Monday, March 26, 2012

Right Brain/Left Brain? and allegedly 2,700 silenced posters, minus me = 2,699


There are many ways to shut down rational discussion, one of which is by unsupported accusations, as follows.  Another one is by bringing the conversation to an antagonistic debate with no winners because there's no verifiable information to those on the sidelines.  Another is by "triangulating" (example below) by splitting the debate into pro or con of "me -- or her!"

It's selfish, and there are some narcissistic elements in this one. this is not a team player.  In the interchanges (boxes below) one can read two posters:  Joe P. and "Investigating Family Curts" who is the cheerleader, reflecting an off-line liaison.


Until Mr. Pilchesky can make up his mind whether this is a public forum or his personal platform to get at his wife, with the help of his "paramour" (his words), I think on-the-topic, rational discussion may have to happen elsewhere, and I have better things to do with my awake thought-life than deal with it.


And I don't want to continue contributing to the daily "hits" and promote the site.  I've saved most of my own postings on it anyhow.

RE:  Below posts from March, 2012:

If Joanne did silence a full 2,700 posters (any number of which may have been multiple personalities/usernames of Joe, or maybe were not -- but we don't know which) -- this number may have been matched by previous postings of smut, chauvinist remarks to dissidents (including myself), and attempts to derail the conversation through changing the topic to the relationship between the sexes.

There is indeed a major thread missing on the forum -- the Kids 4 Cash thread, a huge one, which talks about Danielle Ross and has posted some of her details.  I also believe that Joanne was afraid that this thread might have been trashed or deleted by Joe once he got a court order to regain access to the forum, post PFA where he was thrown out of his residence = her house.

I believe it will surface again, but if people were activist enough, they'd have processed the information, saved what mattered to them, and figured out a way to act on it.  Maybe several did!

No one likes to believe one has wasted one's time disseminating links and info (case the bread upon the waters, etc.)  and I don't think I did -- but there are ways to cut one's losses.  Hopefully one gets better and faster at this with time, which helps with business success.  Theoretically.

Exhibits first, summary, below:

What we have below is an interchange between what appears to be the current king of the mountain and Scranton Political Times (a message board, forum in existence since 2005 -- not without a legal fight to get it back up after it was improperly shut down, either).  

In late 2011, the Pilchesky domestic matters came to a head, and while it's been portrayed as a blow-for-blow engagement, I don't believe that's the best description.

I got in the middle for only four months of this, and quit the forum (deleted my account) after reading this next post.  There was more context behind it, but this is the basics.  The "ROI" of staying involved simply wasn't high enough.  And when dealing with this level of personality/"narcissism" (?), my idea is, don't further feed the thing!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

What a Think Tank Won't Tell You (History, in a Nutshell)

INTRO TO INTERESTING ARTICLE IN 2011 TIMES-TRIBUNE.

This is the article -- but it's the comment that inspired my posting it:



BY JEREMY G. BURTON (STAFF WRITER)Published: March 10, 2011

I think it sheds light on some of the issues I've seen (from out of state) in Lackawanna County, attempting to communicate on a different level than the "he said/she said, we say/they say, and "Get Ross" language. And on why it seems so hard to convince the average person that it's NOT about the person, it's about the system.

Why are people so uninterested in issues outside the county, outside the state, and not connecting those issues to the local problem?  There ARE such connections, and I have placed, and sometimes connected, the dots; so have others....


 Perhaps demographics are a clue.  




But first, you have to suffer through this explanation:

Thursday, March 22, 2012

What's This Blog for? We want your Comments!

Top.jpg


Lackawanna County Federal Lawsuit hits the press (Comments welcome)

SO, WHAT IS THE BLOG FOR?


This blog is not about supporting this or individual litigants in specific cases so they can win their case. It's in the public interest, about dismantling inherently unfair system which has pitted the court and its programs against the parents while the court assumes the opposite point of view -- these programs, it asserts, are serving the children; nay, the GAL program in particular is a "lifeline" to the children.

We do not approve of "Kids For Cash" in any county, Luzerne, Lackawanna (neighbor to Luzerne) or in any state.

Complaints are nothing new -- but complaining alone is not going to stop any form of "kids for cash."  No one would admit in public to selling children, or parents, or embezzling, or bribing judges or threatening someone to get a desired ruling --- but face it these things sometimes happen -- so there ARE people who are not afraid to collaborate and set up systems to do this in private.

However, when an FBI raids a courthouse, and when two (2) federal lawsuits are filed against practices in a single county -- then timing would seem good to keep the pressure on, and the evidence coming in too.

Two federal lawsuits were filed recently in Pennsylvania Middle District Federal Court, expressing outrage at the manhandling of a custody case (Stefanov) and literal manhandling by sheriffs (about six of them) to round up people with no business before the judge that day, i.e., false imprisonment of citizens (Griffiths).

