Two fundamental problems in our present family court system

We have identified two fundamental problems in our present family court system and have provided tentative solutions for them:

1. Lack of judicial accountability: in many areas of the country, especially in Florida, up to 80% of judges do not have to appear on the ballots when their term is over, so if they are doing a bad job, there is no viable way for the public to get them out. As a matter of fact, it looks like the worst a judge is, the less likely he/she will be challenged in elections.

Solution: constitutional amendment that will require all family court judges to appear on the ballots even if they have no one running against them (merit retention vote). Since judges may feel that we are targeting them, we have legislators willing to help us put an amendment that will even require all elected officials to appear on the ballots for a merit retention vote. I was told that this measure would be even easier to pass in Florida or even across the USA for we could get massive support from voters to strengthen our democracy. What elected official will argue against giving the people the power to decide if they are doing a good job or not? Only the ones that are doing a bad job, of course, so they would think twice before opposing such a measure. Accountability is essential to fixing this problem. The Pink Slip Project, at Newjudge.com, aims at this effort in Florida. Similar efforts are possible all over the USA, and around the world, if we unite to make this possible.

2. Inability to enforce judicial accountability: So, even if judges appear on the ballots, how can we make sure that we are able to vote off any judge not truly working towards the best interest of children and families?

Solution: The creation of a national organization to defend children and families in the USA. It will require presence in all states, and local branches in all judicial circuits. Its function will be to evaluate the performance of judges, and have volunteers ready to mobilize come election time to vote off any incompetent judges.

If you agree with these ideas and are willing to work towards these goals, send us a message, so we can have your name added to the Merit Retention Constitutional Amendment Coalition (MRCAC) group in Facebook, or you can provide your contact information to NewJudge1@gmail.com. United we can extirpate this cancer once and for all. 

Thank you in advance for your support.

We will be standing up and speaking up for our children.

Children need both parents! Stronger Families & Stronger Children Build Stronger Communities

Bring your parents, grandparents, children, friends and family.

We will be 1,000 strong in Tally!!!

About the Venue -- Saturday, November 5 at 9 AM - 6 PM

We are Fathers helping Fathers.

We are parents helping parents.

Stronger Families and Stronger Children Build Stronger Communities

We are Fathers helping Fathers.

We are parents helping parents.

We are advocates dedicated to bringing a change to end Fatherlessness in Florida.

Suicide By Family Courts~Divorce Industry Connection

SUICIDE FAMILY COURTS CHILDREN VETS DIVORCE INDUSTRY CONNECTION

Suicide Family Courts Children Vets Divorce Industry Connection 

By Dr. Mario Jimenez

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Family Court is a deadly business

Originally appeared at CatholicCourier.Com (Regional paper for Catholic Diocese of Roches Lyons man stands up for beliefs  (Publication Date:  09-03-2008)  By Jennifer Burke/Catholic Courier Lyons resident John Murtari has been standing up for what he believes in for years, but those actions recently made him a minor celebrity in his hometown. Murtari is featured in "Support? System Down," a documentary recently produced and directed by actor Angelo Lobo. The film explores what Lobo sees as the flaws in America's child-support system. "Support" premiered in California this past spring, and the recently restored Ohmann Theater in Lyons hosted a special screening of the film Aug. 13. In November 2006 Lobo visited Murtari in prison, where Murtari was serving a six-month sentence for failure to pay child support. Murtari claims he fell behind in his child-support payments because the payment amounts were calculated based on an income level he no longer had. What little extra money Murtari did have was usually spent traveling across the country to visit his son Domenic, he said. "What am I supposed to do? I want to see my son," Murtari, who belongs to St. Michael Parish in Lyons, told the Catholic Courier. "He wasn't (physically or financially) hurting for anything, but he wanted Daddy." Murtari refused food or water while imprisoned and instead received his nourishment through a feeding tube inserted through his nose. He did so not to harm himself, but to protest what he called an unjust family-court system that he felt had wrongly taken away his son and sent him to prison, all without a jury trial. Murtari also has been arrested several times for writing on the ground in chalk "I love you, Dom" and "Senator Clinton, help us" outside the Federal Building in Syracuse in an attempt to draw Sen. Hillary Clinton's attention to his proposed Family Rights Act. "The idea is to get Congress to pass a Family Rights Act. Each state has different family law, and it's almost amazing to think that your relationship with your children could be governed differently in Alabama than here in New York," Murtari said. Murtari, founder of the nonprofit organization A Kids Right, has a draft of the proposed act on the organization's Web site, www.AKidsRight.org. The organization's members believe all parents should be presumed fit and equal parents unless the government can prove through a jury trial that they are a demonstrated threat to their children, and have demonstrated that with harmful intent. Only then should the government interfere with a parent's right to raise his or her child, according to the organization and the proposed legislation. "John Murtari is a voice for the many non-custodial parents who wanted to share their children equally. People will see why he not only went on a hunger strike for change, but also continues to peacefully protest for the rights of children to have both parents," Lobo said in a statement. Murtari, who hadn't seen the movie before the Aug. 13 screening, said he was pleased with the way Lobo told his story and the way the film educated people unfamiliar with the child-support and family-court systems. "It's always weird seeing yourself (on film)," Murtari said. "What really got me was the people from town who were there and said, 'Wow, I never knew (about the system)." Murtari said he himself had never known much about the child-support and family-court systems before his divorce, even though he'd always considered himself a politically aware man. When his ex-wife decided to move across the country with their 5-year-old son, however, he said the "gut-wrenching" experience inspired him to learn more about the system and how he might change it. He drew inspiration from the Gospels and from reading about the lives of St. Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. Inspired by what these men were able to do through simple faith and nonviolent action, Murtari decided to follow their examples. "Nonviolent action doesn't mean writing letters. It's voluntary, loving self-sacrifice to show how deeply you believe in your cause," Murtari said. His nonviolent actions have landed him in jail more than once, but Murtari said he's seen some fruits from his labor. Once-hostile law-enforcement officers and court officials have begun treating him with respect, and he's full of hope that his actions can make a difference for families throughout the nation. "I could have easily descended into that bitterness and helplessness. Once I started taking these actions I felt better," Murtari said. "With faith you can lose that bitterness. When you're using that faith and sacrificing to make things better for others, you're going to feel better." EDITOR'S NOTE: To learn more about "Support? System Down," visit the film's Web site at www.SupportTheMovie.com.

