Parental Alienation Syndrome: Just How Gullible Do They Think We Are?

From RightsForMothers.com:

August 22, 2009
Parental Alienation Syndrome: How Gullible Are We?

Up for inclusion in the new DMS (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the most widely used psychiatric reference in the world) is the so-called “Parental Alienation Syndrome,” a syndrome invented by the pedophile-loving psychologist Dr. Richard Gardner, who committed suicide eventually. Also up for inclusion again is making women’s menstral cycles a pyschiatric syndrome.

Money-grubbing nutcase lawyers and/or psychologists (in some cases they have both degrees!) work to get these so-called syndromes included so they can use them as a basis for taking children from protective parents (and make more money). They use this twisted science as a basis for their claims…just how gullible do they think we all are? Apparently many judges are, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges are trying to correct this: see Family Courts are Warned They Should Not Accept So-called “Parental Alienation Syndrome”.


Here is a good example of how gullible people can be when you start throwing out so-called “scientific claims”:

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting 2. it is a major component in acid rain 3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state 4. accidental inhalation can kill you 5. it contributes to erosion 6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes 7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

Forty-three (43) said yes, six (6) were undecided, and only one (1) knew that the chemical was actually just plain old water.

The title of his prize winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?”

He feels the conclusion is obvious. http://www.snopes.com/science/dhmo.asp

Ending the Culture of Violence Against Women

Will you judges and state legislators read this, PLEASE?

From The Huffington Post:

Ending The Culture of Violence Against Women: A Critical Healthcare Issue
RJ Eskow Consultant, Writer, Health Analyst

Posted: August 13, 2009 06:33 PM

I was walking down the street in Berkeley many years ago when I saw a man with a knife holding a woman by her hair. He would release her, hit her, then grab her again, using the knife to make sure she didn’t run. A small crowd was gathering around them.

“It’s okay,” he said to the onlookers. “She’s my girlfriend.”

That seemed to stop everybody in their tracks.

We never know how we’ll react in situations like these until they happen. I stepped forward, as I would have hoped I’d do, and told him to let her go. That seemed to break the spell, and several men came forward to stand beside me. “You don’t get it,” the attacker said in a whining voice. “You’re interfering. This is between us, it’s personal.” The police arrived in what seemed like seconds and persuaded him to surrender peacefully.

This story’s been on my mind lately. Last week a man shot up a room filled with women taking a gym class, killing three and wounding several more. Why? Because he couldn’t get a date. Murderer George Sodini was a devout follower of “seduction guru” R. Don Steele, a prime example of America’s culture of objectifying women.

“Who Is R. Don Steele?” asks his Web site, “Steel Balls.” (Pathetic …) It says he’s a dating expert and former Republican National Committee operative who has “a deep, abiding hatred for hypocrites, bureaucrats, poverty pimps and nearly all politicians.” But who is R. Don Steele, really? He’s a creep, a parasite, a sleazebag self-promoter who claims to specialize in teaching older men how to pick up much younger women.

He also must be lousy at his profession. For all his effort and investment in the “Steele” program, George Sodini never did get a date. The lonely, twisted man that fired that gun in the gym might — just might — have had a better life if he hadn’t tried to find that young babe R. Don Steele told him he could have, and had looked for someone appropriate to his age and lifestyle.

To be clear, Steele doesn’t advocate violence or anything close to it. But the culture of violence begins with the idea that women are objects — the younger and sexier the better — rather than fellow human beings with as rich an interior life as oneself. In a diseased mind, an object of manipulation can descend into an object of destructive impulses. Culture has a role to play in reversing the desensitization that comes with soulless sexual role-playing.

So when Chris Brown beat up Rihanna — viciously enough to draw blood — it was especially disappointing to see the rest of the hip-hop community act just like that crowd outside the restaurant in Berkeley. With the notable exception of Ghostface Killah, the typical reaction was like Ne-Yo’s: “”I won’t say who was responsible. I won’t pick no sides … I’m praying for the both of them.”

