Family Law Attorneys & You: Court Watchers

Family Law Attorneys & You: Court Watchers


Court Watchers

A common complaint in dealing with this action in court is a claim of bias on the part of the judge. For the most part, the issue is not as much bias as it is a lack of preparedness, including using the right attorney. Most often, attorneys who are unwilling, or lack the knowledge, to properly represent fathers make a claim of bias in the courts. If there is a concern, you can address this possibility by taking people with you to court who are not there to testify. They are there as Court Observers, or Court Watchers.

A Court Observers can be anyone, such as a friend or relative who is not directly involved in the case. However, as an alternative you may also consider contacting local High School Civics, and/or Community College Paralegal, Teachers to see if any programs exist for students to get credit for being Court Observers. Another good source would be Boy Scouts of America to find a young man working toward earning his "Citizenship in the Community" merit badge, which is required to become an Eagle Scout. This will give them applicable experience in our judicial system.
Court Observers should be sitting in the front row of Visitor's Gallery, but spread apart so that their comments are individual and not affected by what another observer is writing.
The observers should to be sitting on both sides of the gallery, near both the petitioner and respondent attorneys.
Each observer should be equipped with a hardback clipboard, tablet, and two writing pens for taking notes.
It's best to make use of a Court Evaluation Form designed for this purpose. With this form, they need not guess or interpret what to record. They need simply answer the questions.
Individuals performing a Court Watcher function are like a Jury. They are there to report on their observations and not to expound on them. If the Judge asks who they are, they need only identify themselves as Court Observers.

If all goes well, the Judge will rule based on the preponderance of the evidence and the results of the Court Watch Forms will be unneeded. However, do remember that a less than favorable ruling does not always mean bias. The volume of evidence, and the performance of the attorneys, counts the most. The ability of your attorney, and the value of your evidence, is fully dependent your prep work, and taking the time to interview and find the right attorney for the job.

If it appears the judge is not providing a balanced interpretation of the evidence presented, an appeal can be filed using info from this form. Further, the judge sanctioned or removed from the case. In a worse case scenario, a complaint can be filed with the State Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court conducts an investigation, a judge must remove him or herself from the case.

RobeProbe
Judge Rating Site

DCF Tries to Rip Children Away from Grandfather Because He's Too Old

DCF Tries to Rip Children Away from Grandfather Because He's Too Old - Miami News - Riptide 2.0

​Cornelius Miller lost his 19-year-old daughter Corneisha a year ago after a brutal murder. Now, he may lose his two young grandsons to the Department of Children and Families. Authorities feel that 62-year-old Miller is too old and sick to care for three-year-old Jemarcus and 16-month-old Rodgerick, and instead want to put the children up for adoption.

Miller has helped raise the children since they were born, and they've always lived in his house. The children's mother was murdered by their father on March 18, 2010. The young children witnessed the killing. To say these kids have faced more than a lifetime of tragedy in their short existence is an understatement. Now the state wants to rip them from the only home they've ever known.

The state says that because of Miller's age and diabetes he's not a proper guardian. WSVN spoke to Miller. He plans to fight the decision, and made an impassioned plea to the already embroiled DCF.

"I love these kids," Miller told the station. "I loved my daughter, too. She was just taken away from me so early. She had so much potential. She would have fought for her kids herself. She's not here, and I have to do it. I do it because I love her, and I want them, and I'm gonna fight for them. If I have to take it to the Supreme Court, if I can do that, I will do that, anything."

"These decisions are not made by one person, but a team of people, including judges, guardian ad litems, case managers and others," read a DCF statement. "We are all tasked with making sure the best interest of the children are protected."

Miller will go to court in April to fight the decision, and Tampa attorney Melissa Cordon tells MyFoxTampaBay he has a good chance: "He does not have a criminal record, and he has been the caretaker of these children from birth. My personal opinion is that children should be placed with family members."

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Franklin Delano Jeffries, an East Tennessee soldier accused of threats appears set for trial

Franklin Delano Jeffries, an East Tennessee soldier accused of threats appears set for trial | wbir.com


After a final motions hearing Wednesday, an East Tennessee soldier accused of making threats to Knox County Chancellor Michael Moyers appears set for trial.

Franklin Delano Jeffries is accused of making a video and posting it to You Tube with a threat to hurt or kill the Knox County chancellor.

In a federal courtroom Tuesday, Jeffries' attorneys argued Facebook message the active-duty member of the ARMY sent in July 2010 should not be permitted as evidence in the trial.

Further, it appears Jeffries' defense team will make a point to show Jeffries never delivered the threat to Moyers, instead he shared the video with his own friends. Jeffries has a history of posting a number of videos on YouTube, many of which he made in an attempt to be entertaining or silly, according to his family.

The war veteran's family says the video mentioning Moyers came on the heels of what was more than a decade long custody trial with Jeffries' ex-wife. Earlier this month, Charlotte Jeffries, Franklin's mother told a Subcommittee of the Tennessee House of Representatives complications surrounding custody and visitation rights played a role in her son's mental health and well-being.

Charlotte Jeffries spoke in support of House Bill 1698, a piece of legislation that would ensure grandparents the right to visit their grandchildren.



