Monday, February 27, 2012

Four Former NYPD Officers Plead Guilty

Four Former NYPD Officers Plead Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Participating in Conspiracies to Transport Firearms and/or Stolen Goods 
Nine of the Twelve Defendants Originally Charged Have Now Plead Guilty

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeFebruary 27, 2012
  • Southern District of New York(212) 637-2600
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that former New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers GARY ORTIZ, JOSEPH TRISCHITTA, JOHN MAHONEY, and RICHARD MELNIK pled guilty to engaging in conspiracies to transport firearms and/or stolen goods across state lines. Associates MICHAEL GEE and ERIC GOMER also pled guilty to participating in a scheme to transport stolen goods interstate, and GEE pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to sell a firearm to an out-of-state resident. ORTIZ, TRISCHITTA, MAHONEY, and GEE each pled guilty today, and MELNIK and GOMER pled guilty last week.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As they admitted today, these police officers moonlighted as criminals, and even planned to use their badges to cover their illegal activity. When officers break the law they swear to uphold, they undermine the public’s confidence, and the damage they cause cannot be overstated. To date, seven law enforcement officers have admitted to violating this sacred trust, and now they must face the consequences of their betrayal.”
According to the Complaint, the plea agreements, the Informations to which each defendant pled, and statements made in court:
From September 2010 to October 2011, ORTIZ and TRISCHITTA participated in a scheme to transport firearms across state lines. ORTIZ, TRISCHITTA, and their co-conspirators helped transport three M-16 rifles, one shotgun, and 16 handguns – the majority of which had been defaced to remove or alter the serial number – from New Jersey to New York. In another scheme, ORTIZ and TRISCHITTA, joined by MAHONEY, MELNIK, GEE, and GOMER, and other co-conspirators, helped transport what they believed were stolen goods, including slot machines and thousands of cartons of cigarettes, as well as various counterfeit merchandise, across state lines. In total, the goods they illegally transported carried a street value of approximately $1 million. GEE also participated in a conspiracy to sell a firearm to an out-ofstate resident.
While participating in the scheme, ORTIZ and MAHONEY were active-duty officers, in Brooklyn’s 71st and 68th precincts, respectively. For part of the time, TRISCHITTA was an active-duty officer in Brooklyn’s 68th precinct. MELNIK was a retired NYPD Officer who had previously worked in Brooklyn’s 68th precinct. The ringleader was William Masso, who was an active-duty officer in Brooklyn’s 68th precinct.
In preparing for, and carrying out this scheme, the defendants specifically discussed using their credentials and knowledge as law enforcement officers. In a meeting on March 24, 2011, Masso told MAHONEY, MELNIK, and TRISCHITTA that they should carry their law enforcement badges during the operation and, if stopped, should say they were police officers working off-duty to deliver items another person had purchased at an auction. At that same meeting, TRISCHITTA discussed a potential problem using a certain brand of rental truck to transport the merchandise since law enforcement is trained to look for that type of truck in connection with potential criminal activity. The following day, after transporting six slot machines they believed to have been stolen from New Jersey to New York, MELNIK said that they needed to coordinate better on future meetings to make sure they were not all in the same parking lot, which made it look like they were scoping out the area.
During their guilty pleas, ORTIZ and TRISCHITTA admitted that they had willfully transported firearms across state lines, in violation of their obligations as NYPD Officers. They, along with MAHONEY, MELNIK, GEE, and GOMER, also admitted that they had knowingly transported what they believed were stolen cigarettes, slot machines, and/or other merchandise across state lines.
* * *
ORTIZ, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theodore H. Katz to one count of conspiracy to transport firearms interstate and one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen merchandise. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. ORTIZ agreed to a money judgment of $18,000, representing the amount of the crime proceeds, and agreed to forfeit his interest in one gun seized from him at the time of his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe on June 12, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. TRISCHITTA, 42, of Staten Island, New York pled guilty today before Judge Katz to one count of conspiracy to transport firearms interstate and one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen merchandise. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
TRISCHITTA agreed to a money judgment of $11,500, representing the amount of the crime proceeds, and agreed to forfeit his interest in five guns seized from him at the time of his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley on July 6, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.
