Press Release 12/22/10
A Florida Mother asks Court to Certify Questions to Florida Supreme Court/ National Crisis in the Family Courts
Mothers of America…..if she can lose custody….any one can…….
A “squeaky clean” mother, Linda Marie Sacks, in her effort to be re-united with her children, asks the Fifth District Court of Appeals to certify 3 questions of national importance to the Florida Supreme Court. Mothers all over the U.S. are losing custody of their children, and all their contact is terminated or they are placed indefinitely on Supervised Visitation, by the trial court with no case plan and reunification plan.
After 3 years/9 months of only supervised visitation,(74 hours total) with her children, a Daytona Beach Mom is asking the Fifth District Court of Appeals to certify 3 questions of great national importance.
1. If a parent makes a good faith allegation of abuse, with documented evidence,
in an effort to protect her children, should that parent be deprived of physical
custody of her children, or have their contact supervised, indefinitely without a
case plan, or reunification plan provided by the trial court?
2. Does a state court violate the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments when it
deprives a parent of physical custody, and limits that parents contact to Supervised
Visitation with her children, for taking the reasonable action based upon a belief,
supported by facts that her children need protection from abuse?
3. Does a state court’s custody decision that deprives a parent of access to her
children indefinitely, unless supervised, without a finding of unfitness by clear and
convincing evidence, which effectively terminates a party’s parental rights,
violate the Fifth and Fourteen Amendments?
Her daughters in April 2007 told her..”Mommy fight for us and do something every day to get us back and don’t ever stop”, so every day she has kept that promise and now will go to the Florida Supreme Court, and then on to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. After spending $140,000 to do undo the unjust custody ruling by the trial court of Judge Shawn L. Briese, she is now more determined than ever, and has taken up the legal challenge on her own as a pro se litigant.
The Fifth District Court of Appeals on Dec. 7, 2010, denied Mothers 2nd appeal so she is now asking that the Florida Supreme Court address this crisis in the family courts. Family courts are in crisis and Mothers are sadly losing custody of their children, and all they did was ask the “official avenues”….judges, police, DCF for help to protect their children from documented abuse, and they are losing custody. Family court judges are dismissing, ignoring, and suppressing documented evidence abuse and the abusers are getting custody.
The ABA.. American Bar Association states that Batterers ask the family courts for SOLE custody, and are successful 70% of the time. Imagine…a parent with documented evidence of Domestic Violence, and Child Physical and/ or Sexual Abuse to the children…. And the fathers are able to get SOLE physical custody, and Mothers, known as “protective parents” are sadly placed on supervised visitation or all contact with their children is terminated.
The Florida NOW (National Organization for Women) Ad Hoc Family Law Committee has a brochure on this national crisis.
www.nowfoundation.org/issues/family/
If you think…oh that could never happen to me….that’s what this Mother thought…and as “squeaky clean”, class Mom, soccer Mom, car pool Mom, community volunteer, with no drugs, no abuse, no alcohol, just a loving, caring, primary care giver to her children………..she lost custody in a hearing that the Fifth District court of Appeals Case 5D07-1682 said that her constitutional rights were violated…and the hearing to determine custody on March 9, 2007, should never have taken place in the trial court of Judge Shawn L. Briese. The Fifth District Court of Appeals REVERSED and REMANDED the issue of custody back to Judge Briese for a “Retrial of the custody of the minor children”. Judge Briese refused to be disqualified from the hearing on child custody and refused to remove the unjust “supervised visitation” order.
This national crisis is affecting 39 states………..
A national conference will take place in Albany NY…Jan 7, 8 , 9, 2011 ..addressing this crisis in the family courts. For more information on this conference: www.batteredmotherscustodyconference.org
Advocates are asking for a federal investigation into the corruption in the family courts and congressional hearings to address this national crisis…children are being forced to live with an abusive parent….and safe, protective parents are losing custody.
For more information:
www.centerforjudicialexcellence.com
www.juliafletcher.wordpress.com
www.americanmotherspoliticalparty.org