I like Ne-Yo’s musical and sartorial style. But why can’t he do something that takes real guts and admit that domestic violence is always wrong? Isn’t he brave enough? When one human being hurts another, that’s the one who’s responsible. Period. Full stop. Man up and do the right thing, Ne-Yo. It’s not too late.

Domestic violence is a health policy issue. It adds to the cost of medical care while harming the public’s health. Meaningful statistics are hard to come by — which of itself reflects society’s neglect of the topic — but I recently received a compilation of domestic violence statistics from DASH, the District Alliance for Safe Housing in Washington DC, where my daughter was a law clerk this summer.

In the District of Columbia alone, with less than 600,000 inhabitants, the Police Department received 31,215 “domestic-related crime calls.” That’s one call every nineteen minutes, as DASH notes. Most of these incidents (this site estimates 85-95%) involve violence against women.
The last meaningful federal survey took place in 2000, at the end of the Clinton administration. A Department of Justice survey on the “Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence” found that nearly 25% of surveyed women said they had been raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, partner, or date. That equates to roughly 4.8 million violent attacks against women annually in this country. And many women were the victim of repeat attacks (an average of 6.9 assaults by the same partner).

The study also found that “approximately one-fifth of all rapes, one-quarter of all physical assaults, and one-half of all stalkings” experienced by women will not be reported to the police. That makes DASH’s police figures even more staggering.

It’s curious how blind we become to our own culture. We can criticize tribal Muslim societies for their abuse of women, yet fail to see how ours sometimes does the same thing. What can we do? We can support organizations like DASH, which provides alternate housing for victims of domestic violence. We can press for public policies that address domestic violence. We can speak out against the culture of violence — a culture that’s strengthened every time a women is treated like an object. (I’m talking to you, Mr. “Steel Balls.”)

Oh, and as for the Berkeley attack — she didn’t know the guy. He had seen her through a restaurant window and had become obsessed with her. He just thought people would leave him alone if they believed it was a domestic dispute — and he was almost right.

The police officer who took my statement said they’d picked the man up before for similar crimes against women, but that he was always released with a warning. He said they’d contact me if it ever came to trial, but not to be surprised if I never heard from them again.

I never did.

Police: Man Bought Weapons To Carry Out Judge Killings

From theindychannel.com:

DANVILLE, Ind. -- A man was arrested Thursday after he made threats to kill several people, including two Hendricks County judges, and had bought weapons to carry out that plan, police said. Hendricks County sheriff's Lt. Jim Yetter said Nicholas Suding, 38, of Danville, was angry about a protective order that had been issued against him by Superior Court Judge Stephanie Lemay-Luken. Suding's wife told police that he had purchased weapons and scouted areas from which to shoot.

Armed with a search warrant, police said they found several weapons in Suding's home, including rifles, handguns, a silencer, night vision and ammunition. Officers apprehended Suding as he returned home from work Thursday.

"Suding did admit to purchasing the weapons and making the threats," Yetter said in a news release. " The threats were made against two Hendricks County judges, a local attorney, his ex-wife and her parents, as well as his wife's ex-husband."

Suding was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and was held Friday at the Hendricks County Jail without bond. "We are not going to tolerate this type of behavior by anyone," said Hendricks County Sheriff Dave Galloway.

Suding was convicted of misdemeanor battery in Hendricks County in 2005.

Family Courts are Warned Against Use of So-called "Parental Alienation Syndrome"

From Rights For Mothers:

Here is the new Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department. Again the fake, so-called "Parental Alienation Syndrome" and the use of "parental alienation" is warned against and the Council tells the courts they should not accept this BS.

The only entities that do believe in this fairy tale syndrome is father's rights groups who are fronted by abusive violent men and the Whores of the Court that sustain themselves by use of these false syndromes.

