Case of kids found on Facebook revives disputes

Case of kids found on Facebook revives disputes
By GILLIAN FLACCUS (AP) – 5 hours ago
MONTCLAIR, Calif. — Prince Sagala has pined for her son and daughter since her estranged husband took them and fled to Mexico 15 years ago — but she never gave up hope that she would see them again.
The Indonesian-born nursing assistant was rewarded for her faith earlier this year, when she stumbled on her daughter's Facebook page in a story that made national headlines.
But in the four months since that discovery, Sagala's unbridled joy has slowly turned to anguish. The case has led to the public airing of years-old domestic allegations against Sagala — information that will likely be used in court — and her now-teenaged children want nothing to do with her.
At Sagala's sole supervised visit at a Florida library recently, her son kept his nose in a book about witches and her daughter gave terse, one-word answers to her questions, Sagala said.
"She doesn't know me, her father's in jail. I guess she does blame me for this," Sagala said of her 17-year-old daughter. "She doesn't know the truth. I told her, you can see me right now, I'm not that person like what you thought for 15 years, like what your father told you."
The children's father, Faustino Fernandez Utrera, 42, was initially held in an Osceola County, Fla., jail after being arrested in May on kidnapping and child custody charges. During a hearing Monday, he was served with a governor's warrant from California and his bond was revoked. His Florida attorney said Utrera could be extradited to California anytime.
In an interview, Sagala recounted how Utrera took the children and fled to Mexico in 1995, when her son and daughter were just toddlers.
Sagala said Utrera, whom she married in 1993, had become abusive — a charge now denied by Utrera's attorney — and that she was about to seek a restraining order. Then Utrera called her at work one day to say he would take the children to the park and then to a movie. She told him they were sick and should be home early. When she returned home, they weren't there.
Several hours later, one of her husband's friends called to tell her Utrera had taken the children to his native Mexico and wasn't coming back. Sagala said she immediately called the police and also told her story to a Spanish-language TV network.
Montclair police pursued the case, but when they learned the children were in Mexico, they turned the file over to the San Bernardino County district attorney. It's unclear now why the case wasn't pursued by prosecutors in 1995, but Deputy District Attorney Kurt Rowley said it's unlikely Mexico would have extradited Utrera at the time.
Over the next 15 years, police checked in with Sagala each year and sent her a questionnaire, but she had no new information. She said she periodically tried to contact her estranged husband's friends and family in Mexico with no luck.
Eventually, Sagala said she tried to move on with her life. She started a long-term relationship with another man, gave birth to two more children — a girl and a boy — and threw herself into worship at her Jehovah's Witness church.
Sagala tried to recreate the life she lost with her first two when her new babies arrived: She gave birth at the same hospital, incorporated parts of their names in her new children's names and dressed them in the same tiny outfits she had saved.
"I went to church, I prayed, because as a mother, I'm not strong enough for the burden I have now. My two kids right now, they help me to be strong," Sagala said of her younger children. "Before, I missed everything as a mother, I missed their birthdays. It really hurts."
In March, friends told Sagala about Facebook. She had her younger daughter, now 12, tap her older daughter's name into a computer at the local library.
As she hovered nervously, three teenagers with her daughter's name popped up on the Facebook site. Sagala didn't know which teenager to try first until she realized that one girl looked like her younger daughter, Joana. The girl also had a Facebook friend with the same name as Sagala's missing son.
Sagala sent a message and received a heartbreaking reply. The 17-year-old wrote that she had a happy life, had been told bad things about her mother and had no interest in a relationship. Right before she took down her Facebook page, the teen signed off with a mysterious line of poetry: "A flower that was born in a forest can't live in the desert."
Sagala went to police, who were able to track the daughter to Florida based on the profiles of some of her Facebook friends. Utrera was arrested May 26.
Since then, Sagala's world has been turned upside down.
Her estranged husband's criminal attorney in California, Stephen Levine, said he plans to fight vigorously the charges against Utrera and has attacked Sagala's credibility with counter-allegations.
Levine said he has provided the district attorney in California with letters Sagala wrote to her husband in Mexico and has found witnesses from the small Oaxacan village where he was living for 12 years who claim Sagala called and spoke to Utrera several times on the community's public telephone. Levine alleges Sagala also sent money to Utrera for her children and received videos of them that she showed in her church — undermining her claims that she didn't know where they were.
Levine said Utrera decided to flee with the children because Sagala was having an affair with his brother and became mentally unstable when she was discovered.
Sagala's attorney, Keith Peterson, called those allegations "the desperate claims of a child abductor, the claims of a kidnapper. She was searching for her kids for 15 years."
Rowley, the district attorney prosecuting Utrera in California, said his office was aware of some of the allegations, had investigated and was confident the criminal case against Utrera would hold up in court.
"In her interviews with us, we feel that she has been very candid," Rowley said. "In child abduction cases, you'll get two very different stories. But having taken all that into account, there isn't any question in our mind that the acts that were done qualify as the crimes that were charged."
Should the DA's case prevail against Utrera, Sagala may still be denied what she wants most.
Ann Berner, a regional administrator for the Florida Department of Children & Families, said the teens were in foster care in Florida. She said because of their age, their wishes would be given substantial weight by the judge when deciding any custody arrangements.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grkU6bwsM3D4zfrCARJvpQ1_fhWAD9GU39N00

