Well I was busy going through some old articles and ran across an article with the heading Record set in child support arrests from www.thedailyjournal.com which was published on December 12, 2007 and written by staff writer James P. Quaranta and just had to make a few common-sense comments.
The article has a few unqualified statements or very vague statements:
BRIDGETON -- The Sheriff's Department set another record last week when they arrested 34 people on child support warrants totaling $657,688.
In a previous sweep of deadbeat mothers and fathers in September, police rounded up 26 people who owed a total of $500,000.
Barruzza said it appears more people are failing to make child support payments.
"I have no idea why," the sheriff said. "They're ignoring their responsibilities but we won't ignore ours."
For one thing, the article doesn't say what the actual income levels are of the people that were arrested, how many were fathers, and how many were mothers. These simple questions are critically in need of being answered because I am willing to bet that the super-majority of the people arrested are indigent or very low-income fathers that still want to be involved in their children's lives but are instead involved in ongoing battles over finances instead.
I also am very interested to know what the current custody arrangements for those individuals that were arrested are, how many of these arrested parents missed Christmas with their children, and how many were arrested at Custody exchanges in front of their own children. It is likely that the progam is just being used by vindictive ex-partners as a weapon to oust one parent from their children's lives. The program hardly focuses on the best-interests of children but rather on bureaucratic financial incentives, especially when children see their own parents arrested by law enforcement around the holidays.
I was particularly in shock that the highest county law enforcement officer that is elected in his County says "I have no idea why" regarding the increase of why parets are unable to meet the often-times steep child support obligations forced on them even though the parents are continuously involved with their children. The common-sense answer would be likely attributable to increase unemployment, illegal immigration, increased participation in food assistance programs, increased poverty, etc. Someone should consider recalling Sheriff Barruzza for participating in such a scam of the taxpayers and being so ignorant.
The child support enforcement program is plagued with fraud, faulty accounting, and continues to burden parents that are actually involved with their children. The program was originally intended as a way to recuperate money lost through welfare expenditures, now it is a tool for middle and upper-class families to continue feuding over finances once they have dissolved their personal relationships with one another. Parents fall into the bureaucratic trap of fighting while government enjoys increased expansion and employment numbers.
The overwhelming number of the participants in the programs are middle and upper-class families that have been enabled to fight on the taxpayer dime. We need to shrink these programs back to their originally intended size and purpose to protect the taxpayer, parents, and children so it cannot be used to oust fit, willing, and competent parents from their children's lives or used to force financial hardship over equally fit parents.
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The child support program is a federally funded grant program under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. The Title IV-D program actually rewards states for encouraging and creating"single-parent families." The program is plagued with unnecessary expenses, fraud, errors, and theft.
The Title IV-D program compensates the states based on expenditures, so the more the state claims it spends the more money the federal government kicks in.
The Title IV-D program is watered down with over participation because the majority of the participants are 200% or greater above the poverty line.
The Title IV-D program does not reward the state for keeping families intact or for encouraging that parents equally participate in their children's physical upbringing.
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Lary Holland, Nationwide Blueprint, Nationwide Blueprint for Title IV-D Reform, Title IV-D, Social Security, Fixed Incomes, Property Tax, Tax Fraud
UPDATE: GET OFF THE BENCH EPISODE 76:Family Court Is a Deadly Business
The Family Court System has its' fair share of problems, but one of those problems that has not had a very thorough review is that it is an ever-increasing "Deadly Business." In fact, I didn't even start thinking about the effects of our country's public policies regarding single-parent custody awards and "unilateral divorce" until my recent involvement and trip in Frederick, Maryland. For the most part, I only looked at the effects inside the courtroom specifically, not outside.
There should be substantial concern over the instant murder-suicides, premeditated murders, attempted murders, murders-for-hire, and drastic number of suicides that are occurring in families that are involved with domestic relation suits or family courts around the nation.
In Frederick Maryland, several families over a six month period of time were reported as having ongoing child custody disputes that resulted in death. There are other reports of attempts at murder-for-hire and attempted murders as well. The most recent eye-opener which drew my attention regarding the Thanksgiving Holiday "massacre" that occurred in Frederick County, Maryland is what prompted me to start searching out other occurrences. Information was indeed easy to find and too numerous to list all of the occurrences.