2009: A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department

Page 12:

C. [§3.3] A Word of Caution about Parental Alienation34

Under relevant evidentiary standards, the court should not accept testimony regarding parental alienation syndrome, or “PAS.” The theory positing the existence of PAS has been discredited by the scientific community.35 In Kumho Tire v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that even expert testimony based in the “soft sciences” must meet the standard set in the Daubert case.36 Daubert, in which the court re-examined the standard it had earlier articulated in the Frye37 case, requires application of a multi-factor test, including peer review, publication, testability, rate of error, and general acceptance. PAS does not pass this test. Any testimony that a party to a custody case suffers from the syndrome or “parental alienation” should therefore be ruled inadmissible and stricken from the evaluation report under both the standard established in Daubert and the earlier Frye standard.38

The discredited “diagnosis” of PAS (or an allegation of “parental alienation”), quite apart from its scientific invalidity, inappropriately asks the court to assume that the child’s behaviors and attitudes toward the parent who claims to be “alienated” have no grounding in reality. It also diverts attention away from the behaviors of the abusive parent, who may have directly influenced the child’s responses by acting in violent, disrespectful, intimidating, humiliating, or discrediting ways toward the child or the other parent. The task for the court is to distinguish between situations in which the child is critical of one parent because they have been inappropriately manipulated by the other (taking care not to rely solely on subtle indications) , and situations in which the child has his or her own legitimate grounds for criticism or fear of a parent, which will likely be the case when that parent has perpetrated domestic violence. Those grounds do not become less legitimate because the abused parent shares them, and seeks to advocate for the child by voicing his or her concerns.

To read the entire report, "A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (2009)" by National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department, please click here. This report should be very useful to both moms and dads who are under attack by claims of PAS against them.

Tennessee Murder Suspect Tried to Take Custody of Children From Ex-Wife...Called Her "UNFIT"

If it would have been in Indiana, he would have gotten away with it...court fee paid or not! From The Huntsville Times:

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 By Niki DoyleTimes Staff Writer niki.doyle@htimes.com

The man accused of killing six people, including his wife and her 16-year-old son, once tried to take custody of his two children away from his ex-wife by claiming she was an unfit mother.

According to court records from August 2008, 30-year-old Jacob Shaffer claimed his ex-wife, Elizabeth Shaffer, was "neglectful in the welfare and well-being" of the couple's two children, 9-year-old Arianna and 7-year-old Justin.

The case was promptly dismissed in December when Shaffer failed to pay the $382 in court costs, records show.

Shaffer has been charged with murder in Lincoln County, Tenn., in connection with the brutal slayings of his current wife, 38-year-old Tracie Shaffer, and the woman's father, brother and son, along with the son's friend and a Huntsville man.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials said Shaffer spared his own 4-year-old daughter, who was in the home with his wife at the time of the killings. According to court records and family, Shaffer has at least three children - the two from his marriage to Elizabeth Shaffer, and the 4-year-old girl from his marriage to Tracie Shaffer.

Jacob Shaffer claimed less than a year ago that his oldest daughter thrived in his household, earning better grades and showing more involvement in Sunday school than when she lived with her mother.

Shaffer said his ex-wife had been living with her boyfriend and left the children in his sole custody for months, neglecting to pick them up at scheduled times, according to court records.

The claims went unanswered, and the case was closed in December after a Madison County judge denied Shaffer's request for a waiver of fees based on financial hardship.

The 2008 civil case was the second chapter of a custody battle between Shaffer and his ex, who sued him three years earlier for $7,375 in back child support for their two children.

Shaffer teetered on the brink of a 110-day jail sentence for failing to pay 80 child support payments since the couple's divorce in 2003. Shaffer put down a "large good-faith payment" after the civil court claim was filed, causing the judge to withdraw the order that could have sent him to jail.

Do Children Need This Type Of Father?

Read about Holly Collins and her daughter Jennifer, who made this video, here.