MAHONEY, 27, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan to one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen merchandise. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. MAHONEY agreed to a money judgment of $4,500, representing the amount of the crime proceeds, and agreed to forfeit his interest in two guns seized from him at the time of his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Sullivan on June 15, 2012 at 11:30 a.m.
GEE, 50, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty today before Judge Katz to one count of conspiracy to sell a firearm to an out-of-state resident and one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen merchandise. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. GEE agreed to a money judgment of $5,000, representing the amount of the crime proceeds. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr. on June 1, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
MELNIK, 43, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty on February 24, 2012 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank Maas to one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen merchandise. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. MELNIK agreed to a money judgment of $5,000, representing the amount of the crime proceeds, and agreed to forfeit his interest in three guns seized from him at the time of his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones on July 6, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.
GOMER, 28, of Rhode Island, New York, pled guilty on February 22, 2012 before U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan to one count of conspiracy to transport and receive stolen merchandise. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. GOMER agreed to a money judgment of $5,000, representing the amount of the crime proceeds, and agreed to forfeit his interest in a replica gun seized from him at the time of his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Keenan on May 30, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.
Three defendants previously pled guilty in connection with the case. Masso pled guilty on February 6, 2012 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2012. Marco Venezia, a former NYPD Officer, and David Kanwisher, a corrections officer in New Jersey, each pled guilty on February 15, 2012 and are scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2012 and May 25, 2012, respectively.
Charges are pending against former NYPD Officers Eddie Goris and Ali Oklu and former NYC Department of Sanitation Police Officer Anthony Santiago. Goris is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court on March 1, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. for a plea hearing. Santiago is scheduled appear before U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts on March 9, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. for a plea hearing. Oklu is scheduled to appear at a pretrial conference before Judge Pauley on March 23, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. The charges against these co-conspirators are merely accusations, and these defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI and the Internal Affairs Bureau of the NYPD.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption and Complex Frauds units. Assistant United States Attorneys Carrie H. Cohen, Brent S. Wible, and Amanda Kramer are in charge of the cases.
12-062
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Friday, February 24, 2012

Retired Judge, Joins Law Firm Handling A Case Previously Before Him

Firm Disqualified After Hiring Ex-Judge Who Had Heard Client's Case

New York Law Journal
02-24-2012

A Brooklyn appellate court has disqualified a Long Island law firm from handling a woman's divorce after the judge presiding over the case retired and joined the firm.
In Manditch v. Manditch, 2011-04091, a unanimous panel of the Appellate Division, Second Department, rejected arguments that the former judge had been effectively insulated from the case. It held in a brief, unsigned Feb. 7 decision that a lower court judge had "improvidently exercised its discretion" by declining the husband's motion to disqualify his wife's firm.
Now-retired Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Donald R. Blydenburgh had been presiding over the divorce action between Douglas C. Manditch and his wife, Devon, since its 2007 inception when he filed his retirement papers on Aug. 27, 2010, effective Sept. 30.
Following a Sept. 19, 2010, report in Newsday of the judge's imminent retirement from the bench, Ms. Manditch's attorney, Philip Castrovinci of Castrovinci & Mady in Smithtown, said in court papers that he approached the judge on Sept. 21 about a job.
On Oct. 1, 2010, the judge became a non-equity partner in what became known as Castrovinci, Blydenburgh & Mady.
Attorneys for the husband— the chairman and CEO of Empire National Bank in the still-pending divorce action—unsuccessfully moved for disqualification of the firm before Acting Suffolk County Justice James F. Quinn (See Profile).
On appeal, Mr. Manditch argued in his brief that the "integrity of the judicial process has been eviscerated" by Justice Quinn's refusal to disqualify the firm, later saying "the taint of impropriety is simply overwhelming."
Mr. Manditch added that the Castrovinci firm had not followed requirements to notify its opponents and the court of its intentions to stay on the case after Mr. Blydenburgh joined the firm.
