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.
