Oprah’s last season launches on September 13, 2010.  I’m one of those ultimate viewers who has been watching since day one when her show was A.M. Chicago.  My life shifted on Maundy Thursday, 1998 after the taping of her show with Iyanla Vanzant.  I was hoping Oprah wouldn’t pick Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen as her next book club selection.  She did.  Oprah gave me two copies of the book.  One was for Marilyn Stanton, the greatest librarian in the world, and the other was for me.

I wanted to get the hell out of Oprah’s studio.  I didn’t want to read the book.  My butt itched something awful with my urge to flee.  I still don’t know what possessed me to stand up and say, “Oprah, I don’t want to read this book because it is the story of my life.”  She had just won her trial against the cattlemen in Texas.  When she heard I was hiding from a powerful, abusive judge, her jaw dropped open.  Oprah’s heard it all, but she was absolutely shocked by what I said.

She insisted I read the book and write a review.  I went home and read the book cover-to-cover and wrote the review on Easter Sunday.  I asked Oprah to feature guests who would help her viewers who had experienced domestic violence move from enabling to empowerment.

Oprah’s producers launched Change Your Life TV based on my suggestion.  They invited me back many times during the next season to be part of the audience.  It was a trip.  I learned a lot about Oprah and how television shows are produced.

Let’s Make Some Noise!

I’ve been lobbying Oprah and her producers about domestic violence for twelve years.  Oprah disclosed this year that her grandmother’s abuse is at the root of her infamous eating disorder.  So, I’m fairly certain she will be moved by Color Me Butterfly by L.Y. Marlow and the Saving Promise campaign.

I’d love to be blessed to be able to go back to Oprah’s studio as an ultimate viewer.  Since that’s not likely to happen, my greater wish is to make some serious noise this season with Oprah’s producers about breaking down the walls of silence about domestic violence.  I know that when her producers get a blitz of show suggestions that they take them quite seriously.  Oprah’s tremendous success is due in large part to her connection to viewer input about who we want to see interviewed.

L.Y. Marlow’s Saving Promise Grassroots Campaign

L.Y. Marlow wanted to break the cycle of domestic violence in her family.  She self-published Color Me Butterfly which has been picked up by Crown Publishing.  She also launched the Saving Promise grassroots campaign.  On September 18, she’s taking Saving Promise Comes to You on the road to a mall near you:

Please Blitz Oprah’s Producers Today!

I think it is terrific we’ll have an opportunity to connect at malls and make some noise.  But, we can make an greater noise if L.Y. Marlow is one of Oprah’s guests during her last season.  Oprah is one of those survivors who has a hard time getting the words “domestic violence” out of her mouth.  Yet, I know Color Me Butterfly is the kind of book that will touch her heart.  And, I think L.Y. Marlow will make a terrfic guest.

So, please join me in blitzing Oprah’s producers to make sure L.Y. Marlow gets one of the treasured interview spots during Oprah’s final season.  You can write your own pitch, or you can visit the Saving Promise web site where they have a pitch already prepared.

V-Day’s Eve Ensler is asking us to vote for V-Men’s Jimmie Briggs in GQ’s The Better Men Better World search. 

Mr. Briggs is a gentle giant, shy, award-winning journalist who co-founded The Man Up Campaign, a global movement to end violence against women and girls: 

Most men don’t rape women, they don’t hurt women or even use misogynistic language, but they do stand by.  They don’t see this issue as their issue.  The see it as a women’s issue, but it is all of our issue. 