Specifically, Mr. Manditch cited Rule 1.12 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, which states that when firms become affiliated with someone who has acted "in a judicial capacity" on a matter, the firm cannot "undertake or continue representation in such a matter unless…the firm acts promptly and reasonably to…give written notice to the parties and any appropriate tribunal to enable it to ascertain compliance with the provisions of this Rule."
Mr. Manditch said purported safeguards to ensure the former judge did not become involved in the case were "at best, vague and at worst, illusory."
But the Castrovinci firm stressed in its own court papers that Mr. Blydenburgh was "totally insulated" from the case, having been excluded from all conversations, never meeting Ms. Manditch and earning a salary instead of fees generated by this case or other cases where he acted as a judge.
Noting Mr. Manditch's large income, the Castrovinci firm called the appeal "simply another weapon in [Mr. Manditch's] arsenal, calculated to financially exhaust [Ms. Manditch] until she has no choice but to capitulate."
The Castrovinci firm responded in its brief to the issue of notice by arguing there was no case law to buttress the proposition that "such a formality was lauded over substance."
Disqualification of the firm was "punitive, harsh, unnecessary and highly prejudicial," the Castrovinci firm argued. It claimed that with Ms. Manditch's "limited financial means," she could not find new representation, amounting to a "death knell" for her case.
But the panel was not swayed, writing that "under the facts of this case, including that the law firm representing the defendant did not comply with the notice requirements of the Rules of Professional Conduct (22 NYCRR 1200.0) rule 1.12(d), the Supreme Court improvidently exercised its discretion in denying the plaintiff's motion."
The couple was married in June 2003, the third marriage for Mr. Manditch and the second for Ms. Manditch.
While presiding over the case, Mr. Blydenburgh in April 2010 granted partial summary judgment to Mr. Manditch, ruling that, under a pre-nuptial agreement, it was the intent of the parties that all past, present and future retirement and stock option benefits were separate property.
Following a request for clarification from Ms. Manditch, the judge issued a June 2010 amended order, that according to Mr. Manditch "effectively reversed" the earlier decision. On Sept. 3, 2010, the judge refused to vacate his June 2010 amended order.
Mr. Manditch appealed the refusal to vacate the order. The Second Department affirmed Judge Blydenburgh in a November 2011 ruling.
In the current case, Mr. Manditch argued, "It strains credulity to believe that after the retirement papers were filed on August 27, 2010, the former Judge and Mr. Castrovinci were not discussing, negotiating and planning for him to join the firm" while the judge was writing the Sept. 3 order.
The Castrovinci firm said the September decision only reiterated the June decision—made about four months before Mr. Blydenburgh joined the firm.
Mr. Blydenburgh is no longer with the firm, which is now named Castrovinci & Mady, according to a receptionist at the firm.
Mr. Blydenburgh, 60, served as a Suffolk County Supreme Court justice from January 1997 until his Sept. 2010 retirement. He could not be reached for comment.
Glenn S. Koopersmith of Garden City represented Mr. Manditch on appeal. He said his client was "uncomfortable" with the firm's attempts to stay on the case after hiring the judge.
"Notwithstanding their representation they were not involving him in the representation, that did not make my client feel comfortable, he felt the appearance of impropriety was overwhelming," Mr. Koopersmith said.
Justices Peter B. Skelos (See Profile), Ruth C. Balkin (See Profile), Sheri S. Roman (See Profile) and Sandra L. Sgroi (See Profile) joined the decision.
The case was argued on Jan. 17, though the Castrovinci firm did not appear for oral argument, Mr. Koopersmith said.
Mr. Castrovinci did not respond to a request for comment. Ruth Sovronsky of the Castrovinci firm appeared on the brief.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Judge Kevin Cronin Jails Disabled Mother

Judge Cronin
 ParentingNewsNetwork

Judge Kevin Cronin of Allegan County, Michigan, sentenced disabled protective mother Maria Melinn to jail for 21 days in response to non-payment of child support. Her disability is reported to be from a broken back allegedly inflicted on her by her ex-husband.
In 2008, Kevin Cronin campaigned against the prior incumbent judge based on a “Family Values” platform. He was endorsed by the religious right American Family Association, the Family Rights Coalition – PAC, and several Father’s Rights groups. His campaign smeared his opponent for being liberal and associated with homosexuals.