The local -- and possibly more than local (it's being checked now)-- press has picked up on the story.  


We are looking for genuine feedback, genuine input to how to correct this, and if any of the court professionals involved have time inbetween their supervised (or home) visitations to explain the rationale behind deciding ALL kids need as many court professionals on the case as possible, I'm all ears.

MECHANICS of posting ~ ~ ~


This is just a Blog, meaning until I can get up an "open forum gadget," only blog owner can post.  But to have your say now, just click COMMENT on any post.

It will ask for an ID, so choose from the options.   If you don't have one and are concerned about anonymous, sign up for one of those services, make up a username, and know that only the blog owner gets to see that email.  For example, I have another account, but because my other personal interests (and non-advocacy blogs) are NOYB, the username "Justice Matters!" was born, today.


My teenagers are no longer in the home, and I finished college before the internet explosion, so any social media savvy has been learned on the job, on the fly + by the almost foolproof, trial and error.


Currently I am the only person with access to post, moderate, or change this blog.  I may decide to hand it over to someone else, and if so, will say so.  I have two other active blogs, and this is not my idea of entertainment, nor is it income.



WHO AM I?


Specifically, none of your business.


Generally,  I am working (as to setting up the blog) with "kidsrights@live.com," i.e. Bruce J. Levine (a parent from the Scranton, PA area) to solicit and save feedback on this issue, particularly from residents in Lackawanna County, parents who have been affected, and others who may know more than what has already been published.

Disclaimer:  FYI I have not personally met Mr. Levine, either Pilchesky, Dr. Stefanov, Ms. Griffiths (or anyone from the area . . . . I am out of state) and have not seen-- to my recall -- any of the paperwork in any Lackawanna County Family Court custody cases except as perhaps posted in the two federal lawsuits.  In general, I do hold a viewpoint on the family courts, but as an individual, my opinion on any open custody case is irrelevant.


I may or may not agree with Mr. Levine on any number of issues in or out of court.  I respect Joe Pilchesky, and Joanne Pilchesky, for the huge effort they put into maintaining Scranton Political Times forum over the years and posting valuable information and encouraging ongoing dialogues on the various ridiculously unnecessary and expensive to parents (and taxpayers) programs being _ _ _ _ _ _ed (fill in the verb) on the area.  Notice that I qualified that respect; their personal issues have affected the stability of the forum, which is another reason for a separate place to post some of this (and I'm sure not the only one around).




Legal Disclaimer:  I'm not an attorney, nor a public employee -- social worker or any other type.  So if you think this is legal advice for which I might be held accountable if it's in error, or doesn't win your custody case, or get the GAL you don't like fired or reprimanded, I feel sorry for you, but that's not my problem!


Further information (not legal advice there, either!) available at two links on top -- these are the larger scope, and resources to understand the problems we're facing from a point of view -- who started all this, why, and how does it work?  (Family Court Matters and The Family Court Franchise System).


"So Whaddaya Want from Me?"

Comments, information, on Lackawanna County FAMILY Court issues, especially relating to the matters raised in the federal lawsuits Stefanov, and Griffiths, and/or FBI investigation of their financing.



FIRST -- read this article, and please DO read the "lawsuit" (complaint) filed on there, and if you haven't, browse the commentary on the first article below, here.

LINKS above include links to some background -- both from the news, and also from the Scranton Political Times, who helped also start exposing the payment history of court professionals.

Comments field is open below.  I will be adding more function to this blog shortly.  Broader information on http://thefamilycourtmoneymachine.blogspot.com, which also has a page and some posts specific to LACKAWANNA COUNTY.


Federal Lawsuits and Courtroom Intimidation Tactics debated


I imagine involved parents from the area, know the basic story line, some of its basics in this post.

WELL, Last Fall (2011) The FBI raided the Lackawanna County Courthouse, seeking paperwork on every case assigned to Guardian ad Litem Danielle Ross;


  • WNEP TV  "Family Court Lawsuit during Federal Investigation" Article.  This clip talks about insisting on payments in cash and serious overbilling ($65 for a $20/hr fee. no receipts possible) for supervised visitation (of a mother whose voice sounds like a mouse -- I'm wondering why she's on supervised visitation...).  There are few comments, and when I tried just now, the registration site certificate had expired -- in 2011...
Family Court Lawsuit During Federal Investigation





Family Court Lawsuit During Federal Investigation

While a federal investigation into the Lackawanna County's family court system continues, a Moscow man has filed suit against the court, the county, and the woman who runs a legal program that is supposed to look out for the interests of children in custody dispute

Tensions have obviously been running high, and one Judge Moyle apparently got seriously overstepping her authority, using county sheriffs (the no-OK-with-me Corrale) in early February, 2012 -- among the round-ups were some parents who'd  been protesting court abuse, and/or picketing it (lawfully) weekly, and publicizing some of the more serious concerns on Scranton Political Times, and it's now out, contacted the FBI about this situation.