Three Mothers Dead, Three Fathers Under Arrest

From The Indianapolis Star:

3 domestic violence deaths prompt questions of what can be done

By Francesca Jarosz
Posted: June 28, 2009

For Angela Warnock, getting a protective order against her abusive husband was a huge step toward freedom. In the weeks after she obtained it May 27, her friends noted the typically soft-spoken woman was more open to talking about her problems.

But her fatal stabbing June 21 -- a few days before she was to move to Hawaii with her daughters -- highlights a grim reality: Protective orders can't save those whose abusers intend to kill. In cases such as Warnock's, experts say, preventing such a tragedy requires drastic steps.

"A protective order is just not enough. Going to a friend's house is not enough. You need a shelter," said Ann DeLaney, executive director of the Julian Center in Indianapolis.

Police say Warnock's husband, Joseph Warnock, entered her Brownsburg home on Father's Day and stabbed her multiple times. Their daughters, ages 8 and 12, were present. He has been charged with murder.

The death of Warnock, 38, a devoted mother and hairstylist whom friends remembered for her empathy and thoughtfulness, was the third domestic violence fatality in less than two months in the Indianapolis metro area.

In all three cases, the women recently had broken away from their husbands. Experts say this is a point at which victims are at the greatest risk, because abusers think they are losing control.

In May, four of Amenda Yang's children found the 43-year-old dead in her Lawrence home from blunt-force trauma to the head and strangulation. Her husband, Michael Yang, has been charged with murder and violating the protective order she had filed against him.

A month later, Beth Stayer, 34, was fatally beaten with a hammer and tire iron in her Whitestown home. Her ex-husband, Michael Stayer, faces charges in her death.

The number of protective orders filed in Marion County during the first six months of this year is up more than 15 percent, to 1,911, over the same period last year, when there were 1,649. Some experts say the increase can be explained by an uptick in domestic violence because of added stress brought on by the recession.

Nationwide, about 1,600 victims die from domestic violence each year, said Jacquelyn Campbell, a professor of nursing at Johns Hopkins University who authored a nationwide study of intimate partner femicide. At least 75 percent of those victims are women.

There have been 44 such homicides statewide, including 15 in Marion County, since July 1, 2008, according to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which tracks the numbers by fiscal year.

Victims' advocates say protective orders serve as valuable tools that can keep violence from escalating. But their power is limited and depends on how well they are enforced.

Violators of protective orders typically would be charged with a misdemeanor, but in some cases, charges are not filed, said Maria Larrison, executive director at Sheltering Wings in Danville.

Another shortcoming, experts say, is that the system often fails to identify subjects of protective orders who are highly dangerous. That's something Campbell said could be done by evaluating domestic violence offenders or having victims complete a risk assessment.

Some who have protective orders realize their limitations. A domestic abuse victim, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she fears for her safety, said the protective order she received this month has helped encourage her abuser to stay away but hasn't alleviated her worries.

"I'll live in fear the rest of my life and hope to God that a protective order helps me," she said. "But if the law doesn't reinforce the protective order, it's not going to do any good."

On the day Angela Warnock was granted a temporary protective order, she called the Hendricks County Sheriff's Department to report that Joseph Warnock kept calling and harassing her, according to emergency dispatch records.

A month later, during a hearing to determine whether that protective order should be permanent, Warnock testified that the temporary order hadn't stopped her husband from stalking the family. He had called up to 18 times a day, and sent gifts and cards, text messages and flowers.

In the years before she got her protective order, Warnock was generally private about her husband's behavior but had confided that she was verbally abused, said Sally Shattuck, a massage therapist and Sheltering Wings volunteer who worked with Warnock at a Brownsburg salon.

Shattuck said she occasionally would suggest Warnock visit Sheltering Wings, but Warnock always insisted the abuse hadn't elevated to that level.

