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.”

7 comments:

  1. Janice,I can clearly see they also can turn on you as their cheeleader,Well now your an evil person according to to your followers,I guess you of all people should be able to see the evil that is in these people.NO honor there I guess,so for all the mean things these people have said also applies to you as well.

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  2. The reason Ms Melinn lost visition for her two older children is she left to go to Morocco to meet a man she met on the internet and never notified the courts,and was having her 9 year old daughter meet men and speak to these men who were commenting on how beautiful her lips were and had her dressed in a burka also on her web cam.Period.
    The daudhter also went camping with her mom and had to find her mom naked in a pickup truck with a man and had to get her moms cloths off a picnic table,this was told and now her daughter doesnt want to talk to her.Go ahead and ask her if this happened.

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  3. This "wonderful woman" Maria is so easily feeding the lies to you people, it is absolutely pathetic. How do you know she is disabled? Anyone can lie, saying they are in pain, or were "beaten or battered. But if this is true, don't you think this "abuser" would have been caught by now? Don't you this when all the times Maria called CPS, and the 3 children had to talk to CPS workers, they would have said "this man is abusing me?" I want you all, as honest people of the world, to open your mind and think of possible truths, that everything she says to you is not true. She is no saint, and although she is a very good actor, please, do try not to fall into her web of lies. It makes me sad that this is how the world is, with people making terrible remarks and insults about people they don't even know. Open your minds. Please? Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. I am wondering why no ever asks Ms melinn for explanations about her accusations?She has been accused of having her 8 year old daughter on her fb talking to strange men dressed in a burka and telling her she has beautiful lips and Ms Melinn telling her daughter not to tell these men about her being married,going camping and asking her daughter to fetch her underwear off of a picnic table while she sat naked in a pickup truck with a man.She has a domestic abuse record for hitting her ex husband with her car in front of her children and hid out four four days and finally turned herself in.but no one asks her directly about these things,they are focused on her lies.So go ahead and ask and see if you get a direct answer.I very much doubt if you ever will.

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    2. 2:09pm




      Robin Pattee-Smith






      In regards to Maria Melinn in Michigan This particuar "protective mother" is not so innocent please do your homework. Her back injury according to her records happened 7/6/98 and there is not one single medical record until a disability report from SSI on 10/16/2003 then nothing until 2005 then nothing again until 2009 the police report clearly states she refused medical treatment and her only injuries were carpet abraisions

      ...


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  4. much of the proof is here... No worries, I have much more to scan and put in!!! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.222914824465444.52028.214682765288650&type=3

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  5. Cronin you are a punk ass bitch

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