In 2009, Dads Of Michigan.org honored Judge Kevin Cronin ”For efforts in maximizing child access to both parents and his work to support both parents involvement in children’s lives.”
Cronin does seem to be concerned with Father’s Rights, but not a child’s right to be with their mother. Compare this disabled mother’s sentence to a father’s sentence Cronin gave to a man whose son was stabbed.
Cronin sentenced the 34-year-old to 90 days in jail, 2 years probation and more than $2,400 in fines and costs for being an accessory after the fact to a felony…
Cronin was struggling with the sentencing, saying he wanted to hand down a substantial punishment for Joseph Embree’s lack of judgment, but realized the three children need to have their father with them.
Harsher punishment would have meant unemployment and loss of the home, Cronin said. “It would destroy your relationship with the children.”
Cronin projects an image of piety, but he really seems to be a man who hates women, at least unmarried women who are mothers. This misogynistic judge does not reflect family values, but patriarchal Father’s Rights.  (Unless “Family Values” is code for patriarchy) This judge is making the United States family court system look like the Judeo-Christian version of Sharia law

20 Responses to “Judge Kevin Cronin Jails Disabled Mother”

  1. Janice Levinson says:
    I wish to update my above comment. Disclaimer; Maria Mellin is no longer a part of Protective Mothers’ Alliance International as a leader or member. We went our separate ways soon after my above posting. The parting was amicable. Any advocacy actions she may take at this point in time is totally separate from the actions of Protective Mothers’ Alliance International. Thank you.
    Janice Levinson
    Co -founder/ Executive Director
    Protective Mothers Alliance International
  2. Kimberly says:
    Maria: You can contact me if you would like. You aren’t the first woman this has happened to, but hopefully the last. In 1996, Kevin Cronin while working at Children’s Law Center in Grand Rapids refused to comply with my order of visitation, counseling for my children, and unannounced visitation to the documented abusive father’s custodial home. To my knowledge, there was never any issue with the support I was paying. I was recuperating from two back surgeries at the time, and my presence had nothing to do with the order, as I was an out of state resident (excuse given for nothing being done). My daughter was emotionally and physically abused that summer. Ridiculed for DAYS before finally being taken to the hospital for an open compund fx of her leg. My son had already nearly had to have his ear removed for frostbite. My story is far too lengthy for a message board. It might sound like a “rant” to some, after all. If your attorneys wish to hear it, I’m available and will tell my story under oath if expenses are paid. Particularly since it seems there is currently an investigation into the 17th Circuit Court’s failed system.
    1 Kings 3:26
  3. Teresa Carver says:
    A judge should never place himself in such a cowardly place where he has to apologize to a mother because he failed to protect HER and HER CHILDREN. To blame the lawyers and the mishandling of the case on HER is absolutely unacceptable. Judge you had to know what kind of man this was and that preserving his relationship with his children was SHEER bullshit. But you choose to help a dangerous man rather than listen to the facts.You DO have the power to use your discretion in the face of evidence and this was an epic failure in your career. It is more respectable to ADMIT this and do something to help – rather than defend your poor decisions.
    When we become mothers we do not agree to become experts in child custody/family court law. THAT is not our job. If a man attacks us and goes after custody of your kids to punish us – we cannot count on the courts to care or do ANYTHING about it. We beg, we pray, we trust God, we trust the lawyers, we trust judges, and what happens? Someone messes up…and they take our kids away.
    The nightmare continues.
    He gets away with it.
    That is why so many abused women are better off just getting beat up. Why leave? He CAN take your kids and ruin your life. Abusers do it EVERYDAY…and it’s legal!
    The more I see stuff like this – the more I realize there is NO justice left in family court. You say “present the evidence and you will rule fairly’ – but obviously you have not noticed the number of times a mother TRIES to talk and judges refuse to allow it. You fail to plan time in your courtroom so that you have proper time to listen…and frankly these children are worth more time than you are giving them. A million important details fall through the cracks and children DIE as a result. It is unacceptable.