"On Thanksgiving night, police found five dead bodies in the town of Laytonsville, Maryland at 1.5 acre Unity Park. It is believed to have been a murder-suicide with a domestic related motive. Laytonsville, Maryland is a small town that is located about twenty-five miles away from Washington." (Thanksgiving Murder-Suicide in Laytonsville, Maryland; Associated Content, November 24, 2007)
"A man shot and killed his ex-wife, their three children and himself in a small-town park where they had met for the woman to hand over the youngsters for a visit, investigators said Friday." (Police: 5 Dead in Murder-Suicide in Md; Associated Press, November 23, 2007)
The above is not the first of these type of murder-suicides in the Frederick County, Maryland area. The above Associated Press article also reported in the same article that:
"In April, a father hanged his two young children before committing suicide in rural Boyds, in Montgomery County. In March, the remains of four young children were found in a town house in neighboring Frederick. The father's body was found hanging from a bannister, and the mother remains missing. "
"There is a trend that demonstrates that custody and family court litigation has dire consequences when allowed to continue as adversarial proceedings. One party often finds themselves at the tail-end of a powerstruggle that results in a level of hopelessness. When someone feels that they have nothing else to lose, they can become unpredictable," states Lary Holland, Host of Get Your Justice Live and author of this document.
Looking through the various newspapers there are demonstratively a large number of articles that support that ongoing adversarial child custody disputes are resulting in disastrous conseqences. Pro Wresler, Chris Benoit, is one of those cases that resulted in a murder-suicide, along with the high-profile case of Darren Mack who was involved in the shooting of a family court judge and the slaying of his ex-wife.
Annie Gowen of the Washington Post on February 20, 2002 in her article, Custody Battle Probed in Double Slaying:
In the cold pre-dawn hours Friday, Alan G. Bates left his Frederick town house to fly to Birmingham for a deposition in a bitter child custody battle with his ex-wife.
Later, in Birmingham, Bates and his ex-wife, Jessica McCord, faced off over a conference table in a downtown law office.
Bates had planned to pick up his two daughters for the weekend that night. Instead, his body and the body of a woman [were discovered].
Nelson Hernandez also of the Washington Post on September 28, 1005 in his article, 2nd Trial of Lawyer Accused in Plot to Kill Husband Opens; Prosecutors Cite Lost Custody Battle states:
The Bethesda lawyer accused of conspiring with her best friend to kill her estranged husband as a way of resolving a bitter child custody battle went on trial in Frederick County yesterday, nine months after Maryland's highest court threw out her conviction by a Montgomery County jury.
The Wichita Eagle on April 4, 2003 reported in the article Child Custody At Heart of Murder-Suicide that:
When Eric Leckenby confronted his girlfriend's ex-husband with a gun Wednesday, he had already decided neither man would leave alive.
The Miami Herald reported on December 5, 2007 in an article entitled Tragic Couple Went to BSO Before Dying, "A Weston man and his wife visited the Broward Sheriff's Office the day before they perished in a murder-suicide" and further stated that:
"Her husband, Frank, was with her and, according to the BSO report, they were there to discuss ''a child custody'' dispute.
The BSO log, obtained by The Miami Herald, indicates the couple, who were in the midst of a bitter divorce, arrived about 5:30 p.m. and stayed in the lobby of BSO's Weston office for 45 minutes."
The Fresno Bee reported on December 4, 2007 in an article carrying the title Dead Couple Fought Over Custody, "Pair in Tulare murder-suicide sought court orderes" and further stated that:
"TULARE -- A bitter dispute over custody of a 17-month-old daughter may have factored into a late-night murder-suicide in a dark cemetery."
Some of the most recent deaths also have occured in Michigan, where two families in as many weeks have had custody disputes surrounding plots to murder other family members. "The issue of post custody hearing slayings goes beyond the simple issue of domestic violence and is indicative of a larger problem with the system itself," states Holland.
"PULLMAN -- Investigators believe the death of a 19-year-old woman Tuesday at a house in Allegan County's Casco Township may have been linked to an ongoing child-custody issue, police said."
Other papers covering the aforementioned story in Alleghan county slated the story as being the second tragic incident in the past week, which should raise significant pressures on the local family court to explain what some of the possible factors are in the most recent tragedies. One of the tragedies involved an ex-wife allegedly using her current husband to kill her ex-husband which was widely reported in Western Michigan.
Similar plots and outcomes were involved in at least four known cases of domestic dispute slayings in the past year around Michigan involving Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit, a mutilation story, and now the two Alleghan incidents.