The 'Family Court in Focus' event is tomorrow night! - Note: You don't need to bring your tickets, just yourselves and support to bring these issues back on the public and political agenda. We look forward to seeing you there.

Dad Documentary ~~ Huffingtonpost.com ~ Family Court Is Bad…

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The Family Court Is Badly Broken, And So Are The Parents  --  At a recent meeting in a converted warehouse in inner-Sydney 30 or so people -- both men and women -- told stories of devastation and heartbreaking loss. In…HUFFINGTONPOST.COM.AU

Family Court child custody proceedings and family laws violate the rights of fit parents

Petitioning United States Supreme Court

Do child custody proceedings and family laws violate the rights of fit parents, and whether children have reciprocal rights to the care and custody of their parents?

Michelle MacDonald has filed a petition "United States Supreme Court: Grant Writ of Cert filed November 4 to determine whether child custody proceedings and family laws violate the rights of fit parents, and whether children have reciprocal rights to the care and custody of their parents?" and need your help to get it off the ground.
Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:

http://www.change.org/p/united-states-supreme-court-grant-writ-of-cert-filed-november-4-to-determine-whether-child-custody-proceedings-and-family-laws-violate-the-rights-of-fit-parents-and-whether-children-have-reciprocal-rights-to-the-care-and-custody-of-their-parents

Here's why it's important:

Child custody proceedings are daily affecting the lives and fundamental and constitutional rights of millions of parents, children and families. Each year, 5.7 million domestic orders are decided in state courts, dominated by divorce. Add cases reopened to modify support, custody, visitation, and we have an epidemic.

You can sign the petition by clicking here.

Thanks!

michelle macdonald

United States

5050Rights

United States Supreme Court: Grant Writ of Cert 

www.change.org

Finding Truth and Justice 4 Florida Children

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness were promised to each of us by our founding fathers. And the resulting legal system was intended to protect us and sustain us with reason, fairness and order. But the present state of family law makes this harder and harder to achieve – particularly in regards to divorce. Arbitrary laws and a confrontational legal system have created a litigious nightmare for many of us.

Finding Truth 4 Children (FT4C) is a self-censored chronicle of courtroom dramas, lived by people who lost all or some visitation with or custody of a child or children based on perjury and/or other false courtroom evidence.

Family Law Reform, Inc. was founded upon the same sound promise: that the dream of a decent life, the freedom to pursue it, and the resulting happiness are not for the few, not for those who have the most money or who have the most aggressive attorney, but for each one of us.

Family Law Reform’s most immediate goal is the creation of reasonable guidelines in our Florida divorce law to inform and assist judges in their continuing oversight and orders for alimony. These guidelines would discourage the destructive practice of continued litigation in order to determine a ‘winner’ and a ‘loser’. The present adversarial situation is destroying families while creating wealth for the courts and litigating family lawyers.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY!

See video of an interesting recent Florida divorce case that took 4 years and $100,000 in attorneys fees. The ex-wife ended up in major debt and paying alimony. This is why we need alimony reform in Florida.

CLICK HERE to see video of the interview and to read the transcript