    I don’t care what the facts of the case are…and where they money trail falls. If a man broke my back and took my kids – he would be DEAD right now. I suspect i am not the only mom in America is terrified knowing that a court would hand him my children. If cases like this stand, we cannot trust the legal system to protect us.
  4. Rishad says:
    This judge, Kevin Cronin deserves to be behind bars himself. I’ve read about him and his dishonest, biased ways for a some time now. Kevin Cronin is a man who does not hesitate to misuse and abuse his position and power. I hope the long arm of the law soon catches up with Kevin, reaches around his grubby little neck and strangles him on his own dirty medicine. Men like this are inhuman, the very worst scum on the planet.
  5. Janice Levinson says:
    I am executive director of an organization called Protective Mothers Alliance International. Maria is one of our State Chapter Leaders.
    PMA has been in existence for only one year. Lundy Bancroft and I co founded PMA because of the desperate need to bring to light what is happening in family courts.
    The point that I wish to make is that Maria’s situation is NOT an isolated occurrence.
    PMA at present has approximately 70 state chapter leaders nationwide, and we are quickly growing in numbers everyday. Our leaders are all fit mothers who have their own nightmare story to tell. Sadly, this is an epidemic in this country.
    Family court judges have placed gag orders on moms, taken children away from protective moms by ex parte orders when children were CLEARLY not in danger and have taken children away from loving, fit moms while they were kicking and screaming all the way. In some leaders situations, children were handed over to dads who were CONVICTED sex offenders. The volume of human rights violations and the stories that PMA has heard in just one year, is profound. Double standards are the norm since it seems that dads can violate court orders with no consequences, yet if mom does EXACTLY the same thing , she gets thrown in jail. The time for this nonsense is quickly coming to an end however. Pma has band together not only protective mothers but the CHILDREN who have aged out of the system and are now ready to speak out about how family court abuse has damaged their lives. When it comes “out of the mouth of babes” and we come together in solidarity by the hundreds( PMA and other advocacy groups) WITH our children all our voices will finally be heard and the light will shine on the truth.On behalf of our family of advocates at Protective Mothers Alliance I extend my deepest appreciation to Parenting News Network for helping to expose the truth about Maria’s tragic situation.
    Janice Levinson
    Executive Director/ co-founder
    Protective Mothers Alliance International
  6. anonymous says:
    I have two things to say if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck…..well gee it must be a duck! The second, let’s go back to the beginning the ex-husband BROKE her back and the courts let the children live with him…..Mr. Judge would you let YOUR children live with someone like that! And it’s NOT too late to STILL take care of this matter THE RIGHT WAY and help get the other THREE children OUT OF THERE!!!!! One of which who has been hurt several times AND there is PROOF of that!!!! So there…..FACTS….YES….PLENTY OF THEM!!!!! It doesn’t take a law degree to see what is right and what is wrong….it only takes a law degree to learn cronyism, fraud, knowing how to cover up your kickbacks….uh etc….need i go on?
  7. Parenting News Network™ says:
    Maria’s son, Michael C. Melinn, aged 18, passed away on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. Michael loved to hang out with his friends and family at the lake, simply being outdoors, and was a wonderful artist. He had a strong interest in music, was kind hearted and very free spirited.
  8. Thabit kevincronin2371@sbcglobal.net says:
    The problem with ranting and raving over the Internet about a particular decision on particular parent’s behavior by a particular judge is that we are all being asked to accept without question the truth, completeness and accuracy of statements made by the complaining party and supporters, without considering ALL the evidence and without hearing from any other source, including others directly involved. How does anyone assess the credibility of the complainer’s statements ?
    People can and do say ANYTHING THEY PLEASE over the Internet. They are not under oath. They are often anonymous. Where is the reliability ? Where is the accountability ?
    What rational person would want an important decision to be made about their lives on the basis of chit chat over the Internet ? Would any intelligent person reach a conclusion based on Internet chit chat that describes only one side of the story ? Get REAL !
    • Parenting News Network™ says:
      It would be wonderful, and perhaps would cut down considerably on the “ranting and raving over the internet” if we could count on judges to correctly assess the credibility of parties before them, and make appropriate decisions without being swayed by personal biases, or by the false notion that scholarly, dispassionate “tones” indicate veracity,
      whereas angry people are merely so for irrational reasons.
