In June of 2015 my daughter lost sole legal custody of her daughter to her ex. A six-year battle came to an abrupt stop. During what was supposed to be a status hearing, Commissioner Ken Sanders terminated her parental rights. He denied her right to due process and two days later submitted his reasons which were based on false information. An appeal was filed and the Court of Appeals agreed that due process had been denied.
A Judge takes an oath to uphold the Constitution so the question begs to be asked how could an officer of Family court deny a parent due process? Did he not understand what he was doing or did he just not care? What our family has learned about Judges and Family Court has been shocking.
Those individuals who still believe their rights are protected under the U.S. Constitution have not yet experienced Family Court. They may trust, as I once did, that those who have been given the privilege to hold a gavel are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all persons. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Family Court is one of the most menacing threats to families that exists today. It destroys the lives of fit parents and sucks them dry of every asset they have. It creates problems rather than solves them. Until you experience it firsthand you find it hard to believe that in this country, lauded for its justice system, such injustice exists.
There are no juries in Family Court. Parents are at the mercy of a Judge, who has absolute immunity. Judges are supposed to follow procedural law however, they routinely violate basic rights and due process. Why? Because there is no oversight of Family Court. No person or agency has the authority to intervene in the decisions made in these courtrooms. These unrestricted boundaries of power have resulted in the suffering of thousands of American parents and their children. It has produced depression, PTSD and even suicide amongst its victims.
Why is it we hear so little about this? The media won’t touch these stories and most parents are afraid to speak out. They fear retaliation from the courts. Parents have no recourse. Filing a judicial complaint rarely results in discipline of a judge. Litigation is expensive so most parents simply gives up. Ultimately, the children are the ones who pay the price.
The ultimate victims of Family court are the children. But, how can we solve this problem? The first thing we need to do is acknowledge that there is a problem. Except for parents who have been through Family court most of the public is unaware. I want to change this. Please contact me if you or someone you know has a story of judicial misconduct in Family court. Let’s work to change this for our children. Thank you.
Cynthia Oxman
cynthiaoxman@ymail.com