Man Up to End the Cycle of Violence

Mr. Briggs’ vision is to teach young people that violence against women is not cool.  He believes everybody needs to stand up ~ Man Up ~ to break the cycles of violence.  Man Up was launched in September 2009 at the Clinton Global Initiative in collaboration with Vital Voices.  Under the Man Up umbrella, he has gathered together a survivor powerhouse from President Bill Clinton to Eve Ensler as you can see in this photo from the ManUp launch:

Alyse Nelson (Vital Voices), Jimmie Briggs (Man Up Campaign), Hibaaq Osman, Ricky Martin, Joanne Sandler (UNIFEM), Jennifer Buffett (NoVo Foundation), Peter Buffett (NoVo Foundation), Eve Ensler (V-Day)

Voting ends on September 30, 2010.  To vote for Mr. Briggs, click here.  That link will take you to the Gentlemen’s Fund web page.  Look for the Better Men Better World logo in the middle of the page and click on the word “vote:”

My vote confirmation got caught in my Spam filter.  Mr. Briggs is in second place today with 29% of the vote.  So, please repost this on your own blog ~ let’s get out the vote to tell the world domestic violence prevention is a priority!

Bravo, Mr. Briggs!  Bravo!

Question:  What do you get when you mix GPS with PMS? 

Answer:  A crazy bitch who will find you! 

Barbara Bentley, author of A Dance with the Devil:  A True Story of Marriage to a Psychopath, is a great photographer as well as writer and wine maker.  She and her husband Rex Johnston visited Pike’s Place Market during their “rain-cation” to the Pacific Northwest during May and June. 

These are some of her photos from of our artists’ date. 

Because Dale Chihuly is based in Seattle, we have an abundance of artists who handblow studio glass. 

Seattle, of course, is home to Starbucks.  The first Starbucks is located at Pike Place Market. 

Tourists love to watch the fish mongers launch huge salmon into flight. 

I wish I had seized the opportunity to bring home Copper River king salmon because I wasn’t able to find it in the local markets this year.  I hated salmon until I tried Galloping Gourmet Graham Kerr’s (he’s based on Camano Island, WA) recipe for Grilled Salmon with Garlic Cucumber Relish and Marinated Peppers from Graham Kerr’s Kitchen.  Yum! 

Since Copper River salmon doesn’t freeze well, I look forward to the two weeks it is available each May. 

As you can see, Pike Place Market sells a bounty of fish and seafood. 

As well as flowers and peppers. 

Thanks, Barbara, for generously sharing your photos with my visitors.  You can see my photos of our artists’ date and find links to my review of Barbara’s book, Bentley Cellars, and my posts about her by clicking here.

Field’s End is a writing community based on Bainbridge Island, Washington.  It was founded by best selling authors who live in the Puget Sound region.

Every April they have a writing conference at Kiana Lodge on the shores of Agate Passage.

I have been blessed to be able to attend four of the five conferences.  Best-selling authors like my mentor Susan Wiggs have generously shared their secrets to success.

The conference is a highlight of my year because I get great advice from people at the top of the publishing game in a setting that is inspiring.

This year I seized the opportunity to explore the grounds of Kiana Lodge with my camera.

The tulips were abundant and beautiful.

The rhododendrons were in bloom.

And, the landscape design made my heart sing with the joy of spring.

It’s an amazing place to launch dreams.

Hurricane Ridge is in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.  The elevation is 5242 feet.  This photo is at the summit overlooking Sequim and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.  The clouds obscure the view of Canada.

The drive to the top was a strain on my car’s engine.  On the drive down, this white-knuckled Midwestern native had two words for the park service:  “guard rails!”

Yet, there’s nothing like feeling you’re on top of the world.

Tatoosh Island in Cape Flattery is off the northwest tip of the continental United States.

When life hands me lemons and I have a horrendous PTSD episode, I find it helps to connect with the Strait of San Juan de Fuca which divides the United States and Canada.  Sir Francis Drake sailed here when he was navigating uncharted waters and creating a map for others to follow.

Cape Flattery on a sunny day is a photographer’s dream.  I took these photos almost a year ago when I was going through a very rugged patch of PTSD episodes.  I couldn’t afford the trip, but my therapist told me that I couldn’t afford not to go.  I needed a crash course in self-care to survive the challenges in my life.

History is made by people who make wise choices when faced with a dilemma.  A dilemma is when we are forced to choose between two routes which suck equally.  It frequently helps to get away for awhile ~ give ourselves a time out ~ go to a place that refreshes our mind, body, and spirit.

Cape Flattery is where the Pacific Ocean connects with the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.  You can just barely see Victoria, Canada which is hidden in the clouds in the photo above.