Wayne Circuit Judge Waterstone to face trial

Wayne Circuit Judge Waterstone to face trial
Marisa Schultz / The Detroit News
Attorney General Mike Cox has the green light to prosecute a former Wayne Circuit Court Judge in a public corruption case, following a Michigan Supreme Court decision Friday.
Retired Judge Mary Waterstone is scheduled to appear Oct. 11 in 36th District Court for her preliminary exam before Judge David Robinson.
Waterstone was charged in 2009 with felony misconduct in office for allegedly allowing perjury to go uncorrected during a drug case. But the criminal case has stalled until now because Waterstone claimed Cox could not prosecute her based on a conflict of interest.
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On June 4, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cox and allowed the prosecution to go forward. Waterstone asked the court to reconsider. On Friday, the Supreme Court denied Waterstone's request "because it does not appear that the order was entered erroneously."
Also charged are retired Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Karen Plants for conspiracy to commit perjury and misconduct in office; Inkster police officers Scott Rechtzigel and Robert McArthur were charged with conspiracy to commit perjury, perjury and misconduct in office. The Attorney General alleges the three conspired to hide that a witness who testified at a preliminary examination and trial was a paid confidential informant who assisted in a large-scale narcotics investigation.
mschultz@detnews.com (313) 222-2310


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100711/METRO/7110331/1409/METRO#ixzz0tZhnFZjo

5 YO Foster Child Dead in Arkansas 2/2, Foster Placement’s Violent History

DC RALLY FOR FAMILY RIGHTS 2010 FAMILY IS FUNDAMENTAL

DC RALLY FOR FAMILY RIGHTS 2010
FAMILY IS FUNDAMENTAL


Families 4 Justice’s DC Rally


200 New Jersey Ave NW

Washington, DC 20001

MAP
♥
Friday

Lobbying
Tribute to Nancy Schaefer

Saturday

Balloons In Heaven with Glen C. Schulz, author of “Unlawful Flight: A Parental Kidnapping“

Donald Tenn, Fathers 4 Justice’s Superman
Russell Kessler
Mike Jeffries, author of “A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation“
Chauncey Richards
James DeLelys: “OPM-How to get rich off a system by using Other Peoples’ Money”
Tom Porter: Unity
Bradley Howe, esq: Child Support Enforcement
Kevin Moran, “How To Win The War Against Family Court”
General Parker
Also individual stories of injustice, suffering, motivation and inspiration.

“Candlelight” Vigil organized by Families 4 Justice

Sunday, Parents’ Day

Karl Hindle: International Child Abduction
James Daraja: International Child Abduction
Parental Justice March, organized by Fathers 4 Justice
(Bring banners, signs, t-shirts, purple flags, your children or large photos of your children, still and video cameras and sunscreen.)

♥
The primary mission of the DC Rally for Family Rights is to educate the public and our representatives about the unnecessary suffering by increasing numbers of American families due to human and civil family rights violations; and to invoke the changes necessary to protect fundamental family rights.

The event is being organized by Families 4 Justice.

Affected parents and extended family, advocates and others are welcome to register to speak. Volunteers welcome. Donations appreciated.

♥


RSS Comments
Honoring Parents Day with the 4th Annual Family Preservation Festival at Upper Senate Park


© 2010 DC Rally for Family Rights 2010



http://dcrallyforfamilyrights.com/

Updated Schedule for D.C Rally

Schedule for D.C Rally

Jane Boyer

http://www.officialdcrallyfest.com/

--- On Mon, 7/12/10, Chronicle National news wrote:

From: Chronicle National news
Subject: Completed Schedule for D.C Rally please post this one now as all corrections have been made

