Judicial Inbreeding Impedes

Judicial Inbreeding Impedes

By: " Veronique Wyvell, RNMember, Fairfax County Network Against Family

AbuseFounder, Mothers Against Unjust Law

Founder of Mommy Go Bye Bye

Justice For ChildrenProhibiting no-fault divorce for Virginia couples with minor children might increase post-separation litigation.

I have noticed that Virginia's family courts are already experts at creating and endorsing high-conflict cases.

Parental conflict, we know, hurts children. All of the best solutions for managing child custody ("parent-time") disputes share a common theme: miniminzing conflict. Now, minimizing conflict is not exactly in the best interest of most trial lawyers who earn good livings from going to court to litigate cases. Albo knows this. I truly believe that practicing trial lawyer and chief of judicial "hiring and firing" (as Courts of Justice Chair)

Delegate David Albo is Virginia's biggest enemy of children caught in the middle of highly conflicted parent-time disputes. Think about this quote: "To outsiders, Virginia's system of lawmakers electing judges looks quirky and even unfair, a cloistered system of good ol' boys looking out for each other" (--Judge's reappointment a picture of politics at its ugliest, R. H. Melton, Washington Post, 23 January 2003). I think about this quote a lot. And I thought about it a lot on 27 September 2006 and then on 1 December 2006 as I observed JUDICIAL INTERVIEWS/SELECTIONS (House Room C, General Assembly Building, House Committee for Courts of Justice & Senate Committee for Courts of Justice), led by practicing trial lawyer and chief of judicial "hiring and firing" (as Courts of Justice Chair) Delegate David Albo.

Will Albo really prefer a judge who efficiently resolves difficult family cases by getting those cases out of court, for good, as quickly as possible over a judge who exploits by, for example, turning every little motion into a full-blown trial? How does a judge who wants to keep his job keep Albo happy? Think about it.I wish I could wake up the people of Virginia to our deplorable judicial selection process. It is the basis for 40 or so pieces (http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+sbj+020+SB016720061) of some of the messiest, most poorly written, "beating around the bush," proposed domestic relations legislation I have ever seen, to the detriment of about 7000 children who each year join the thousands upon thousands already caught in the middle of ongoing parent-time disputes. Much attention, after all, is dedicated to the 7000 or so caught in foster care. Is this not true?Do you know that many of Mr. Albo's cronies are now working both sides of the bench? He likes to call them "substitute judges." What next?Please watch for more Wyvell mail, for "the rest of the story.

MAUL (Mothers Against Unjust Law) Goals:

Rebuttable PRESUMPTIONS Against Custody for Batterers

PPAs (Parenting Plan Agreements)

before Litigation Moratorium on CCEs (Child Custody Evaluations)

MINIMUM Parent-Time Schedules (UTAH Code)

JURY Trials (in Domestic Relations Cases)

PROTECTIVE Parent Reform Acts

PCs (Parenting Coordinators)

DIGITAL Courtroom Records

TERM LIMITS for Judges