices.  Do they store up bitterness in court and let loose at home (kick the dog, kick the wife), or is this just normal behavior, daytimes too?  What kind of personality does the role of JUDGE attract these days?  Will the system tolerate HONEST ones?  (I’m sure there are some, who are not as such getting the same coverage….).

    And for some of the rest, per same site:

    40% of the judges as well as the former presiding judge in Luzerne County, PA have left the bench amid corruption scandals:  

    • Judge Ann H. Lokuta was removed on December 9, 2008 by the state Supreme Court.
    • Judge Peter Paul Olszewski was kicked off the bench by the voters in November, 2009.
    • Judge Michael T. Toole resigned after pleading guilty on December 28, 2009 to federal corruption charges for concealing his free use of a beach house owned by an attorney who represented plaintffs in an underinsured motorist case as well as failing to report a $30,000 bribe from another attorney on his tax return.
    • Judge Mark A. Civarella, Jr. and former presiding Judge Michael T. Conahan plead guilty to wire fraud and income tax fraud for taking more than $2.6 million in kickbacks.  They will serve 87 months in prison.

    The New York Times reported:    

    Judge Conahan, 56, secured contracts for [two privately run youth detention centers run by PA Child Care and a sister company, Western PA Child Care] to house juvenile offenders, Judge Ciavarella, 58, was the one who carried out the sentencing to keep the centers filled. . .estimated 5,000 juveniles who have been sentenced by Judge Ciavarella since the scheme started in 2003.  Many of them were first-time offenders and some remain in detention.    

    I’m not sure if I remember the Luzerne case in detail, but it seems to me that one straw that broke that camel’s back was when a young woman, A-student, was strip searched by a school for supposedly having not one, but two Motrins.  The school was unrepentant, and she went to one of these wilderness schools.  And then started talking.. . . . . .  Makes you kind of wonder about the schools systems, too. ….Is this where we learn, along with ABOUT civil rights, that if you’re a minor, yours don’t count?

    NEVERTHELESS, the nonprofit groups are SURE that it’s not financial corruption, but lack of “education” which is why those judges “just don’t understand” that domestic violence is a danger sign, and that mandated court-ordered visitation of a disgruntled father, whether young or middle-aged, after abuse, is just plain damn RISKY.  How much innate intelligence does it take to figure that one out?

    How much money does it take to NOT figure it out? 

    The groups reproducing on-line, and teaching teachers how to teach prosecutors, judges, and almost everyone else, including batterers, what kind of water to drink forgot the old proverb about the horse — you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.

    If in addition (see last post) the same water is paid for and considered mandatory legal education (MCLE), will it STILL be drunk by the attending officials?

    Cobblers see shoes, and people with programs to proliferate on-line (maybe THEY need some “abstinence” education of a different sort) will see a lack of education. 

    Here’s what seems to me to be a new one.  This comes from a StopAbuse link.  Right away, I know the word “violence” just got downgraded.

    The title?

    “Addressing Fatherhood with Men Who Batter.”

    Say, Whah????

    OK class, here’s your question:

    To Whom is this addressed?  WHO is going to “address fatherhood”?

    You just got taught a standard.  Fathers (evidently) who batter still get to keep fathering, so professionals need to guide them into how to do it better.

    Here’s what I’d recommend.  First of all, PRIORITIZE.  STOP — either the battering, or the fathering.  They are NOT compatible.  Firmly tell that ONE or the OTHER is going to stop — and make it clear, permanently — NOW.

    No, we have to try to reconcile that “irreconciliable difference.”

    Me, I wish someone had just told me about Mace or something long ago — might have been an effective intervention and stopped that hitting thing cold.  (Then again, it might not have.  )

    LOOK — speak the language of the people you are addressing.  That’s called multicultural sensitivity, right?  Whether gender, race, rural/urban, or Native American (for the uninitiated, I just spoke some subgrant language)

    Is this current enough? 

    Report details history of “Crook County” corruption

    • By Alex Parker
    • February 18, 2010 @ 1:40 PM

    A report issued today by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Better Government Association chronicles corruption in Cook County, calling the county “infested with conflicts of interest.”

     In addition to naming about 150 convicted county politicians and employees, it outlines a five-point plan for curing the county of corruption.

    “Cook County has become Crook County,” said UIC professor Dick Simpson, one of the report’s authors, at a press conference today outside County Board President Todd Stroger’s office. “This pervasive pattern of corruption must be changed if county government is to provide honest, effective, efficient and transparent government that taxpayers can afford.”