Date: Monday, July 12, 2010, 2:24 PM

Friday July 23, 2010 Schedule for D.C Family Preservation Rally
Lobbying begins at 9:00 a.m starting from West Capitol
Congressional Education Panel begins at 4:00-6:00 P.M.
Where: U.S. Capitol – South Committee Room
Press Conference from 12 noon - 3pm
Where: At the National Press Club
Located at: 529 14th St. NW Washington DC 20045
Contact Number in case you get lost is: 202-662-750

Saturday July 24, 2010 9:00 a.m Schedule
National Anthem to be sung by Peter Love
Pledge of Allegiance by Ray Lautenschlager
Opening with prayer Minister Matilda L. Gray
Special Memorial Service for Former Senator Nancy Schaefer
L. Wilson Remembering Former Senator Nancy Schaefer
4th District Maryland Candidate Kwame Gyamfi will be honoring Former Senator Nancy Schaefer
Clips of Senator Nancy Schaefer speaking on behalf of families

Featured Guest Speaker begins at 9:30 a.m
Terrence Popp Speaks on the issue Suicide

Speakers who begin at 10:00 a.m are as follows:
Guy Babinue
AFRA Bill Towers
Thea Artis
Sheryle Hutter
Caring Grandparents

Featured Musician's begin Performing at 11:30 a.m
Namaste and Overtime Song Living The Dream
Namaste will also sing solo his new songs written especially for this event
Just Mike the Magnificent

Speakers at 12:00 noon are as follows:
NOPE President and Vice President Ray Lautenschlager and Mike Galluzzo
Clive Blousterd
Rob and Kids speak out on VAWA
Michael Crawley

Featured Guest Speaker's begin at 1:00 p.m
Ron Zaleski
Author of A Families Heartbreak Michael Jeffries
Author of The Look of Love Alderman Jill Egizii
Where it begins with CPS and Corrupt System Kwame Gyamfi

Speakers at 3:30 p.m are as follows:
Amber Hough
Fight CPS Now, TK
Roz McCallister of Ohio Family Rights
Aarde V. Atheian

Featured Musicians begin Performing at 4:30 p.m
Kyle Campfield to open for
Peter Love

Speakers at 4:45 p.m are as follows:
Don HutterJ.R, EPP, EJF,
Bessie the Founder of 3 Sides To Every Story
National Forum On Judicial Accountability
United States Marshal Mathew Fogg

Featured Musicians begin Preforming at 6:45 p.m
Namaste
Willie J ( Willie J wrote and preforms the song Gabriel Myers)

Featured Guest Speaker begins at 7:00 p.m
Veterans of America Group
Minister Matilda L. Gray
Founder and CEO of CTWTA/YCF
Chain The World To The Altar International Ministries
Youth Christ Foundation
Inspirational/motivational Speaker/Author/mentor
Adult/Youth Seminars and Workshops
Independent Beauty Consultant
www.marykay.com/mg1023
Ken K. from Children Need Both Parents Special Note: Ken will be bringing the car again this year he uses for these event's.

Featured Guest Speaker begins at 7:45 p.m
Yonda Ashley
Children Guest Speakers Section on CPS and CASA ABUSE
All children's names are not being publicized at this time. Childrens name's will be announced at this event only.

Concluding our first day will begin at 8:30 p.m and is as follows:
Prayer for the children lost by Minister Matilda L. Gray will begin vigil
Willie J will open Purple Light Night with the song for Gabriel Myers
Followed by a moment of silence for those suffering
Lighting of the Purple Lights with glow sticks also being used by audience
Naming the children whose lives have been lost with a bell toll for each


Sunday July 25, 2010 9:00 a.m Schedule is as follows:
National Anthem to be sung by Peter Love our
Pledge of Allegiance by Gavin and Ray Lautenschlager
Opening with prayer Minister Matilda L. Gray
Conclusion of our Memorial Service for Former Senator Nancy Schaefer
Out of respect for Former Senator Nancy Schaefer we will be having her final words on familiy issues in her findings begin the last day of our rally.
Tribute to Former Senator Nancy Schaefer by Ms. L. Wilson
4th District Maryland Candidate Kwame Gyamfi will be honoring Former Senator Nancy Schaefer with an unvieling of a porject prior to the event

Speakers who begin at 10:00 a.m are as follows :
Stephen Walker will present this years Proclamations to those nominated for their works in the Civil Family Rights Preservation Movement
Stanley Thorne
James Delelys
Bradley Howe
Kathrine Moore, POPULAR
Zena D. Crenshaw, POPULAR

Musician Performing begin at 11:45 a.m:
Kyle Campfield opens for
Peter Love

Speakers to begin at 12:00 p.m:
Debbie Young Founder of Justice For Families
Josie Perez of Model Families.org
Cheryl Martone with US Concerned Parents
Michael Moment
Clive Blousterd