Advocates in the Indianapolis area are working to increase awareness about domestic violence in an attempt to prevent future tragedies.

A new state law goes into effect Wednesday, giving courts the authority to require a protective order violator to wear a GPS monitoring unit that also informs victims if their attacker is nearby.
Central Indiana's Domestic Violence Network is leading a three-year effort to improve educational efforts and strengthen the way domestic violence-related cases are handled by the criminal justice system, said Julie Marsh, the group's chief executive officer.

Marsh's group also is holding a rally Thursday to bring attention to the issue, and on July 13, Larrison will host a workshop in Brownsburg.

Warnock's friends, meanwhile, are asking themselves what could have been done to prevent the tragedy. Those questions remain unanswered.

"The questions come up, but we've all admitted we don't get it," Shattuck said. "You don't have any idea what goes on behind closed doors."

Message to Our Family Courts: Do Nothing and You Might as Well Be Lending a Hand

A Society Illusively Fixated on Fatherhood

Written by Randi James

This is in response to Hopes rise for progress on fatherhood woes.

President Obama is seen as key figure in campaign to promote responsible dads because he has been a target: a target of the idea of "Responsible Fatherhood" that originated in Illinois (and Indiana):

He is a past co-sponsor of an ambitious fatherhood bill that Democrats Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois plan to reintroduce in conjunction with Father's Day. Many of its provisions are aimed at removing barriers that deter noncustodial fathers from providing financial support to their children.

These men are not well-intentioned. They could give a flying fuck about the needs of Black families, especially women and children. They illustrate Black matriarchal families as the epitome of all of societal ills, citing deceptive research that talks about father absence and sex, incarceration, education, self-esteem, etc. This is crafted in order to continue to subjugate White women...all women.

The "Responsible Fatherhood" money (Courtesy of the Administration of Children and Families ACF) is supposed to be used to help men improve themselves economically, for the betterment of their children. And many of us support this idea. However, when this money is being used to help fathers gain access to their children via joint custody and custody switching (from mothers), we must question the motives.


90FR0025
RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD: CLASSES WITH INCARCERATED FATHERS. CONCURRENT WORK WITH MOTHER/CARETAKER OF CHILD, TO LEARN RESPONSIBILITY
ACF
ACF
$441,387


How does decreasing or eliminating child support benefit children of poverty?

How does establishing or maintaining a relationship with a previously/currently violent father benefit children with emotional problems?

How does alternating custody benefit children with stability and attachment issues?
And much more...

The Black communities have a multiplicity of needs that stem from the intersection of the -isms. We are not well-served by simple notions, especially those that are held by people not vested in our best interests.

"No one objects to responsible fatherhood," said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. "What we object to is the use of very limited welfare funds that are needed for the support of children being diverted into job training and other programs for fathers that are not available to the mothers."

Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said Obama's record on women's rights should help ease any concerns over his interest in fatherhood.

"The president has been such a solid supporter of women's issues," DuBois said. "They know he's not going to do anything to compromise the position of women in their families, and that trust is key in the search for common ground."

Interesting. Notice the lack of the use of the word "mother." When does society talk about mothers, only on Mother's Day? Where in the Whitehouse.gov literature are mothers' issues addressed? This is very telling.

Apparently, women and mothers are indistinguishable--fathers and men are not. If President Obama really wanted to help families, he would establish policies that create stability for children in their current arrangements. Regulating the family through Fatherhood Initiatives is a joke, unless it involves re-framing the negative ideas that many men have about women, mothers, and caretaking.

Some like to speak about how Black men disrespect their own women in their music lyrics, video, and literature. However, these attitudes do not operate inside of a vacuum--they are reflective of society at large. This pitting Black men against Black women serves the agenda of men like Bayh and Leving. We know we have all this booty shaking and titties in the videos, we're addressing it. But who's doing something about all of these homicides and familicides, mostly committed by White men?

