Bradley County Family Brings National Attention To Child Custody Cases

Wow, there's a lot of disinformation in this thread. I understand how bitter people get when they lose custody of their children, particularly when it seems the system was unfair. But here are a few facts about the way divorce and custody typically works.

1. The house is usually awarded to the parent who ends up with custody. This isn't to "reward" that parent, but to protect the interest of the child in the property, so he/she doesn't have to lose his/her home as well as splitting up the family. It is an attempt by the system to decrease the amount of trauma a child faces during and after a divorce.

2. Child support is awarded by the court from the noncustodial parent for the support of his or her child, not for the benefit of the custodial parent. I understand that there are many people who misuse child support, but the noncustodial parent isn't "supporting" the other family; that parent is supporting his or her child. You would have to support your children if you were with the other parent. Why should you not be expected to do so if you are divorced?

3. Most states have a standard percentage of the noncustodial parent's wages awarded for child support. For example, for one child, it's 20%. The second child adds 16%. Yes, it's a lot of money, but you would have to pay for the child if you had custody, as well.

4. Lawyers lie. Spouses lie. Children lie. And, most importantly, the court system is so backed up it is difficult to handle all the cases. Some exes are scum-sucking pigs and others were models of decency. But guess what? Scum-sucking pigs can end up with custody and models of decency can get shafted.

I know the system is unfair. The American adversarial system is not designed to handle family affairs. If two people go to court in a contracts dispute, they walk away from the litigation and never have to see each other again. But once you have children with someone, you are stuck with that person for life. So, we still go to court, try to destroy each other, the judge makes a decision which displeases at least one party, and then the parties are supposed to walk out the door and work together in the best interest of the child. That's a difficult thing to do, but there are no other choices.

i was 19 when my child paternal grandmother run to another state with my 2 week old son .when she got to mississippi she filed custody charges and got my son.i fought for years in front of judge baily but the grandmother had a attorny and i didnt. it started out i got 1 weekend a moth to visit with a child i did not give up.then the judge decided that the grandmother should adopt my son per her lawyers reqeust.Iam 32 years old now and im a parent of two other children and married to a wonderfull man .but there was years of drug abuse were i was trying to cope with losing my son witch i havent seen in atleast 12 years .i just wanted to thank judge Susan Bailey for all these years of heartache and loss.

A nation that blithely permits the wanton destruction of marriage contracts without cause or reason, entitles random procreation for profit outside of marriage, turning a very large number women and children into impoverished and unprotected beggars, and makes poverty and involuntary underemployment for men into a crime, gets more of what it manufactures than what it can handle.

Marriage absence is the greatest social and economic problem we face. Two states are near bankruptcy, largely driven by this problem. The problems of poverty, illegitimacy, crime, children in distress, the lack of parenting, will all be naturally and largely be erased when the causal factor -- marriage absence -- is addressed.

Please people lets stop placing blame on a Mother or Father...........IT'S THE LAWYERS AND JUDGES that are tearing our families apart and harming our children. If we don't all stand together and shine a bright light on these corrupt Judges, nothing will ever change. I don't know what the answer is because it seems that every Judge goes down this road soon after he gets on the bench. Media attention will work wonders with them. So we should all be supportive of Mr. McCormick and his attempt to expose this massive problem. My prayers are with him and Mr. Hopkins in their long needed endervor.

The problem isn't just two parent families being torn apart. Even single parents are losing their rights due to DCYF and court corruption. DCYF should not be given incentive money for families torn apart. Services are not being given to at-risk families before the child is taken. The child is taken immediately when a report is called in, be it true or false. Many of the children taken are due to false report's and perjury committed by the DCYF Lawyers and caseworkers.
Incentive money should only be given when a family is kept together. As it stand's right now, DCYF is being rewarded by our government for every child taken from thier parent's. Then they get more money when the child is adopted out by DCYF. In the state of N.H., there have been no TPR's reversed by the Supreme Court. It's a lose lose situation. Also, once children are taken in this state, they are not given back.Reunification does not happen. I have been in contact with many people who have lost their children. None of them were returned even when the parent complied with all court order's. DCYF and the court alway's trump up a reason to keep the kid's. I have been in touch with a former DCYF worker who quit working for them because of the injustices done to families. In all the years this person worked for them, there wasn't even one family reunited. I was told there is no reunification in N.H. I've seen it myself.
Relatives are not given the option for child placement, because they are not licensed fosters.DCYF would lose money from the federal government placing with relatives. DCYF tell's the Judges no-one in the family wanted the child, even when relatives pleaded to take the child. Placement with Fosters, keep's DCYF's money rolling in.
The Federal government need's to start investigating all abuse and neglect report's and all placement's made by DCYF. This horrific injustice to families need's to stop!