    The report, the third in an ongoing series published by UIC, includes a lengthy list of offenses, ranging from decades-long corruption in the assessor’s office to the offenses in the 1980s and 1990s in the sheriff’s office and more recent instances in the offices of the president and the clerk of court.

    Simpson, flanked by Congressman Mike Quigley, a former county commissioner, and Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association, said the county should take steps to eliminate corruption.

    Recommendations include barring officials from collecting multiple pensions, auditing the county’s operations, and preventing elected officials from working as lobbyists A report issued today by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Better Government Association chronicles corruption in Cook County, calling the county “infested with conflicts of interest.”

     In addition to naming about 150 convicted county politicians and employees, it outlines a five-point plan for curing the county of corruption.

    “Cook County has become Crook County,” said UIC professor Dick Simpson, one of the report’s authors, at a press conference today outside County Board President Todd Stroger’s office. “This pervasive pattern of corruption must be changed if county government is to provide honest, effective, efficient and transparent government that taxpayers can afford.”

    The report, the third in an ongoing series published by UIC, includes a lengthy list of offenses, ranging from decades-long corruption in the assessor’s office to the offenses in the 1980s and 1990s in the sheriff’s office and more recent instances in the offices of the president and the clerk of court.

    Simpson, flanked by Congressman Mike Quigley, a former county commissioner, and Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association, said the county should take steps to eliminate corruption.

    Recommendations include barring officials from collecting multiple pensions, auditing the county’s operations, and preventing elected officials from working as lobbyists

    Did you read that word “AUDIT”?  . . . I did.

    Some people know that fathers’ rights activisit Jeffrey Leving, Esq. hails (or, last I heard, works from) this area.  Then again, so does our current President.  Geography isn’t everything.  Then again, neither is gender, or race, or being (or not being) from a “female-headed household.”  Ah well….

    Well, some of these judges (male and female) speak MONEY.  Sorry to put it bluntly, but too many do.  Batterers speak POWER and CONTROL (which also includes money).  No wonder it’s an empathy thing. ….

    That’s all I have time for today.

    Nothing funded by a GRANT will tell you this..

    leave a comment »

     

    Words of wisdom from “JohnnyPumphandle“:

    It is no longer ‘Our‘ Legal system. The legal system no longer represents Truth and Justice, Fairness, Equity or Principle. Ask any lawyer.

    Today’s legal system is a big (BIG) business that involves a myriad of professionals and nonprofessionals that are strictly in it for the money. The outcome of a legal issue has little bearing on righteous justice, but is strongly influenced by our laws, some of which conflict. The outcome of a legal issue is also influenced by the players in a case and their relationships which corrupt the legal system even more. Yet, no matter how poorly these players perform, they cannot lose. Only you have something at stake.

    The Family Court provides the greatest latitude for Corruption – case decisions can be made ex parte, the courts are given extreme latitude, perjury is not recognized or enforced, psychological opinion is highly regarded, facts are often suppressed, sealed testimony is common, gag orders and cleared courtrooms prevail, etc.

    Unfortunately, bias does exist in our legal system. And it cannot be swayed by you (unless you know someone). Statistically, depending on the locality, the bias can be documented in every direction – some 180 degrees apart. The losers are the litigants.The winners are the professionals that control what goes on but are unaffected by the outcome. The fact that you may have evidence, truth, and right on your side means that you have half a chance of winning in court.

    As distasteful as it may be, working out a settlement is the best solution for a family that is breaking up. The Court must become involved to rule on Divorce and Custody, but the family will be far better off if an agreement can be reached before involving the law. Even in cases where there is violent disagreement at the beginning, compromise must eventually be reached. Attorneys will be more interested in your family’s money than helping you reach an agreement. If each side of the family has an attorney, then the attorneys will be able to ‘protect your interest’ by fostering disagreement.

    There are a number of written guides available at Libraries and Bookstores that provide an outline for reaching an equitable family agreement. (Here’s one).

    Family Court Cannot Punish the Guilty

    The Family Court is not a forum for exposing wrongdoing! If you suspect that a family member has committed a crime, take your evidence to the police. You will have a much better chance of success in prosecuting the wrongdoer. If the police fail to act, it is because the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt – which has been constitutionally established. Trying to punish a spouse or other family member in Family Court is a complete crapshoot. The Family Court Legal System is rigged and the outcome of a case is totally political. The courts have absolute immunity regardless of whether or not ‘justice’ has been rendered or corruption has been uncovered and brought to light. This example shows that other judges may decide to punish a wayward judge but emphatically make the point that all judges are above the law.

    famgrp.gif (6745 bytes)

    (see the rest at the link.  I believe author is Marv Bryer, who discovered L.A. County slush fund through audits, IRS, etc.  )

    Written by Let's Get Honest|She Looks It Up

    February 17, 2010 at 1:19 PM

    Truth is often wrapped in personal nightmares…

    leave a comment »

     

    SEEMS THAT BOTH FAMILY COURT ISSUES AND OTHER JUDICIAL TROUBLES HAVE SOME ORIGINS IN LOS ANGELES. 