Given that the divorce rate is certainly not on the decline and no expectation of a decline over couples fighting over money, power, and children in the future, there should be a reasonable prediction that there are more tragedies to come. "A serious review of the family courts nationwide should be placed as a high priority when selecting candidates for the upcoming election because the current social institution has definitely failed the families listed in this article," states Holland.
For more information about Lary Holland, visit his website at http://www.laryholland.com.
You can contact him at 800-883-9619 x2 for further comment.
UPDATED (2-11-2008) Stories Continue to come in and will be updated under this topic line.
The authorities say he killed her - perhaps by choking her -- to end an acrimonious divorce and child custody battle. (Last Prosecution Witness to Take Stand in Hans Reiser Murder Trial; Defense to Get Case, February 11, 2008, Wired Blog Network)
UPDATED (2-12-2008) Closing Arguments in Ex-Officer's Trial: More Family Court Death
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — A former police officer intentionally killed his pregnant lover to get out of child support payments, a prosecutor told jurors during his closing argument Tuesday. (Closing Arguments in Ex-Officer's Trial; Associated Press, February 12, 2008)
UPDATED (3-18-2008) Geary man accused of attempted murder-for-hire.
CALUMET, Okla. (AP) - A Geary man is behind bars after authorities say he tried to hire someone to kill his wife and her parents.
David Phillips was arrested outside a Calumet restaurant Sunday after the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation monitored a conversation between him and a private investigator he hired during a child custody battle with his wife. (Geary man accused of attempted murder-for-hire; Associated Press; March 18, 2008 Orig.)
UPDATED (3-11-2008) Wife Stabs Husband in Phoenix during talk about divorce
A Phoenix woman stabbed her husband with a knife then pepper sprayed him on Monday during an argument about divorce proceedings. (Wife stabs husband in Phoneix during talk about divorce; March 11, 2008 Orig)
UPDATED (3-19-2008) Father and son, 10, dead in apparent murder-suicide
FORT STEVENS STATE PARK, Ore. - Clatsop County officials are investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving a Portland man and his 10-year-old son.
Investigators say the father, 49-year-old Rockland Stephens, ran a hose from the tail pipe into the cab of the vehicle. They said the man and boy both likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The deaths reportedly come shortly after events connected to a child custody battle. (Father and son, 10, dead in apparent murder-suicide; Katu.Com; March 19, 2008 Orig)
UPDATED (3-29-2008) Clark County man sentence Friday to more than 53 years in prison
A Clark County man was sentenced Friday to more than 53 years in prison for offering to pay four men to beat or kill his estranged wife last year during contentious divorce and child custody proceedings.
(Reported in the Oregonian. March 29, 2008. Link not available.)
UPDATED (6-29-2008) Shooter kills 2, self in Cambria Township
EBENSBURG — A child-custody dispute led to an exchange of gunfire between a divorced couple and ended in a double murder and suicide.
Cambria Township police were dispatched just before 3 a.m. Sunday to the 1200 block of Allie Buck Road in Cambria Township after reports of a break-in.
Instead, they found themselves in a standoff with David Gerlach, 42, of Ebensburg.
Gerlach allegedly became agitated late Saturday or early Sunday with his ex-wife, Debra Gerlach, 41, who was living in the Cambria Township residence, which was in the process of being sold.
According to Cambria County Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski, David Gerlach went to the residence with his handgun.
"There were two guns in the residence,” Kwiatkowski said. “One was Debra’s and one was the shooter’s. They exchanged gunfire at some point.” (Shooter Kills 2, self in Cambria Township; The Tribune-Democrat; June 29, 2008 Orig.)
UPDATED: (7-07-2008) Convicted Husband leads Calif. Police to a body (ReiserFS inventor convicted of killing as a result of adversarial child custody proceedings.)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A prominent software programmer who had denied having anything to do with his estranged wife's disappearance even after he was convicted of her murder led police Monday to what is believed to be her body, defense attorneys said.
The two were involved in a bitter custody dispute, traces of her blood were found in his home and car and witnesses testified she would never have left her children. (Convicted Husband leads Calif. Police to a body; Associated Press; July 7, 2008; Orig)
UPDATED: (7-07-2008) Police hunt man accused of shooting estranged wife
PORTOLA HILLS - The couple had hostile encounters when exchanging custody of their 9-year-old son in the past, and on Wednesday eveningauthorities said, 46-year-old Lonnie Ramos grabbed a 9mm and shot his estranged wife in the face.