I wanted to linger forever, but I had a long hike back to my car and a long drive back home.

The majesty of the trees along the forest trail out to Cape Flattery are poetic invitations and farewells to an experience that still speaks to my soul.

Sen. Patty Murray in Bothell, WA

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) came to her home town of Bothell, WA to kick off her campaign for re-election.  She joked with the crowd that she thought her experiences as a teacher of four-year-old kids was good training for the Senate.  I appreciated her humorous candor because I’ve discovered that great leadership and solid parenting require the same skill set.

I was looking for Patty’s deputy campaign manager Alex Glass when I almost collided with Patty coming out to greet the crowd.  Oops!  Fabulous photo op, eh?

George R. Frazier, Korean Veteran

Sen. Murray was the first woman appointed to the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.  Her beloved father was disabled in World War II.  Her constituent staff kicks serious butt for veterans ~ especially veterans with PTSD.  That’s why I went to the rally.  I believe so strongly in the value of Soldier’s Heart:  Close-Up with PTSD in Vietnam Veterans by Vietnam veterans William Schroder and Dr. Ronald Dawe that I think it needs to be on sale at all the PXs and on the shelves at all the Veterans Administration libraries.

After Bill Schroder read my review of his wonderful book, he sent me a complimentary copy which arrived just before I left for the rally.  I wish he could have seen the veterans caress the book with tears in their eyes.  Every one of them wanted to keep the book.  When I told one veteran that I was at the rally to lobby for it to be readily available to guys like him, the tears spilled onto his cheek.

One of my frustrations with Patty is that she’s fairly tone-deaf to the issue of domestic violence and child abuse.  This surprises me because Lifetime did a survey back in 2000 to ask women registered voters ~ without prompting ~ their number one issue.  Abortion came in at #8 on their priority list.  Equal pay came in at about #4.  Our #1 issue?  Yep.  Domestic violence.

Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) is the only national politician from Washington State who addresses domestic violence in any meaningful way.  Why?  He’s a survivor of child abuse.  He gets it.  That’s why this blog’s first endorsement is going to Rep. Reichert.  I don’t care that he’s a Republican.  He knows how to reach across the aisle and work effectively on bipartisan solutions.  My kind of politician.  I’d vote for him if I could.

Senator Murray is similarly able to achieve bipartisan solutions.  She understands that people need good-paying jobs for our economy to have a hope of achieving a recovery.  To this end, she was a major force in giving the Defense Department a reality check on contracting with a foreign company for fighter planes.  She thought it was pretty pathetic that our own government was exporting jobs.

Because she sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, the Defense Department was compelled to respond to her common sense concerns. 

When mothers rally in Washington, D.C. on October 1 to kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I’m counting on Sen. Murray’s staff to welcome them because appropriations for funding of domestic violence prevention programs sucks.  We spend as much in one day on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as we spend in a whole year to prevent domestic violence.

I’m endorsing and supporting Sen. Patty Murray because she’s fierce on the issue of veterans with PTSD.  Why do I care?  Viable treatment protocols for PTSD are being developed to help returning veterans.  Sen. Murray is making sure this gets funded and gets done.  Also, I’m exceedingly concerned about the inevitable spike in domestic violence cases when soldiers return home from a war zone.  I don’t believe the military ~ especially here in Washington State ~ does nearly enough to protect the spouses and children of these veterans.

Patty has the kind of common sense that’s rare in too many of our politicians.  She started out in politics at the grassroots level lobbying the state legislature.  Some guy told her in 1980 that she couldn’t accomplish anything because she was “just a mom in tennis shoes.”  She proved him wrong, and tennis shoes have become her trademark.  The lady in the above photo won an autographed tennis shoe and some exceedingly treasured face time with Patty after the rally.

State Sen. Maralyn Chase (D-32nd LD)

Sen. Maralyn Chase was wearing a super-cool campaign shirt designed and made by her sister.  She’s one of my favorite politicians in Olympia because she’s fierce about human rights, and she’s taking on the system for their failure to protect abused and neglected disabled adults.  Wow!  She’s got me doing a happy dance!