    Want to Explore the patterns?

    I’m going to explore this site some more.

    History of Judicial Crisis

    History of Judicial Crisis

    SHORT SUMMARY

    Since the late 1980s, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of Los Angeles County proper, has illegally paid the Los Angeles Superior Court Judges bonus payments, now about $46,000 per year, on top of their already generous salary and benefits, giving them a gross salary of almost a quarter of a million dollars ($249,413) each year, all in violation of the California Constitution. The highest ranking judge in the entire country, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, makes only $218,000, and Federal District Judges receive $157.000.

    As of 2009, Los Angeles County taxpayers have paid over $300 million dollars for these judges’ bonuses . . .

    ~ The Money Trail


    Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors’ Illegal Bonus Payments to Superior Court Judges Have Cost Taxpayers

    Almost $1 Billion Dollars (Known, So Far), Illegally Enriched Developers, And Blatantly Trampled The People’s Rights


    Prologue:

          How much lower might your own tax bills have otherwise been for the past twenty years?  Would there even be a budget crisis in California today, were it not for corrupt actors whose tentacles extend to the top branches of California’s government and judicial system?  

         One man’s gutsy refusal to cower in fear and grovel in acceptance has exposed the tip of an iceberg that the powerful have battled viciously to keep below the public’s radar.  Now, as millions in ill-gotten gains hang in the balance, our hero is thrown into solitary confinement in, literally, the worst jail in all America … Los Angeles County’s Men’s Central.

        Then, from out of nowhere, a miracle!  Then two!

        Now the guilty scurry for cover following the favorable US Supreme Court opinion just issued in a similar case, and the groans of owners of erupting ulcers echo far and wide as Lady Justice’s promise of consequences comes ’round to bear. 

          This is a true story … wrapped up in one man’s personal nightmare.


    “Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.”  —  President John F. Kennedy
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

     “A biased proceeding is not a procedurally adequate one.  At a minimum, Due Process requires a hearing before an impartial tribunalWard v. Village of Monroeville, 409 U.S. 57, 59-60, 93 S.Ct. 80, 83, 34 L.Ed.2d 267 (1972)This impartial tribunal requirement applies in both civil and criminal cases.  Indeed, the requirement that proceedings which adjudicate individuals’ interests in life, liberty, or property be free from bias and partiality has been “jealously guarded.”  Marshall v. Jerrico, 446 U.S. 238, 241-42, 100 S.Ct. 1610, 1613, 64 L.Ed.2d 182 (1980)Thus, this neutrality principle has been applied to a variety of settings, including administrative adjudications, in order to protect the “independent constitutional interest in fair adjudicative procedure.”  Id. at 241-42 n. 2, 100 S.Ct. at 1613 n. 2. And, it has been invoked in the context of post-termination administrative proceedings.  Walker v. City of Berkeley, 951 F.2d 182, 184 (9th Cir.1991) (failure to provide impartial decision maker at the post-termination hearing constitutes constitutional error).  Moreover, any bias in the administrative process in Sue’s case was not “cured” by the subsequent judicial review in state court.”

    “Generally, an adjudication that is tainted by bias can not be constitutionally redeemed by review in an unbiased tribunal.  Fn 15 See Ward, 409 U.S. 57, 93 S.Ct. 80.”  …

    “Nor, in any event, may the State’s trial court procedure be deemed constitutionally acceptable simply because the State eventually offers a defendant an impartial adjudication.  Petitioner is entitled to a neutral and detached judge in the first instance.  Id. at 61-62, 93 S.Ct. at 84.   Ward holds that subsequent state court procedures, even if they include de novo review, can not “cure” bias in the initial adjudication. 16 … The right to procedural due process is ‘absolute,’ and ‘the law recognizes the importance to organized society that those rights be scrupulously observed.'”  (Emphasis added.)

    Clements v. Airport Authority of Washoe County (69 F.3d 321 (9th Cir. 1995)), at 333-334.

    Written by Let's Get Honest|She Looks It Up

    February 16, 2010 at 1:30 PM