It is our greatest hope that President Obama is as intelligent as we thought he was when we voted for him. Not all of us want a dog, a two parent male/female household, and a white picket fence. Fatherhood can't even exist, without Motherhood.


List of Award Numbers, Award Title, OPDIV, Program Officen, and finally Sum of Actions (our tax $$$):

90FR0093
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 450,000
90FR0093
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
OFA
$ 225,000
90FR0082
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD- PRIORITY AREA #3
ACF
ACF
$ 450,000
90FR0082
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD- PRIORITY AREA #3
ACF
OFA
$ 225,000
90FR0079
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 499,104
90FR0079
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
OFA
$ 249,552
90FR0060
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 449,416
90FR0060
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
OFA
$ 223,808
90FR0031
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 2,000,000
90FR0031
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
OFA
$ 1,000,000
90FR0104
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 474,640
90FR0010
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 652,110
90FR0008
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD, PRIORITY AREA 3
ACF
ACF
$ 500,000
90FR0007
F&CS PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD PROJECT
ACF
ACF
$ 460,000
90FR0004
HEALTHY MARRIAGE AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD PROJECT
ACF
ACF
$ 956,109
90FR0103
HSI RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD LEVEL 1 - A COORDINATED EFFORT TO RECRUIT AND ENROLL FATHERS AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT
ACF
ACF
$ 1,500,000
90FR0101
IDOC APPLICATION FOR THE PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD GRANT FOR THE PREP PROGRAM
ACF
ACF
$ 798,740
90FR0098
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD COMMUNITY ACCESS PROGRAM
ACF
ACF
$ 1,900,000
90FR0097
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 922,924
90FR0095
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 950,000
90FR0094
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 440,184
90FR0092
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 694,061
90FR0091
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 1,450,442
90FR0088
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD, COMMUNITY ACCESS PROGRAM
ACF
ACF
$ 2,000,000
90FR0086
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD COMMUNITY ACCESS PROGRAM
ACF
ACF
$ 1,998,000
90FR0085
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD COMMUNITY ACCESS PROGRAM
ACF
ACF
$ 4,000,000
90FR0084
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 1,000,000
90FR0081
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 407,588
90FR0080
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 462,500
90FR0077
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 561,660
90FR0075
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 452,000
90FR0073
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 870,000
90FR0072
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 500,000
90FR0070
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 388,998
90FR0069
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 486,488
90FR0068
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 975,000
90FR0067
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 1,000,000
90FR0066
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 738,664
90FR0064
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 310,000
90FR0063
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 450,000
90FR0062
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 464,203
90FR0059
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 852,000
90FR0058
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 500,000
90FR0057
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 436,671
90FR0056
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD, PRIORITY AREA 3
ACF
ACF
$ 465,533
90FR0055
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 400,000
90FR0053
POMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 500,000
90FR0052
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 350,000
90FR0050
PROMORING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 847,712
90FR0049
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 1,000,000
90FR0045
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 462,000
90FR0044
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 824,000
90FR0043
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 463,999
90FR0042
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 1,410,000
90FR0040
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD
ACF
ACF
$ 500,000
For more info on fatherhood drivel, see: this, and click on some of the posts categorized below.

Dr. Richard Gardner: "Sex with Children is Not a Bad Thing"

In 1985, "Paretnal Alienation Syndrome," or PAS for short, was first described by Richard Gardner, a psychiatrist who wrote that adults having sex with children is not a bad thing. Gardner described PAS as a “syndrome” whereby vengeful mothers employed child abuse allegations as a powerful weapon to punish ex-husbands and ensure custody to themselves. He further theorized that such protective parents enlisted the children in their “campaign of denigration” and “vilification” of the abuser, that they often “brainwashed” or “programmed” the children into believing untrue claims of abuse by the father, and that the children then fabricated and contributed their own stories.