After she filed for divorce in May 2003, Gynnae Ramos sought to reduce the amount of time that Lonnie Ramos had custody of their son, stating she had been threatened by Ramos and she was afraid he would take out his anger on their child. (Police hunt man accused of shooting estranged wife; OC Register; July 3, 2008 Orig.)
UPDATED: (7-17-2008) Holland martial-arts instructor tried to hire undercover cop as hit man
Police arrested Ung, 42, of Holland, at his school Wednesday night, apparently while students were in the building. Court documents show he tried to hire a man to kill Linda Siripanya, a woman with whom he has battled in court since 2003 over custody of their daughter.
Holland Police would not divulge a motive, but Ottawa Count Circuit Court documents reveal a contentious court struggle between Ung and his former girlfriend, with each firing accusations against the other. Each had tried more than once to get judges to issue personal protection orders against the other, and both claimed threats by the other. (Holland martial-arts instructor tried to hire undercover cop as hit man; Grand Rapids Press; July 17, 2008 Orig.)
UPDATED: (8-5-2008) Richmond Woman Charged in Murder-For-Hire
A Richmond woman who runs an advocacy group for parents in child-custody battles faces two attempted capital murder charges for reportedly arranging a double-killing in a custody battle of her own. (Richmond Woman Charged in Murder-For-Hire; Richmond Times-Dispatch; August 5, 2008 Orig.)
UPDATED: (8-6-2008) Child Custody Trials Can Bring Out the Worst in Parents
So it's with little surprise that I read Tuesday about a woman accused by authorities in Williamsburg-James City County of trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-boyfriend.
Over a bitter child custody battle. (Child Custody Trials Can Bring Out the Worst in Parents; DailyPress.Com; August 6, 2008; Orig.)
UPDATED: (8-8-2008) Maryville man accused of beating child's 70-year-old grandfather
A custody battle turned violent Monday when a 36-year-old man beat the grandfather of his child, police said.
Brian C. Moad, of 2710 Keebler Road in Maryville, was charged with aggravated battery after police responded to a 911 call Monday morning from the 100 block of Maryknoll Drive.
"When they got there, officers found (the victim) sitting on the street bleeding from the head," Police Chief Rich Scharden said. (Maryville man accused of beating child's 70-year-oldgrandfather; Belleville News Democrat; August 8, 2008; Orig. )
UPDATED: (10-9-2008) Ash Flat Official Pleads Guilty
ASH FLAT — Carolyn Stewart Estes of Ash Flat pleaded guilty this morning to conspiracy to commit capital murder in a negotiated plea deal that lasted only 10 minutes.
According to court documents and information from the negotiated plea,
Estes conspired with Gary “Crowbar” Russell in an attempt to cause the
death of her ex-husband, Tony Stewart.
Estes talked to Russell
for several months, stating “how she would like to have Stewart
killed,” and referred to his murder as “Plan B and/or Plan C.” (Ash Flat Official Pleads Guilty; The Batesville Daily Guard; October 9, 2008; Orig. )
UPDATED: (10-29-2008) Deputy Says Woman Wanted Him To Kill
A 28-year-old Sumner woman tried to hire an undercover King County sheriff's deputy last week to kill her daughter's father, the child's stepmother and the child's grandparents, according to a police report filed in King County District Court.
The undercover officer videotaped the solicitation, in which the woman reportedly requested that he either shoot, stab or bludgeon the intended victims. She offered the deputy $500 for the slayings, the police report said.
The deputy got involved in the case after an Arizona man called Auburn police on Oct. 20 to report that his friend had asked him to kill the four people. The man said the woman's anger stemmed from a child-custody agreement, the report said. (Deputy Says Woman Wanted Him To Kill; Seattle Times; October 29,2008; Orig. )
FORMER MINUTEMAN PROJECT VOLUNTEER RELEASED FROM FREDERICK COUNTY ADULT DETENTION CENTER
(Frederick, Maryland) A former Minuteman Project volunteer that faced a possible 20-year criminal sentence for charges alleging outstanding child support was released from the Frederick County Adult Detention Center.
Paul Sielski, a 41-year old Honorably Discharged Marine and Anti-Illegal Alien activist was released from the Frederick County Adult Detention Center after several months of pre-trial incarceration. A trial was not conducted in the case and a misdemeanor failure to support charge was dropped by the State Attorney’s Office and the other charge was handled without an admission of guilt by the defendant and he was free to go after being processed out.