Amanda Pethrus & Patty Murray

The highlight of my evening at the rally was meeting Amanda Pethrus who is visiting from Sweden and working on Patty’s campaign.  Amanda’s mother is active in politics in Sweden, and Amanda aspires to follow in her footsteps.  I think she has a great future. 

Staff and Volunteers on Patty’s Campaign

Claudine Dombrowski and her daugher got caught up in a Kansas-style tornado of injustice and pretext on Friday.  There are so many abusive narcissistic wizards in this courtroom catastrophe that I felt like Dorothy in Oz when I heard what happened.   

You Decide:  Incompetence, Pretext, Cover-Up, or Best Interests of the Child?   

In the 14 years this case has been pending, Ms. Dombrowski has gotten just one day of justice back in January when she and Rights for Mothers‘ founder Nancy Carroll packed the courtroom.  Judge David Debenham allowed her the First Amendment right to shine a bright light on the injustice perpetrated by Hal Richardson and facilitated by GAL M. Jill Dykes.   

GAL is the legal term for guardian ad litem.  These attorneys are appointed by the court to protect the best interests of the child in custody battles.  They are supposed to remain neutral and protect and advocate for the child.  It’s a sweet gig for attorneys.   

Pretext is the legal term for blowing smoke up the court’s ass.  It’s a nice way of describing a courtroom that operates more like a mushroom farm.  As you may know, mushrooms thrive when they are covered in shit and kept in the dark.   

Sealed Records, Gag Orders, and Closed Court   

Judge David Debenham’s first order of business on Friday was to clear the courtroom of witnesses to the proceedings.  He claimed it was in the best interest of the child.  Then, he confiscated Ms. Dombrowski’s cell phone, ordered the records sealed, and issued a gag order.  This is from the court docket:   

Court finds that Dr. Rodeheffer’s report of May 18, 2010, has been published on the website of Respondent. Court suspends Respondent’s parenting time pending final hearing in this matter. Respondent’s counsel is to review Respondent’s cell phone to determine if there are images of report on Respondent’s cell phone – Respondent’s phone time with minor child to continue but to Petitioner’s home phone. Due to publication of report on the Internet, which deals with minor child, Court finds that there is a privacy interest of the minor child that is central to these proceedings and outweighs the public interest and orders that the files, records, and transcripts of the case be sealed until further order of the Court. J. Dykes to do order.   

Before I rip into the pretext and cover-up in this order, this is what Steven Brown, executive director of the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had to say about a Rhode Island judge who issued a similar order:   

This court order is a blatant violation of the First Amendment.  If she believes she is being treated unfairly, or if she just wishes to make people aware of her case, she should be able to do so free of a court-ordered gag rule.   

Was Hal Richardson held in contempt of court for routinely denying visitation between his daugher and her mother?  Hell no!  

By the time he and GAL Dykes got done manipulating the judge, Ms. Dombrowski was the one in the hot seat. . .for shining a bright light on the truth. . .for exercising the very same First Amendment rights the judge guaranteed last January.  

 Claudine after being raped and beaten in 2000  

Is GAL M. Jill Dykes Incompetent, Corrupt, or Clueless?   

Before the hearing on Friday, I sent GAL Dykes a professional courtesy e-mail message.  A part of me was hoping she might make better decisions if she was apprised of the dynamics of PAS (parental alienation syndrome), domestic violence, and manipulation of the legal system as an instrument of abuse.  I also addressed my very legitimate concerns about a minor child residing in a house with a child’s coffin as a coffee table and a gun on the wall with a convicted criminal as custodial parent.  

Her GAL-pal Rene M. Netherton sent me a threatening e-mail message in response.  I guess I was supposed to be intimidated into silence.  I wasn’t.   

Instead, I was dumbfounded that licensed professionals would engage in behavior more common for junior high kids.  The tone and tenor of her comments let me know I was dealing with an abusive narcissist.  They can’t handle criticism and project their own evil intent onto others.  It explains why they are unable to distinguish between perpetrator and victim.   