Since 1985, abusers have come to convince family courts to ignore children’s allegations of abuse by invoking parental alienation and Parental Alienation Syndrome. They wrongly claim that mothers are to blame because they are brainwashing their children.

2006 – The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges also discredited the theory. It stated:

The discredited “diagnosis” of “PAS” (or allegation of “parental alienation”), quite apart from its scientific invalidity, inappropriately asks the court to assume that the children’s behaviors and attitudes toward the parent who claims to be “alienated” have no grounding in reality. It also diverts attention away from the behaviors of the abusive parent, who may have directly influenced the children’s responses by acting in violent, disrespectful, intimidating, humiliating and/or discrediting ways toward the children themselves, or the children’s other parent.


One of the most troubling consequences of Gardner’s theory is that, “PAS shifts attention away from the perhaps dangerous behaviour of the parent seeking custody to that of the custodial parent. This person, who may be attempting to protect the child, is instead presumed to be lying and poisoning the child.”


As a result, some children placed in the custody of their abusers have committed suicide; others have run away, and countless others have endured the abuse and are permanently traumatized. In recent years, children placed in custody of their abusers have been coming forward to tell their stories and to warn of the danger surrounding the fictitious syndrome.

Isn't it Time for Someone to Call Cut?

Keira Knightley stars in video to raise awareness of domestic violence for Women's Aid in the UK. WARNING: MAY TRIGGER.

Illinois Judge Didn't Listen to Mother's Concern for Her Sons...BAM! They are Dead Now

About the murder-suicide that happened recently in Illinois, a father killing his two young sons and himself during visitation...from NBC Week:

Family and friends of two slain LeRoy boys say a McLean County judge is just as guilty as the boys' father in their deaths. More than a thousand people have signed a petition calling for Judge James Souk to resign.

Online Petition for Judge Souk To Resign

Amy Leitchenberg believes her boys would be with her now if it weren't for Judge James Souk granting her ex-husband unsupervised visitations. She pleaded with the courts to keep her boys away from their father, Michael Connolly, because she says he was abusive to her, depressed and suicidal.

Now, there are calls for the courts to change and consider those risk factors in cases like this. "If those risk factors are high for a parent to parent, then is there a way to put that protective factor in place," Kim Wells, Executive Director for the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, says.

"There is a lot of protection and I doubt very much that the judge failed in this case," Longtime Peoria Divorce Attorney David Lynch says. Lynch says even though Michael Connolly violated orders of protection, he believes the judge followed the law because he showed no specific harm to the kids. "A court cannot stop a visitation unless it finds the visitation would be dangerous to the child's mental, moral or physical health," Lynch says.

Still, family and friends of the boys are frustrated saying Jack and Duncan's deaths could have been prevented. That's why they're also planning to file a complaint with a Judicial Board in Springfield about Judge Souk's decision. "I do believe this family was failed. That these children were failed and we need to take a long, hard look at what we can do," Wells says.

"A judge is going to say look at what happened to those two kids. Should I be overly restrictive to a very good parent because they might be that one in 10-thousand or one in 100,000. It’s a very nerve-wracking business," Lynch says.

Judge Souk's decision in November does include a psychiatrist report that states Michael Connolly was not a threat to himself or others. Authorities say they believe the father Michael Connolly hanged himself. Meanwhile, the cause of death for his two boys found in the back of his car is not being released because their mother does not want to know.

Funeral arrangements for Jack and Duncan Connolly will be at the LeRoy Christian Church. A visitation will be Thursday from four to seven p.m. The Funeral will be Friday morning at 10 a.m.

Margaret Torre Wouldn't Have Stood a Chance in Indiana's Family Courts

She would have had her son, Joe Torre, taken away and given to her abuser because he was afraid of his dad. Afraid of him because of the abuse his mother suffered. Not because of so-called "parental alienation."



Visit Joe Torre's "Safe at Home" Foundation website.