Paul Sielski expressed high regards for the food in the FCADC and that the corrections officers were very professional in most of their duties. Apparently other inmates have indicated to Mr. Sielski that the food “is the best in the system.”
Paul Sielski enjoyed a steak dinner with numerous friends and family members after his release and had indicated that “part of the case has been completely resolved and he is still extremely anxious to see his child.” Mr. Sielski continues to advocate for laws that protect the parent-child bond.
Our efforts were successful today in Federick County, Maryland. A showing of common-sense and fellowship occurred today. Working together for positive social change and to significantly affect public policy.
FORMER MINUTEMAN PROJECT VOLUNTEER FACES POSSIBLE 20 YEAR SENTENCE DUE TO CHILD SUPPORT
A former Minuteman Project volunteer faces a possible 20-year criminal sentence for charges alleging outstanding child support, according to court records obtained through anonymous sources. Paul Sielski, a 41-year old Honorably Discharged Marine and Anti-Illegal Alien activist is scheduled to appear in Frederick County, Maryland Circuit Court for what appears to be a jury trial scheduled to determine if he is criminally responsible for allegations of felony non-support of a minor child and a common law charge of “constructive criminal contempt of court.
According to audio transcripts obtained through third parties and the court, Judge G. Edward Dwyer, Jr. went on the record to indicate that the Defendant Sielski could be sentenced to over 20 years in jail for the common law charge. Defendant Sielski has already been confined for over 100 days in the Frederick County Adult Detention Center.
Paul Sielski has been unable to gain access to his child since August 2004, who is now three and a half years old. Upon review of the family court records no civil actions for contempt of court were ever prosecuted against the now criminally-charged Defendant. “There certainly are outstanding issues in the family court case that is now being used as the basis for the criminal charges against my husband,” states Deborah Courtney.
“No person should ever be ordered to pay $3500.00 monthly for child and spousal support, especially when visitation has been consistently withheld by the Defendant’s Ex-Wife,” further states Courtney. Upon review of the court record, the same judge that ordered that level of spousal and child support has heard part of the now criminally-charged case against the Defendant and has been found to have ruled against the Defendant in the family court case approximately 20 times.
The Defendant’s Ex-Wife, Kimberly Whitmore Sielski, who actually moved away from the State of Maryland with the parties’ minor child prior to any court approval, appears to be no stranger to the courtroom. In police records that were reviewed and verified, the ex-wife, is described as using a handgun to shoot a previous intimate partner, her first husband, in 1993 which was later pled down to Reckless Endangerment, Battery, and Discharging a Firearm within city limits.
Family Rights and Equal Parenting advocates from across the country have come to Frederick, Maryland to observe the Circuit Court proceedings that are scheduled for 9am at the Frederick County Circuit Courthouse located at 101 W. Patrick Street, Frederick Maryland, 21701. Fliers, posters, and street rallies were organized over the weekend to alert the local community about what has been described by protesters as a “dysfunctional and destructive system that focuses on Federal incentives rather than the best interests of the children.”
Minister Ronald Smith of Grand Rapids, Michigan also attended events at the corner of Market Street and W. Patrick in downtown Frederick, just blocks away from the Courthouse. Minister Smith, Founder of Children Need Both Parents, Inc. states, “For the courts to threaten to take a Father away from his child for 20 years is preposterous and certainly not in the best interest of the child. It is the courts obligation to maintain the relationship between the parent and child. This is another case of another Judge endorsing single parenting.”
“It’s a national epidemic; notwithstanding that Paul’s child support order is obviously excessive, ridiculous, and unable to be met. Paul Sielski represents millions of people at any moment who would like to be parents to their children, but whose efforts are frustrated by the courts,” says Randall Scotti.
“After being repeatedly beaten down and out spent, Paul froze in his attempt to nullify his marriage and void his divorce decree, a feeling many others experience. Having everything ripped out from under him, he was left homeless, penniless, and unable to work after his clothing, automobile, and personal computers and papers were denied by his ex wife,” says second wife, Deborah Courtney. She also states that “Fortunately, Paul has never felt the hopelessness that other fathers have felt, even in his dire circumstances and holds his head high and continues to maintain his dignity.”
Reacting to the number of murder suicides in Frederick County, a population of a mere 223,000, which experienced no less than its’ sixth family slaughtered by it’s own former breadwinner, Sielski could only say with tears in his eyes, “We didn’t give them hope and the necessary support, and instead just threatened to lock them all away and take their children from them,” even as he faces his own sentence.