One of these individuals didn't take the situation lying down, and filed a civil rights violation lawsuit at the federal level.  Bravo for her courage, and good luck with this!



Griffiths v. Lackawanna County et al

 as 3:2012cv00365


Plaintiff: Lindsey Anne Griffiths
Defendants: Lackawanna County, Corey D. O'Brien, James Wanzack, Patrick O'Malley, Lackawanna County Office of the Sheriff and others
Cause Of Action: Civil Rights Act

Another parent (not in that crowd, that I know of) filed a lawsuit on the same GAL, which then got pretty good local press (see "News2012" links, navy blue background, above):


(From JUSTIA dockets listing)

Stefanov v. Ross et al

Filed: March 15, 2012 as 3:2012cv00472
Plaintiff: Michael Stefanov 
Defendants: Danielle Ross, Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County and Lackawanna County
Cause Of Action: Civil Rights Act
Plaintiff:Michael Stefanov 
Defendants:Danielle Ross, Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County and Lackawanna County
Case Number:3:2012cv00472
Filed:March 15, 2012
Court:Pennsylvania Middle District Court
Office:Scranton         Office
County:Lackawanna
Presiding Judge:Unassigned2
Nature of Suit:Civil Rights - Other Civil Rights
As publicized:
  • The Times-Tribune: 

Federal lawsuit filed to dismantle Lackawanna County's guardian ad litem system 


A Moscow psychologist is asking a federal court judge to block Lackawanna County Court from using its system of appointing a third-party lawyer to look out for the interests of children in family court disputes, arguing the system is illegal and unconstitutional.
In a strongly worded, wide-ranging federal lawsuit filed Friday, Michael L. Stefanov, 40, contends the county's guardian ad litem, attorney Danielle M. Ross, repeatedly violated his constitutional rights in a long-running battle with his ex-wife over their son's custody, and the county and the court system let her get away with it.

(Not sure if this is a related article -- will check; sounds like a Luzerne County case)....
  • Judge Allows Additional Defendants in 'Kids-for-Cash' Civil Suit

    The Legal Intelligencer
    March 22, 2012
    A federal judge hearing arguments in the wake of the kids-for-cash scandal has allowed 45 new plaintiffs to enter the suit. 

  • The Legal Intelligencer:

    Lackawanna County Guardian Ad Litem Sued In Federal Court

    The Legal Intelligencer
    March 20, 2012
    A Lackawanna County man has sued the county's guardian ad litem in federal court, along with the Lackawanna County Common Pleas Court, alleging the family court's guardian program deprived litigants of constitutional rights and that the court's sole guardian "thoroughly misunderstood and misapplied her role."



  • Guardian Ad Litem Source of Conflict in Several Family Court Cases

    The Legal Intelligencer
    March 20, 2012
    Since attorney Danielle M. Ross became Lackawanna County's guardian ad litem in 2008, court records show that several litigants and their attorneys petitioned to have Ross removed from their cases



AND . . . . .and...

And -- less publicized in the Legal papers, but still filed in federal court, and related  by association to Ms. Ross:

 (probably related) incident, with a related federal lawsuit to match (see My Viewpoint, to left), when one walks into a courthouse to obtain forms, or to converse, or to support another individual, or for any other "I don't have a hearing today" business -- one should not end up behind a wall of sheriffs, doors blocked, and rounded up to be forced into a courtroom and interrogated by a judge! With or without the above-mentioned (and I gather, pictured) GAL in attendance.

In other words, WHAT??!!??$#@?? was that about? (post will show photographs of armed sheriffs blocking the exit door,  from waist down, the incident prompting the Griffiths lawsuit).


TOPIC: Is Danielle Ross intimidating witnesses?
From Scranton Political Times post by "and justice for all," 3/12/2012, under topic
(= earlier comments, with poster's response in blue):
Joanne Pilchesky wrote:

Does anyone know if Danielle Ross participated in the violation of civil rights situation that took place in Judge Moyle's courtroom last Friday?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blocking entrance to stairwell Sheriffs detain individuals on 2/12/2012 sometime around 2 pm.
This picture was taken on the second floor of Admin Bldg Family Court. Right near elevators across to entrance of Judge Moyle's courtroom.

And posted the day after the incident, by same username:

free republic wrote:

I heard that Judge Moyle and her tipstaff, lawclerk were present, maybe Donna from court family court admin, and that Ross and a court reporter were there, too.

That is accurate.
Danielle Ross, Donna Iannuzzo and Moyle's law clerk were present.

__________________
"Silence always helps the aggressor"   ~Ellie Wiesel~   Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald Death Camps
~1986 Nobel Peace Prize Award ~ 


TOPIC: Is Danielle Ross intimidating witnesses (NO, an Associate -- Judge -- was, here!)