My daughter has been tied up in court before the infamous "retired" Judge John Hagler for 10 years on custody of her son. She was in court before Hagler on the last day he sat on the bench. We could write a book on how irregular he has handled this case. He issued a memorandum opinion in her case two months after he "retired" from the court. A 22 page opinion that he had no authority to file. He gave the father the right to set any visitation schedule he choose. This has been very limited to the point he has only spent one Mother's Day with his Mom in the 10 years this case has been dragging on in the Court. To say the courts are broken is an understatement of extreme proportions. We have spent countless thousands and been in court countless times to just be pushed aside and mistreated. The Mother has tried repeatedly to get the court to approve a parenting plan for this child. If the two years has been bad for Mr. Hopkins and his daughter, just think the damage that has been done to my grandson and his mother in 11 years they have been victims of the broken courts. This child is now 13 and the Mother has never been allowed to defend the loss of his custody in our courts even though she has never stopped trying to get a fair hearing. Now we are told since this has been an 11 year saga, the years he has been with his father is in his father's favor for continuing to retain full custody of this child. How lucky Mr. Hopkins is to have found people willing to help him. We have begged all over this country for help. We are still begging for help as we still have numerous motions and petitions filed and unheard. Some motions have been pending for over 10 years. One look at our transcripts from these numerous times we have been before Hagler would convince anyone that Mr. Hopkins has been just one more victim of this broken court and a very questionalble Judge Hagler. I want to wish Mr. Hopkins the best of luck in his attempt for some justice for his little girl. I am speaking for a Mother but I think a child deserves both parents.
My grandson has struggled in school and has had many of the problems children suffer from these horrendous situations. I hope things are resolved in the best interest for the little girl before she develops the problems that are so prevalent with children from these unjust situations.

The way family laws are today with divorce, child custudy, etc. and how it's handled: It can be a nightmare in the court room.

In the whole divorce, child support, child custody laws etc., the lawyers and judges make tons of money at the expense of people's lives. They do need to change things.

I know what we went through. The judges sometimes make their decisions before the Father even walks in the courtroom. It makes it hard to keep your composure when things don't turn out for the best interest of all parties involved. ( Especially the children)

The mother always gets the children, and the father is no longer a parent, but classified a "visitor". It's hard to keep a relationship with your children seeing them just once a month or once a week or whenever the court and the mother says. Especially if the mother doesn't even follow the court decision and doesn't let the father see the kids.
It's hard to see what goes on, unless you are in it yourself. Things HAVE TO CHANGE!

My stepchildren were not allowed to have a relationship with their dad, due to their mother's issues. Also, she knew the court system and how to use it.

It really boils down to women's rights going to the extreme against men.
But it's hard to explain to people if they are not going through it.

I am for Shared Parenting, with NO CHILD SUPPORT being awarded to either parent!

The mother and father are no longer together, so they should be responsible for keeping a roof over their own head, food on their own table, etc. One parent should not be forced to support TWO HOUSEHOLDS, which is what happens when one parent has to pay child support. The children become pawns, so the custodial parent can try to manipulate things. Make it fair! Treat each parent, (the mother and father), the same. Both equal access to their children with NO CHILD SUPPORT ordered!

I would like to point out that it is very difficult to explain the issues at hand if people aren't willing to listen and actually look at what is going on in our family courts today. I believe that the children deserve to have the best situation possible in these circumstances.