"My son has PTSD, He listened to some therapists who told him to vent his frustrations. They say he got PTSD not only from the ARMY but from the fact that he had to fight the parent alienation of the child for those 13 years that he was in court," Charlotte Jeffries told the representatives.

Jeffries' trial is scheduled to start Tuesday and expected to last 2-3 days.

Family Of Drowned Baby Already Under CPS Supervision

Family Of Drowned Baby Already Under CPS Supervision - San Antonio & Texas News Story - KSAT San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO -- The family of 3-year-old Cassie Hopkins first came to the attention of Child Protective Services in January following an allegation of medical neglect, according to agency spokeswoman Mary Walker.

ALL New Hampshire Parent's And Relatives Screwed Over By NH DCYF

To all parent's and relatives screwed over by New Hampshire DCYF.
Witnesses Wanted

Please contact Denise at :d-mvc@comcast.net
She is looking for witnesses in her upcoming lawsuit against New Hampshire DCYF,Hillsborough County Superior Court, as the court is NOT adhering to Civil Rule 15 which allow's other Plaintiff's to intervene and attach. We want the number of witnesses to go over the 100 mark and we are close to 50% of that goal ;-)

We must ALL unite and fight for the right's of our children and families.
Please contact Denise.

Important announcement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Important announcement
From Marilyn fpls

Group; I had a meeting with Jeff Griffin yesterday afternoon for lunch. He is one of the National Directors Western
region of CCHR, a National CPS investigation that is taking place in every state across the U.S. as we speak.

He has asked me to contact everyone and let them know about this. Please inform other groups that you are a
member of....This is our contact person, Scott and he is asking for names of parents, foster/adoptive or biological
that has had a run in with CPS and are willing to be interviewed. Remember, this is our chance to be heard and
we must do it with honor and dignity that reflects our cause, the children who are harmed by this horrible corrupt
system.

Protest skills are not required here, those who can calmly tell their stories with good communication skills. No
insult intended; many of you are righteously fuming, in shock, smoke coming from your ears, with bitterness
your goals are to hurt them and I assure we are hurting them more than you know, but hatred is not the way
to communicate our stories.

Suggest you all do a synopsis of your case with just the facts so that you can go through these facts in the initial
interview, you will be ready to fax it to him to see if he wants to use your case for your state.

Let's give this a shot....nfpcar Directors this is something you should organize. I am contacting the cases I have
completed in AZ, NV, and NM for them to call him.....Let's Jump on this opportunity.


everyone with the capability to speak up needs to contribute to this chance to NAIL CPS big time.

This includes Grandparents who have lost the chance to raise their grandchildren. Someone contact the Grandparents
groups too.

Marilyn fpls


The email address to send data to the GAO is: FosterKids@gao.gov. The man's name is Scott that my volunteer is communicating with. he has written that he wants the names of parents, natural and foster and adoptive, who are willing to be interviewed.

Also,there is an article being published this week
announcing it on National Foster Families Examiner the article is called
CPS Secrecy. Also I just wrote another email message for CALIFORNIA
residents who have been damaged by CPS to email Jeff Griffin
he is the Western Region Director for CCHR
he wants us to help him get a bill passed in CA. It is AB1348, it is
mentioned in the article too.

Group just got a call from Jeff Griffin the West region Director for CCHR.
He wanted me to announce on the group for all California residents who
have been hurt by CPS to contact him directly. He wants
help with this CA bill AB1348 to help get it passed. Our chance to shine
group let's get going.

Please email him right away. Jeff Griffin
We need to help get this passed. All members who are on other groups
let them know immediately. I have Familyrights and ParentalRights.org

Five Week Old Foster Baby Dies From Vaccine Reaction

Five Week Old Foster Baby Dies From Vaccine Reaction


Five week old Zaire Knott, who was in foster care after being removed from his mother at birth, died after he was given a series of vaccinations.

A DYFS aide bringing newborn Zaire Knott from the clinic to the office on
Halsey Street noticed the infant was having trouble breathing and was bleeding from his nose. The aide rushed the boy inside DYFS District Office #1, where an in-house nurse urgently gave the newborn cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Although the nurse was assisted by emergency medical technicians who managed to regain a pulse, the baby died in the office at 12:46 p.m.
A statement from the Newark Police Department said a DYFS worker drove the baby to the hospital.

"An exact cause of death will be determined at a later date pending the results of an autopsy," according to the police statement. DYFS officials suspect the immunizations for hepatitis B and polio "caused the distress or some sort of reaction,"
"We'll review the circumstances, but it sounds like a medical complication. We'll look at exactly what was done after they discovered the baby was
in distress.'

Susan Morrison, from the Claramaass Medical Centre in Belleville, said
It is standard for a 5-week-old to get several
vaccinations, such as hepatitis B, according to the recommended childhoodand adolescence immunization schedule provided by the
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.'

The DYFS transportation aide had picked up the boy from the clinic for a scheduled visit with his birth mother atthe district office. DYFS
workers were distraught over the baby's death, said Hetty Rosenstein, president of Communications Workers of America Local 1037, which
represents most employees in that office."I have never seen more wrecked people," she said. The workers have been offered grief counseling, which will continue today.
The foster mother, a resident of Newark who has cared for the boy since he left the hospital after his Sept. 16 birth, also will
receive bereavement counseling.