Featured Guest Speaker to begin at 1:00 a.m Attorney Richard I Fine Case
David Levy with Childrens Rights Council


Speakers begin at 1:20 p.m are as follows:
George McDermott of Secret Justice
Mark Young of www.youtube.com/markyoung12
Tammy Myer
Amie Hankins
Captian Tony Taylor

Featured Musician begin Performing at 2:00 p.m
Namaste preforms with Overtime and Magnificent Mike opening for
Willie J

Speakers to begin at 2:20 p.m are as follows:
Audrey Fallon of PA
Bryan Jones
Brenda Baril
Roz Mc Allister
John and Brenda Cozzi

Featured Guest Speaker begins at 3:00:
Kwame Gyamfi speaking on Solutions to an Epidemic

Speakers to begin at 4:00 are as follows:
Francesca Moore
Ann Michelle Barhanovich Mc Kinney
Anne and Christopher House A Families Survival
Robert Fields

Featured Musician begin Performing at 5:30 p.m
Kyle Campfield

Featured Speaker at 5:45 p.m
The L Story
Minister Matilda L. Gray

Speakers Via Skype to begin at 6:30 p.m
Introduction of Featured Skype Speaker
Dr. Shirley Moore speak out for Attorney Richard I. Fine

Due to the Friday July 23, 2010 schedule being revolved around lobbying, an educational panel, a military function, and our press conference the following has been moved from Friday to Sunday please read the below add on:
Open Microphone for Families Affected is to begin at 7:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m

Concluding event of last day will begin at 8:00 p.m and is as follows:
Prayer for the children lost by Minister Matilda L Gray begins vigil
Willie J will open Purple Light Night with the song for Gabriel Myers
Followed by a moment of silence for those suffering
Lighting of the Purple Lights with glow sticks also being used by audience
Naming the children whose lives have been lost with a bell toll for each

We want to thank all whom attended the rally this year,especially those from Canada and pray that this year opened the hearts and minds of our elected officials enough for the change we seek in having our families. God bless you.

Pro-Lifers: White House Pregnancy Assistance Fund Could Fund Pro-Abortion Groups

Pro-Lifers: White House Pregnancy Assistance Fund Could Fund Pro-Abortion Groups
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
July 12, 2010


Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The new pregnancy assistance fund the White House quietly announced earlier this month has already drawn skepticism from pro-life advocates. Now, other pro-life leaders who are chiming in on its creation say they are worried grant money will go to pro-abortion organizations.

As LifeNews.com reported, the new $25 million program, which was part of the abortion funding health care bill, is supposedly designed to help pregnant and parenting teens and women.

The grant money, which will be provided mostly to state governments,is designed for educational institutions and community organizations that provide programs to help pregnant women such as scholastic assistance, help for child care and housing, and other programs.

Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, told CNS News that an example of a potential grant recipient mentioned in the HHS grant information had the government sending money to pro-abortion groups.

She cited “Text4baby," a program that sounds innocent enough but had the federal government working with the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute and affiliates of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business.

Monahan is also worried that pregnancy centers, which have provided assistance for pregnant and parenting clients for decades, will find it difficult to obtain funding.

“I think it’s fair to say (pregnancy resource centers) will find it challenging to apply for these grants,” Monahan said

A representative of the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Public Health told CNS News that no organization is prohibit from receiving grant money under the new Pregnancy Assistance Fund as long as the state government doling out the money determines it qualifies.

“Any organization is eligible to apply, and those that do receive funds must use them in compliance with the program requirements,” the spokesperson said.

Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net, also told CNS News she wishes more funds were directed away from abortion businesses.

“While the government annually provides $350 million to Planned Parenthood, the country's largest abortion provider, virtually no federal funds have been allocated for the purpose of helping women who choose to carry to term,” Delahoyde told CNSNews.

“We are encouraged that the government is finally setting aside a small amount of funds in the Pregnancy Assistance Fund to support those women who make the courageous and selfless choice to give life to their babies despite life's challenges," she added. “Our hope is that the White House will be true to its word and use this money to reduce abortion by giving it to those organizations that truly help women choose life."

The Family Research Council is also skeptical of the end recipient of the dollars from the new program, according to a statement LifeNews.com received on Friday.

“FRC has been a leading voice for life-affirming pregnancy services, but we strongly oppose the idea that these grant recipients should include any group that financially profits from abortions," it said.

“The only way to help these mothers and their babies is by funneling the $25 million to organizations that won't make a profit from their work, namely pregnancy resources centers,” FRC added. “And if President Obama truly cared about these women, HHS would have issued real regulations--this time enforcing his Executive Order to strip abortion from the health care bill.”