What has happened in our society today, is that women's rights has gone to the opposite extreme against men!
If anyone has ever been in the courtroom of a divorce/child custody,etc. type situation, you would see what I mean. Father's who walk in the courtroom are labeled a "Deadbeat Dad" before they even have a chance to be heard. Not all Dad's are Deadbeats! But, because of this stereotype, children are torn away from their father's before they have any chances. It is not because there is any type of abuse or any charges like that in these cases! You have to be in the courtroom to see what happens! You look at the judges eyes and body language when they look at the father. You look at the lawyer's eyes and body language for the mother's side as well. You will see what I mean. The lawyer who defends the father, most of them do NOT fight very hard to get things resolved. Even when they know that so many laws are being broken.

Things need to change! Children are NOT Pawns, but are often made out to be pawns in order for the custodial parent, usually the mother, to get all the money, houses, cars, etc. The father usually winds up losing the title of parent, but rather is called a "visitor". How can you have a father/child relationship, when you are only allowed to "visit" your children once a month, a few times a year, or whenever the other parent and judge says you can! Then he also loses the majority of his paycheck! He is forced to provide for the family he is not together with, and still try to provide a roof over his head, food on the table, etc. for himself. And forget it if he wants to have a new start in life and gets remarried. Especially if he has children in that marriage. He is now forced to provide for TWO HOUSEHOLDS ON ONE INCOME!!! His children from the second marriage SUFFER AS WELL!!! They often become the "fotgotten family"

Think about it: the mother gets custody of the children, gets child support from their dad, gets a boyfriend or new husband, has children with him, NONE OF THOSE CHILDREN SUFFER FINANCIALLY. But the father of her first children, has to pay for both families! He can't get another job to try to make up for the lost wages, because the courts attach that money for child support for the first children as well! Please people things HAVE TO CHANGE!!!

What should be done so children aren't caught in the middle as the MAIN VICTIM'S in the whole ordeals, is this: If there is no proof of harm to the child, they should award JOINT CUSTODY PERIOD! WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CHILD SUPPORT AWARDED TO EITHER PARENT! Children need to have both parents in their lives. Both parents should be responsible for their own separate lives. Maintaining their own housing, etc. They are NO LONGER TOGETHER, DON'T TRY TO MAKE IT LIKE THEY ARE! They should work to get along when it comes to the children. They need to push all the crap aside and think of the children for crying out loud.

Children are people too! I am FOR NO CHILD SUPPORT AND SHARED PARENTING!!

Most people don't realize that our current court system actually encourages one parent to alienate the other parent from a child. It is not just about Mother gets the child, Father becomes a visitor when its all said in done. Someone has to pay child support to the other because it is an incentive for States to receive Federal Funding (Title IV-D). If there were presumption of joint custody for both parents which is indeed the best interest of the child then there would not be any federal funds, Child support Enforcement would lose jobs as well as attorney's, and Judges. See the pattern? See the politics? Money is the Root of all Evil!

Glad to see Michael McCormick's views in the news. For more than a decade, he's been connected with the world's leading experts on family policy issues. An extremely credible expert in his own right.

Family law courts are nothing more than kidnapping, fraud, and extortion rackets, destroying the lives of innocent people for money using taxpayer dollars to cause social strife so that government employees have problems to solve but only make worse and worse.

They rip families apart by declaring one parent a winner who keeps the child(ren) and the other parent a loser who, unlike married fathers, must pay what some corrupt judge dictates or else go to prison, while retaining no enforceable right to continue as a parent.

We may be facing financial collapse because of corrupt government regulators, but we're also facing societal collapse because of corrupt, greedy, government officials who destroy lives by the thousands every day.

Meanwhile, as with the financial collapse, the media is out to lunch, too busy promoting propaganda for this political party or that one, never scrutinizing the true impact of unconstitutional laws like VAWA.

Best wishes to Mr Hopkins and his children as he faces these crooks. Yesterday was the 8th Thanksgiving in a row I was not "allowed" to see my children, though I committed no crime and have paid all of the "child support" extortion these slimy judges, lawyers, and Bar Associations need to keep their corrupt racketeering ongoing.

The problem is when you have judges and lawyers who see cases like this and go after the money. Also judges that will not follow the law. Lawyers who are allowed to lie in open court and in filings. This lawyer filed a document that was a lie. We have it and have the proof. We await the chance to see what the new judge does in this case.
Radical Feminist who believe the father is wrong...she ran off with the child and then made demands that if he did not meet them he could not see his daughter. If this was reversed..AMBER ALERT!! The father would have been arrested. Dont set the rules and then bitch about them when they work against you. I am not for either parent, I am for this little girl. If you could have seen how happy she was to finally see her dad, and you want to leave a comment that the dad must have done something wrong. Show up and lets put you on video and let the public see a true Radical Feminist.