    • This is a blow- This Judge has the audacity to post that under oath?? Like any of his Family Court cases are “Just”, in a shroud of ’secrecy’ he’s ‘defending’ himself on the ‘internet’ as we all know to well if he were not a pig and a ‘just’ judge he would not be here.
      Amazing what real ‘transparency’ does.
      Demand it! Accept nothing less, than ‘Justice’.
      Get rid of these Judges nation wide.
      Remember them all in November
      • Sue Melinn says:
        what a lady with such fine language this is a show of intelligence and a strong opining
        A brocken hearted mema
    • Maria Melinn says:
      Please do me a favor and check out the link to my son… fact under oath and in front of God….he had access to and drank 2 bottles of wine….fact…he had access to 7 guns including but not limited to 2 glocks and a semi automatic….fact…he was in his “fathers” (ex step fathers) care….fact…he was so distraught that he blew his own head off….fact….my x who was not even his biological or legal father listed himself as the father in the press as well as his x-girlfriend as the other parent….fact…my son didnt even know this woman until the last year because I was the only parent and had full custody….this is sick and yes I will be happy to say that under oath….fact… I gracously included my x as my sons ex step father in the paper for his death announcement but that wasnt enough…he had to include his own death announcement listing his ex girlfriend as my sons parent along with himself….if you dont see the unhealthyness in this then I am speaking to the wind….That is it, I teach my children about healthy relationships as much as I can….I guess maybe it will take more killing themselves for some to realize how sick the environment is!!!!
    • chris says:
      OK….yes….let’s GET REAL!!! I have two things to say if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck…..well gee it must be a duck! The second, let’s go back to the beginning the ex-husband BROKE her back and the courts let the children live with him…..Mr. Judge would you let YOUR children live with someone like that! And it’s NOT too late to STILL take care of this matter THE RIGHT WAY and help get the other THREE children OUT OF THERE!!!!! One of which who has been hurt several times AND there is PROOF of that!!!! So there…..FACTS….YES….PLENTY OF THEM!!!!! It doesn’t take a law degree to see what is right and what is wrong….it only takes a law degree to learn cronyism, fraud, knowing how to cover up your kickbacks….uh etc….need i go on?
  9. The Family Rights Coalition of Michigan is a family rights organization. We have male and female members, the majority are non-custodial, but we also have custodial parents, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents in our ranks. We believe in equal rights for parenting, not undue government trafficking in children. We’ve done extensive research into Family Court Funding mechanisms and worked to expose Federal Title IV-D funding abuses that allowed Michigan to use just 12 million to bring in nearly 200 million in funding to Child Support Enforcement programs. Even today, nearly all the Enforcement funding is coming from Federal Social Security programs and nearly all agencies are driven via “carrot and stick” to pursue the money, so they can keep their jobs. By financial design, families must be broken in two for agency success. That is why they don’t try to keep couples together.
    When they create absent parents they MAKE money. WIN – LOSE.
    When they collect child support they MAKE money. WIN – LOSE.
    When they punish non-payers they MAKE money. LOSE – LOSE.
    When they punish custodial parents for visitation violations they get no new money – so they refuse to HELP despite state laws obligating them to. This is an unfunded mandate. LOSE – LOSE.
    When parents cooperate and keep out of the system they lose money. WIN – WIN
    In our opinion when parents cooperate both the children and parents win, but it is obvious that the agency loses.
    We will never be able to keep up with the spending of this $1 Billion annual Michigan Family Breakup industry, but we do try to educate people as to why it works the way it does.
    Also, FRC-PAC has not provided any monetary donations to any campaigns as yet in their history, but they do follow up with those that win seats and keep them honest to their campaign promises. If you wish to you can review the donations for every candidate for office. Records are kept at the county clerk’s office for county offices or at the secretary of state website for Statewide offices.
  10. Edward Kempen says:
    Before you pass judgment on the judge consider the evidence presented. This is how law works.
    Q1. Did she file the proper paperwork to have child support adjusted/suspended?