Joe Young, vice president of ministry for Heartbeat International, another organization with pregnancy center affiliates, also told CNS News that the $25 million for pregnancy support is a "drop in the bucket" compared to the hundreds of millions pro-abortion groups receive.

Young cited a new Government Accountability Office report showing the Planned Parenthood abortion business reported receiving over $650 million in federal funds over a seven year period.

In total, several pro-abortion groups received more than $1 billion from the federal government.

Regarding the pregnancy center funds, it is anticipated that up to 25 grants in the amounts of $500,000 - $2,000,000 per year will be awarded and the application deadline is August 2, 2010.

Potential grant recipients can learn more about the program at http://www.hhs.gov/ophs/oah/prevention/grants/announcements/index.html

http://www.lifenews.com/nat6520.html

Americans Deserve to Hear How Donald Berwick Would Ration Medicare

Americans Deserve to Hear How Donald Berwick Would Ration Medicare
by Mitch McConnell
July 12, 2010

LifeNews.com Note: U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Monday regarding the recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick. McConnell is a pro-life member of the U.S. Senate representing Kentucky.



“Ordinarily, Senators come to the floor to talk about the things that happen in Washington while we're here. Today I'd like to talk about something that happened last week while we weren't here. I'm referring, of course, to the President’s outrageous decision to take advantage of Congress’s absence last week to sneak Donald Berwick in as the new head of Medicare and Medicaid.

“As is well known, Congress has a constitutional duty to examine presidential nominees like Dr. Berwick. But apparently, the prospect of giving the American people an opportunity to hear this nominee defend his past praise for government-run systems that ration health care was worrisome enough for the administration that it sought to ignore congressional oversight altogether.

“As it turned out, the administration’s plan backfired — because even Democrats are outraged at this blatant attempt to prevent the American people from hearing this man talk about what he plans to do with Medicare and Medicaid. As usual, the administration wants to blame Republicans for its own failures. But in this case, the administration’s failure to respect the right of the American people to study Dr. Berwick’s record is being criticized by just about everyone, including the Democrat chairman of the committee in charge of reviewing his nomination.

“Here’s what Chairman Baucus said shortly after the appointment was made:

`Senate confirmation of presidential appointees is an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power and protects Montanans and all Americans by ensuring that crucial questions are asked of the nominee, and answered.’

“So despite what the administration would like people to think, this recess appointment had nothing whatsoever to do with Republicans. The fact is, Republicans were looking forward to this debate. We welcomed this hearing. And anyone who looks at the facts knows any suggestion to the contrary is nonsense. So the charge is laughable.

“This appointment had everything to do with the administration’s fear of letting Americans hear Dr. Berwick’s well-known views about government-run care and about how he plans to implement the President’s plan to cut a half trillion dollars from Medicare while limiting the choices seniors now enjoy.

“And here’s the irony in all this: in an attempt to silence debate about Dr. Berwick and its own plans for health care, this nomination has only reignited the debate over the Democrat health care plan. By recess appointing a man who has sung the praises of the government-run British health care service, the administration is only inviting Americans to ask more questions about its own plans.

“I would've thought that anyone would be able to understand the significance of getting answers from an avowed admirer of rationed care before putting him in charge of implementing this administration’s $500 billion Medicare cut.

“But by denying the American people an opportunity to hear Dr. Berwick defend his past statements and his future plans, the administration is now forcing the Democrats who voted for the Democrat health care plan to defend Dr. Berwick and his views themselves. The administration may have shielded this nominee temporarily, but it has only exposed Democrats in Congress who voted for this bill and everything that follows from it — including this outrageous appointment.

“This appointment is just the latest evidence of how little the administration has concerned itself with the views of the public. When a majority of Americans and an overwhelming majority of Kentuckians opposed its health care plan, they cut deals with Democrat senators to squeeze it through Congress. Now they're not even bothering with Congress: they're just unilaterally installing people like Don Berwick to take charge of its plan for half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts.

“This has been the administration’s approach all along: go around the American people, and now go around Congress. The administration can try to blame Republicans for a debate they don't want to have. But by denying Congress the ability to scrutinize this nominee, it only raises Americans’ suspicions about its health care plan and increases the burden on Democrats who supported it.

“Back in March, Speaker Pelosi remarked that we'd have to pass the health care bill to find out what’s in it. This nomination is part of the same arrogant approach. The same administration that forced this bill on an unwilling public has now forced Don Berwick onto anyone with Medicare and Medicaid. And now Democrats who voted for this bill will have to answer for his statements and views.”

http://www.lifenews.com/bio3131.html