I totally think the system is messed up when it comes to broken homes and children. First of all, the children are almost always left with the mom, which is how most men and women prefer it. But in alot of those cases the women then uses the child/children against the man, simply because "hell hath no fury, as a scorned woman." This does nothing except further the diorder in the childs life, it gives the woman a certain amount of control over the man and his life, endes up making him resent the whole prosess, causing even further chaos and disorder for the child and usually makes them feel torn between their parents. Both parents should be evaluated, the children should be ask where they prefer to live, and child support should be monitored as to how it is spent,each parent should have equal time with the children. Now how to get this all going, instead of the system we have, I haven't a clue. I only know that when a relationship between grown people fails, and there are children involved, both parties first concern should be their childs well being and happiness. If adults were really adults the problems that exist now would be few. I am a single mom and have never recieved the first child support check from either of my girls dads. With my first daughter when my marrisge failed, me and my husband didnt divorce then a yr. later he went to prison and stayed there the majority of the time until she was 18. But when he was out and I ever needed any money to help with her and ask him he was always good to give, Right after she turnrd 17 he got out and he gave her the 50 a week that he had been ordered to pay once we finally divorced. My youngest daughters dad and I never married, but in 2003, he was ordered to pay $20 a week, because he lied in court and said he paid $130 weekly for his other children. No one bothered to even check this. The way I felt was if my kids fathers was to sorry to care if they helped take care of their children, I wasn't arguing to make them pay, but I still never kept them from their dads. I didn't do it for the dads, I did it for my girls, the youngest mainly, when she gets to missing her dad and wanting to see him, we go to his house, if she wants to stay the night, I stay also, whether he has a girlfriend or not, because I have never felt he had a stable enough enviroment for me to leave her with him. But she loves him just as she loves me, he's her dad, and thats my fault. Her happiness and well being is the only thing that matters to me. She is twelve now and time has shown her kinda who he is, and as she gets older she will see even more. She asks less and less each year to see him, and I am not the villian who wouldn't let her see her dad. He and I have formed an ok friendship, through the years, and that being all, a friendship, never having anything to do with one another once we split, believe that or not, it really doesn't matter to me. In the long run, my daughter is a fairly happy, confident, teenager, who hasn't had the weight of her mom and dads problems left weighting her down. This isn't for everyone, I'm sure but it has worked for us.

False, so-called "stats" provided by Father's rights group remain misleading.

I founded www.FamilyLawCourts.com in 2001, and immediately discovered fake attorneys, fake therapists, and real judges who know and don't care. Google "Ron Lais" to see what I mean.

Mother's rights groups requested I join them. I declined. Father's rights groups requested I join them, I declined. Both groups are counter-productive as their focus is gender rather than what the Courts are doing; which is promoting litigation; their goal...and Judges appreciate the focus being taken off their ongoing violation of Constitutional right to parent. After all, the business of government is; BUSINESS. So judges act more like marketing reps for all comers.

But separately, and obviously, more men kill their children, women, and other men; than women.
For a list of murdered kids, please see www.FamilyLawCourts.com/kids.html

Separate from that is misogyny. See www.FamilyLawCourts.com/domestic.html

And that includes within our courts.
See www.FamilyLawCourts.com/badcop.html

I have also seen the movie, "Child Support? System down" ...which was junk billed as documentary expect the film maker of this so called documentary didn't interview the police or the victims. Duh.

My suggestion if you want to make an impact: is keep the focus on the judges themselves. There's plenty of material there. See my other site, www.USAjudges.com which is the only site that empowers the public to make our courts transparent.

It costs to buy reports, it costs a little to make one. Why? Two reasons.

1. It eliminates those who just want to complain, "He done me wrong."

2. Reporters find more people are more credible when they put their money where their mouth is.

Guest 11:51 implies Mr. McCormick has marital problems and provides bogus information but offers no citations of her own. Guest is definitely a female and a feminist.