Ms. Netherton was GAL in this case before Ms. Dykes.  She didn’t respond to my concerns about Hal Richardson’s criminal record or choice of decor.   

Best Interests of the Child   

Yes, folks that’s a child’s coffin.  The photo doesn’t show the gun on the wall.  Y’all have sounded off with your concerns about the safety of a child residing in such a hostile environment.  GALs Netherton and Dykes don’t get it.  I’m not terribly surprised.  Ms. Netherton misses simple stuff like the fact that “privileged” is spelled incorrectly in her boilerplate.  

Richardson Has an Extensive Criminal Record  

According to Stop Family Violence, the abuse of Ms. Dombrowski and the minor child started when she was four months pregnant and discovered that Mr. Richardson had lied to her about being married.  He beat her.  As you can see, she was sporting a black eye when she gave birth to the child in 1994.  

On February 18, 1995, Mr. Richardson was arrested for domestic battery and damage to property (95 CR 00836).  A no contact order was issued on February 21 which he immediately violated.  His bond was revoked when he failed to appear.  Shawnee County (KS) Court Services Officer Mary Kelly sent a memo on March 14 to Judge James P. Buchele regarding sentencing and probation:  

Mr. Richardson has been placed on probation five times in the past 15 years.  I do not believe he is a good candidate for probation. . .I recommend. . .a psychological evaluation and follow all recommendations for treatment.  [emphasis added]  

Nevertheless, Judge Buchele let him off with a slap on the wrist in a plea deal.  The domestic battery charges were reduced to disorderly conduct and the damage to property charge was dismissed.  Although he was ordered to get a psychological evaluation, he never did.  He was released from probation on June 13, 1996 after getting expelled from a court-ordered batterers group:  

Stop Family Violence reports this wasn’t the end of the violence.  In 1996, the injury you see in the above photo required 14 internal and 14 external stitches.  Ms. Dombrowski was raped and beaten in 2000.  On August 25, 2003, Kathleen Sales attacked Ms. Dombrowski with a hammer and broke her arm.  Ms. Sales claimed she was hired by Mr. Richardson, who assured her she wouldn’t be prosecuted.  She wasn’t.  

Ms. Dombrowski isn’t Mr. Richardson’s only crime victim.  Somehow he cons, manipulates, badgers, and bullies his way into walking away with just a little slap on the wrist:  

• April 4, 1984:  guilty of misdemeanor ~ 6 years probation and $50 fine; discharged from probation on July 18, 1984.  (82 CR 01860)
• October 20, 1989:  guilty of battery against a law enforcement officer ~ 1 year supervised probation; charges of DUI and obstruction of justice were dismissed; $75 fine; discharged early from probation on July 24, 1989.  (89 CR 01537)
• March 28, 1991:  guilty of attempted battery on August 13, 1990 ~ $283.66 victim compensation for medical costs; no contact order to protect Jon Rayls; no alcohol or drugs; 1 year supervised probation; discharged early on April 29, 1991.  (90 CR 1308)

Richardson Was on Supervised Probation When He Petitioned for Custody  

Mr. Richardson petitioned for custody on March 4, 1996. . .three months before he was expelled from the batterers group for being a disruptive lost cause.  He was released from probation on June 13, 1996.  

Yet, the GALs and the court-appointed child psychologist perceive Ms. Dombrowski as the dangerous party.  In fact, GAL Dykes asked for an escort to protect her when she left the courtroom on Friday.  

You’d think with all the convictions, blood, cuts, and bruises they would be deeply concerned for the safety of the minor child and do everything possible to protect her from her criminal father.  Nope.  They’ve forced her to reside with a convicted criminal, his coffin coffee table, and the gun on the wall.  The courts have failed to protect her every day of her life.  