    Failure to correct and adjust the amount is what triggers the non-compliance not inability to work. She brought the facts to court when they couldn’t be considered. This is a common mistake.
    Q2. When the FOC figures the amount wrong (usually too high) take that to the judge with facts to get it corrected. Did that happen? I suspect NO.
    In the contempt hearing most judges in Michigan would have done the same thing.
    For the record, in my opinion, Kevin Cronin has done more for parents and children in Michigan than most judges; he’s done pro bono work to help poor families keep their children from overzealous CPS groups looking to steal children from fit homes.
    To properly evaluate a judge you should take at least 20 random cases on the docket and question the parents – not 1 high conflict case with limited facts and a poorly presented case.
    • Parenting News Network™ says:
      So you are calling a domestic violence case “high conflict” to minimize the fact that Maria Melinn’s back was broken in a domestic violence incident.
      You are somehow claiming that it’s proper for children to be deprived of their mothers and that women should pay men child support?
      The mother has also been deprived of the ability to spend money without court permission, so this would make it difficult to hire an attorney. The judge also plans to take her disability money when it comes in, so it’s unlikely she will be able to pay someone to fill out her paperwork.
      You are telling me that judges in Michigan like to jail mothers with broken backs? The world must be going to hell in a handbasket if that’s the case.
      As far as doing pro bono work for families, how many of those were female headed families? Or do you deny that there is a family unless it is headed by a male? Mothers are being denied their children. This is a crime. Jailing mothers with broken backs because they aren’t paying the guy that broke their back enough money is a crime against humanity. If you care so much for this mother’s relationship with her children, why don’t you get help for her to get out of jail and have the proper paper work filled out.
    • Maria Melinn says:
      Thank you so much for doing the research into my case and others in this county, by this judge…What you all dont know is that the judge was going to make me do all 21 days on the weekends which would take me away from my children for more then 4 months (since i see them on weekends), and let me out during the week. I did file the proper paperwork and was not required to pay child support until May of 2009. How it got to the amount that it is would be an average of $1600.00 a month. He got the judgement because the paperwork for the hearing was never sent to me so I could not be in court. I received paperwork for a hearing and had it cancelled because of major back surgery from what this man did to me, the second time he filed i never got the paperwork so he was able to get a default judgement, in the divorce i proved that he broke my back so I did not have to pay, hes taken me to court every year since unsucessfully until may of last year.
      He has kept 2 of my children from me violating court orders in which the courts refused to do anything, I still havent see two of my children. Now I proved parental kidnapping (that he openly admitted to the state police) as well as purgery which are both felonies in Michigan, but I guess according to some that is ok as well. I am working to see if there will be “consequences” for this, which i doubt….
      Hmmmm I guess the parental alienation only counts if its against the father!!!!! Thank you so much to those of you who have shown me support. You are really a God sent!!!!! I pray that one day my country will be just as i always thought it was!!!!! It may be difficult but we need to show the corruption until its forced to change!!!!
      ~Thank you so much Parenting News Network, I am so greatful for all that you have put into checking my case out…I can not put into words how much that means to both me and my children, you are awesome!!!!!~
  11. Gail Lakritz says:
    This man needs to face reality. Force him to watch the Dr. Phil Show on April 8th. This is not a Father’s Rights judge, this is a judge who believes that all women get what they deserve, which is no justice. How much has he been paid by the men?
    • valros says:
      Dr. Phil show changed to April 14th. Just FYI. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that “Father’s Rights Groups” who supported this Judge have found a way to continue to help abusers by paying for the Judges’ campaign. Nor does wisdom or common sense play into the actions of the Judge on the mother vs. a MAN who stabbed his own child to speedily return him to what? Stab another one or next time kill one of his children?
      Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of Justice.
      Proverbs 18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of Justice.
      This Judge is no man of God in any true sense of the Word. God’s Word. Where is the wisdom and common sense Judge? If you do believe God IS. He sees all you do in secret and what your motives are. I pray you will take a serious look at what you have done and have a change of heart, for your own soul and the many souls you have harmed in the process. My advice is repent then do what is best for the mother and her child. Not your pockket book. “You can not serve God and money.”