The ratio of custody in contested and uncontested cases of divorce is around 9-1 in favour of the female parent. This is common in many countries including my own in Canada. False allegations of abuse are part of the arsenal of weapons used by the DV industry to ensure females get custody.

In fact I'm not surprised to hear allegations being made in this case either. Good luck to Mr. Hopkins and his daughter. I hope it works out OK and the mother doesn't try to alienate the child from him which is another common weapon used by feminists to abuse children.

Shared and Equal parenting should be the norm not the exception. Feminists better learn to adapt because more of it will be coming.

Family court destruction of families causes long-term affects on children. Children that grow up in single-parent homes are more likely to get into drugs, teen pregnancy, or end up in jail. The children of these single homes become broken adults and become a burden to our society. Single parent homes cost the taxpayers $112 Billion dollars per year.
http://crispe.org has info on the benefit of shared parenting and what it can do to help our children to grow up to become healthy adults.

Most divorcing parents are able to work out a parenting plan and do not ask the courts to do it for them. It appears that Mr Hopkins and his ex wife have some issues that had to be decided by the courts. McCormick's claim that 17 million fathers and 3 million mothers do not have fair access to their children is bogus. Some of these parents may have substance abuse or domestic violence problems.

1. FATHERS 4 JUSTICE is a non-violent, not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) human rights group fighting for Truth, Justice and Equality in Family Law. F4J is an all volunteer army of parents and extended family that engages in direct action and public advocacy.

2. We support a child's right to have both parents sharing equally in thier life and an end to the systematic removal of one parent by courts after separation. We believe the best parent is both parents and disregard the very idea of 'non-custodial parent' as demeaning as 'slave' or 'indentured servant' as viewed by today's standards.

3. We defend the Constitution of the United States from domestic enemies and traitors found in custody courts who do not protect and uphold fundamental parental rights guaranteed to both parents. We demand adherence to the exact intent and meaning of the Supreme Court that the State may not interfere with a fit parent's right to care and upbringing of thier child absent clear and convincing evidence of iminent harm to a child.

4. We advocate dismantling the existing Family Law Industry and the
removal and disbarment of existing family court judges and lawyers
guilty of corruption, racketeering, bias, discrimination, malfeasance
or negligence for profit. We advocate replacement by a fair and transparent system of justice based on the principle of cooperative equal parenting and swift enforcement of mutual parental rights.

5. We expose injustice in Child Custody Courts, bring guilty parties to the attention of the public, and demand strict civil and criminal acccounability for fraud, bias, and corruption in family courts.

6. We oppose the gender bias in family law against men that typically removes fathers from the lives of children and we recognize that the social stigma suffered by non-custodal mothers is often even more
damaging. We advocate a presumption of equal parenting when fit parents do not agree on a shared parenting plan.

7. We support Responsible Fatherhood as the solution to social ills such as poverty, crime, addictions, under employment, social decay and suicide that is the direct result of a generation of children and
fathers denied mutual companionship and care. We regard state ordered child support payments as an incentive to destroy marriage and a poor subsititute to direct parental care and support.

8. We Support a Parental Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to include explicit language of equal rights and responsiblities shared by both parents.

9. We oppose all forms of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse including parental alienation. We oppose the Violence Against Women's Act for failing to reduce domestic violence or strengthen families, due to
the large numbers of false or frivilous allegations and hollow male bashing that discredits, demeans, and dishonors genuine victims. We demand criminal and civil enforcement against false or frivilous domestic violence or abuse accusations fabricated by any person for the purpose of interfering with a parent's custody of thier child.

10. We dedicate ourselves to non-violent direct action, heroic advocacy, cunning stunts, and civil disobedience directed to all areas of the child custody industry to raise awareness and combat family law injustice. We pledge steadfast solidarity with fellow advocates of parental rights.

It is time we get equality and oversight in our family court system. The costs to society are in the billions and most single parent homes are not from parents running away, but rather fit willing and able parents who are ripped away from thier children thru actions of the courts.
The federal incentives of Title IV-D of the social security act pays the states to basically rip families apart in order to maximize its profits. There should never be incetive funds that produce negative outcomes on the family structure.
www.myspace.com/familyrights