Kansas First Lady Stacy Parkinson’s Commitment to Preventing Child Abuse  

Nancy Carroll’s Rights for Mothers site was flooded this weekend with comments from around the world from people who are more familiar with the injustices Ms. Dombrowski and her daughter have experienced than I am.  Someone suggested we lobby the Governor of Kansas.  Gov. Mark Parkinson on his web page claims:   

Married to his wife, Stacy, for more than 25 years, the Parkinsons are active in community and charitable organizations, including co-chairing the successful Sunflower House Capital Campaign which raised $4.2 million to support the child abuse assistance agency. They also completed a $6.7 million Capital Campaign for SAFEHOME, one of the most comprehensive domestic violence agencies in Kansas. Both involvements led the United Community Services of Johnson County to name the Parkinsons 2006 Co-Citizens of the Year. They are parents to three children: Alex, Sam, and Kit. They belong to the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.  

The governor and first lady are both attorneys.  Gov. Parkinson claims to have a farming background.  The First Lady’s e-mail address:  

firstlady@ks.gov  

The governor’s snail mail address and phone number:  

Office of the Governor  

Capitol  

300 SW 10th Aveue, Suite 241 S  

Topeka, KS  66612-1590  

(785) 296-3232  

I think we need to ask them why the judges, GALs, and court-appointed psychologists in Kansas are so clueless about PAS and manipulation of the legal system as an instrument of abuse.  Why aren’t the judges in Kansas going to training?  Why don’t they have copies of the judicial guide?  

Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law  

Mama Liberty, in her comment, advised us that the FBI is the lead agency to investigate government officials who “under the color of law” fail to protect citizens.  This is what the FBI says on its site:    

U.S. law enforcement officers and other officials like judges, prosecutors, and security guards have been given tremendous power by local, state, and federal government agencies—authority they must have to enforce the law and ensure justice in our country. These powers include the authority to detain and arrest suspects, to search and seize property, to bring criminal charges, to make rulings in court, and to use deadly force in certain situations.  

Preventing abuse of this authority, however, is equally necessary to the health of our nation’s democracy. That’s why it’s a federal crime for anyone acting under “color of law” willfully to deprive or conspire to deprive a person of a right protected by the Constitution or U.S. law. “Color of law” simply means that the person is using authority given to him or her by a local, state, or federal government agency. . .  

Failure to keep from harm: The public counts on its law enforcement officials to protect local communities. If it’s shown that an official willfully failed to keep an individual from harm, that official could be in violation of the color of law statute.  [emphasis supplied and added]  

Judge Susan B. Carbon

Please visit Rights for Mothers to read about the worldwide outrage that manifested into an international grassroots campaign that was launched after this post was published.

I think it is time for us to take a stand ~ to pick a landmark case ~ to give it everything we’ve got.  In my professional opinion, the judge, the GALs, and the child psychologist deciding what’s in Ms. Dombrowski’s child’s best interests lack the expertise and competence to make those determinations.  And, I think their claims that they are acting in her best interests by sealing records and confiscating phones and closing the courtroom doors is nothing but a pretext to shield them from charges of corruption, incompetence, and callous indifference.  

Sound off, please. . .here and on your own blogs.  And, please follow Nancy Carroll’s lead in lighting a candle of hope to pierce the darkness for Claudine Dombrowski and her very vulnerable daughter.  

Update:  Since this post was published, a grassroots international campaign has been launched to protect Claudine’s daughter.  There is an extensive e-mail list in the comment section of everybody who is anybody in Kansas state government.

My e-mail to Ms. Rosenthal at lrosenthal@ovp.eop.gov bounced back.  Does anybody have the correct address???

Thanks to everyone who is supporting Claudine Dombrowski and her beautiful daughter.

Listen up, Judge David Debenham in Shawnee District Court in Topeka, Kansas!  I am going to do everything in my power to continue to pack your court room with people wearing purple and white until you stop Halleck Richardson’s manipulation of your court as an instrument of abuse.  And, I’m going to ask other bloggers to cut and paste this post into their blogs so that the whole world hears about the injustice in Kansas courts perpetrated by PAS monster fathers like Halleck Richardson. 