When Judicial Misconduct Happens in Indiana, Public Action is Taken Against the Bad Judge Only 1% of the Time

Indiana Law - Feature on discipline of Indiana judges

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette published this feature story today on judicial discipline in Indiana. Some quotes:

Of the more than 1,000 allegations of judicial misconduct investigated by a state panel in the past four fiscal years, public discipline was taken against judges only slightly more than 1 percent of the time. But dozens of private cautions - or confidential letters of warning - were issued by the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications, which also dismissed 85 percent of the complaints.

Although lawmakers are subject to public ethics challenges and discipline against police officers is open, state law and a Supreme Court rule keep the vast majority of complaints against judges under wraps. * * *

[N]early all cases are disposed of before the public gets a chance to look at them - either by a flat dismissal or a private scolding. Of 1,013 allegations or complaints filed the past four fiscal years, 801 were immediately dismissed.

[Meg Babcock, attorney for the qualifications commission,] said this number is so high because many of the allegations are actually issues for legal appeal, such as when a defendant is unhappy with a ruling or sentence. The commission focuses only on judicial conduct.

Some cases continue to an inquiry stage - 185 in recent years. During that stage, the judge might be contacted and some basic information gathered. The seven-member commission then decides whether to dismiss the case or move to a formal investigation.

Of those 185 cases, 62 were dismissed and 82 ended in private cautions. Those are essentially letters that warn judges their behavior might be on or over the line of ethical conduct.

"They are usually a minor discretion by a judge," said Ann Borne, a Fort Wayne teacher who served two terms on the commission under former governors Evan Bayh and Frank O'Bannon.
"Whether it stays private partly has a lot to do with the attitude of the judge," she said. "Sometimes the judge is very defensive and that means we have to go further and look for patterns or problems. If there are no priors and they feel remorseful, we may go ahead and do the private caution."

Indiana isn't much different from the rest of the country, where most judicial commissions' proceedings only become public at the point of a charge or when the judge is disciplined.Here is the website of the Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications. The right column of the page provides links to a number of useful items, including Activities, which leads to detailed annual reports for each year. The most recent report covers July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003 and provides a complete review of the complaints received and actions taken during that period.

Also of interest are the links to: Advisory Opinions, which cover questions involving law practices of part-time judges, fundraising activites, nepotism, etc.; and to Disciplinary Function, an overview of the Commission's disciplinary process.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 30, 2004 12:39 PM
Posted to Indiana Law

How to File Complaints Against Indiana Judges and Lawyers

Indiana Judge Complaints

Contact the Indiana Commission of Judicial Qualifications. To file a complaint about a judge in Indiana: www.in.gov/judiciary

An Adobe or fillable PDF complaint form is available online.

Indiana Judicial Complaint Mailing Address
Judicial Qualifications Committee
115 W. Washington Street Suite 1080
Indianapolis, IN 46204



Indiana Lawyer Complaints

Disciplinary Commission handles complaints about lawyers in Indiana. To file a complaint about a lawyer in Indiana: http://www.in.gov/

Lawyer Complaint Mailing Address
Disciplinary Commission
115 W. Washington St., Suite 1165
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Telephone
317-232-1807


Complaints about Indiana Judges and Indiana Lawyers
Each State has its own procedures for filing complaints against judges. All states require a written and signed complaint. Some states have a form for you to fill out. Other States request a letter. Grievances of misconduct usually concern issues of conflict of interest or impartiality. Adverse rulings or judgments are not considered legitimate grievances. You must support the complaint about the Indiana Judge with sufficient documentation. Contact the Indiana Commission of Judicial Qualifications.

All states maintain an agency to process lawyer complaints. These disciplinary counsels can usually be found as a department of the state bar association or as a branch of the state supreme court. Complaints can be filed by filling out a form supplied by the disciplinary counsel or by writing a letter to Disciplinary Commission. Check the Indiana web site http://www.in.gov/ to find the requirements for a complaint about a Indiana Lawyer.