Another day, another blog!
Today, I am ranting and raising hell about the judicial system in Lake County, Florida. IN particular the Family Courts!
My daughter's ex husband was arrested in Jan. for lewd and lascivious battery on a child under the age of sixteen. Consensual sex with a fifteen year old is his story. Consensual sex with a fifteen year old!
Anyway, of course he was charged with a felony, and his children, my grand daughter,and his other daughter were taken out of his home. He was allowed supervised visits with the children at the CPS offices with a social worker present.
He has been to court on this charge once a month since Jan. And it has consistently been continued. Okay fast forward. We have been to court once a month since March for dependency hearings.
Last week, the social worker told my daughter that the criminal case had been plea bargained and a part of that was that he relinquish all legal rights to his two children.
My daughter, and his ex-wife argued that him relinquishing his rights to the children was simply a legal way for him to avoid paying child support. I agree.
But, be that as it may, that was a part of the plea agreement. Today, was to be the last dependency hearing and all legal rights to both children was to end today. This past Tuesday, he met with both of his children and told them he would never see them again, My grand daughter, who is twelve understands the what as well as the why and she accepts it. She knows what he father did and with whom and while I won't say she doesn't care, she really wasn't adversely effected by his decision to relinquish custody. She was taken from her mother by this man when she was three and her life world was turned upside down. IN March it was destroyed again ,an d again by the same man. So, she was accepting of this decision, and happy that at last she was back with her Mother where she always wanted to be.
So, goodbyes were said on Tues. His youngest daughter, a seven year old was devastated. She doesn't understand what happened or why her daddy doesn't want her any more. Her mother finally managed to get her settled down and while not happy, she understood that Tues. Was the last time she would see her daddy until she was eighteen.
So, today at the final dependency hearing, his attorney asks for a freaking continuance! Claimed that the opposing parties were all out of town. A huge lie. He was at work.
My daughter and his ex-wife were livid. This continuance means that those two children have to go through that hurt and rejection yet again!
This is the way the criminal justice system works in Lake County, Florida. The criminal gets all the breaks and perks and the innocent children and their mothers are the ones who are punished- over and over again.
We are now at an impasse, because my daughter and his ex-wife have flat refused to allow him access to either child again. He made his decision, he chose his freedom over his children. He chose to relinquish his rights to them in exchange for not going to prison, and yet the children are the ones who have to suffer. He did the crime, and yet they are the ones who must pay.
He gets to walk the streets, have sex with other teenaged girls and go and come as he pleases with no responsibility to his own children. No child support, no insurance, nothing for his children. But, the two mothers, both single women who must struggle to support these children alone. Where is the justice in that?
I am so livid right now. My daughter just called from the courthouse. The social worker , the Guardian Ad Litems, the attorneys for the State, the Guardians and my daughter, and his ex-wife all heard my daughter call this man and ask him why he was putting his kids through another goodbye. He told her, on the speaker phone with all parties present and listening that he did not want to see either child again, and that social worker told my daughter and the ex that if they did not show up for the visit on Tues. They would take the children away from them for violating a court order!!!! This is ridiculous! It's a good thing I am home babysitting my youngest grandson or I would be in jail right now.
What in the gay hell is wrong with Lake county? Are they stupid?!?!?!