Be there:  August 20, 2010 at 9:00 AM

Judge David Debenham’s court room

200 SE 7th Street, Topeka, KS  66603, (785) 233-8200 Ext. 4203

Case No. 96-D-217 has been going on since March 4, 1996.  I tried to download the docket sheet into this post.  But, it was so extensive that WordPress couldn’t handle it.  So, I’m inviting my readers to click on the case number and prepare to have your jaw drop and your eyes glaze over.  This, folks, is what litigation abuse looks like:  14 years of being bludgeoned by a judge’s gavel instead of an ex-husband’s fists.

Update:  On the eve of the contempt of court hearing, the guardian ad litem (GAL) who has a legal duty to protect the best interests of Claudine’s child filed a motion for a continuance.  She’s known about this hearing for three months, and she knew or should have known that her client was denied visitation with her mother this summer ~ visitation that was ordered by the judge.

However, she has had the unmitigated audacity to question the wisdom of the judge’s decision to grant visitation and to suggest his decision wasn’t in the child’s best interests.  She wants more time to secure yet another report from a psychologist who I believe is totally clueless about the abuse dynamic.  His opinions consistently appear to be dictated by the PAS monster father.

GALs are supposed to be neutral third parties.  They are supposed to protect the best interests of the child.  I don’t know if the GAL in this case is clueless, naive, or corrupt.  I’ve extended the professional courtesy of sending her an e-mail message to educate her on the dynamics of PAS and manipulation of the legal system as an instrument of abuse.  Her actions will indicate whether she is motivated by ethical standards or is a mule for the PAS monster father.

The judge has not yet granted the motions for continuance filed by the GAL or the PAS monster father’s attorneys.  If you can, I encourage you to go to the courthouse tomorrow morning to support Claudine.

I clerked for the custody judge in Cook County (Chicago) during law school.  I know how a competent judge ends litigation abuse in a custody case.  And, I observed an incompetent judge allow the dissolution of marriage trial of Head v. Head set the record for manipulation of the legal system as an instrument of abuse in the state of Illinois. 

It looks to me, Judge Debenham, like you are going to allow the custody case involving Rikki A. Dombrowski to continue until the child reaches the age of majority.  This is the most insane miscarriage of justice I’ve read about.  And, I’m from Chicago where divorce attorneys wrote the book on bludgeoning ex-spouses and former lovers to a pulp. 

Halleck Richardson Is Using Judge Debenham’s Gavel to Continue to Beat Claudine 

Rikki’s father Halleck Richardson is one of those PAS monster fathers who realized he’d do time if he beat Claudine again.  It didn’t take him long to figure out that he could hurt her more by using the judge’s gavel to punish her for holding him accountable for his criminal actions.  He’s also done some evil things to send a none-too-subtle message to Rikki about what will happen to her if she crosses him.  My astute readers will recall a recent post about a monster father.  Yep.  That’s him.

Judge Debenham, to his credit, recognized Ms. Dombrowski First Amendment right to free speech when she packed the courtroom last spring.  He granted Claudine summer visitation.  Did it happen?  Hell no!

So, Claudine will be back in his court on August 20 with a motion to have Rikki’s father held in contempt of court. 

I’m here to tell you, Judge Debenham, it is time for you to educate yourself about PAS.  The link to the judicial guide is on the right hand of this screen.  So, you’ve got not excuse to continue being a co-conspirator to the injustice going on in your courtroom. 

Why Should You Be in the Courtroom on August 20? 

Look at the docket from the Shawnee County court in this case.  Each line represents a trip to the court house.  I couldn’t read it all.  It just boggles my mind that any judge could allow this train wreck to continue for over 14 years. 

Claudine had hoped to spend the summer with her daughter.  She’s been bludgeoned by Rikki’s father long enough.  It is clear to me that she and Rikki are not going to get justice or protection from Halleck Richardson’s abuse unless we keep packing that court room with people wearing purple and white.

How long could you endure what Claudine has endured with grace and dignity?  She’s a fierce warrior mother who has tried valiantly to protect Rikki from her monster father.

Claudine started the crusade to end PAS.  She’s been fighting for y’all for 14 years.  It is time for us to fight for her. . .and Rikki.