The right for criminal defendants in the U.S. to receive free legal representation if they cannot afford it was established by the Supreme Court almost 60 years ago. Yet in non-criminal courts cases across the country, litigants facing forfeiture of parental rights, eviction or foreclosure, and danger from abusive spouses and domestic partners, are subject to loss of child custody, control over … [Read more...]
Why Divorce Cases Involving Allegations Of Abuse Still Confound Family Courts
Across Canada, as well as the U.S., family court is a tangled, vastly under-resourced jungle that includes hundreds of lawyers, judges, child-protection workers and custody assessors. It’s a system that has long struggled to deal with cases that involve allegations of domestic violence, especially when determining custody and access. That’s in part due to a culture rife with sexist stereotypes … [Read more...]
Workgroup Seeks Changes to Domestic Violence, Custody, and Abuse Proceedings
On Monday, December 7th at a joint hearing, the House Judiciary and Senate Judicial Proceedings Committees heard recommendations from the Workgroup to Study Child Custody Proceedings Involving Child Abuse or Domestic Violence Allegations. Child Custody Workgroup members including Maryland Secretary of State John C. Wobnensmith as well as Ruth Glenn, President of the National Coalition … [Read more...]
6/19/14 Press Release: Complaint Filed Against Marin County Judge & CEO
For Immediate Release: June 19, 2014 Contact: Kathleen Russell info@centerforjudicialexcellence.org Complaint Filed Against Marin County Superior Court Family Law Judge Bev Wood & Court CEO Kim Turner for Evidence Tampering SAN RAFAEL – California Family Law Attorney Barbara Kauffman submitted a detailed complaint last week to California law enforcement and judicial oversight … [Read more...]