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JUDICIAL WATCH
Family law judges feel free to commit rights abuses because they know that what occurs in their courtrooms rarely reaches the ears of the general public. They are perfectly content to operate in secrecy and dispense injustice as they see fit, or to engage in their work incompetently.
NCPForce! is here to declare that their ability to engage in such practices is now coming to an end.
Below you will find a list of the family law judges from around the nation. Those judges listed here have a history of rights abuses, questionable qualifications, or are biased against fathers and other non-custodial parents. They have either been reported to us by our visitors or uncovered through our own research.
We encourage visitors to send tips about corrupt/abusive judges in their area and to update our information.
The following list is arranged by state. If you see a name of a jurist you believe to be corrupt or abusive, it is important that you add a complaint so that we may establish a pattern of bad behavior. Once enough complaints have been filed against any one jurist, this jurist will be moved to our Worst Judges List.
Please use the links below to find a justice in your state:
AZ | CT | District of Columbia | IL | MI | MN | NJ | OH | OK | TX |
Arizona
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
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Eileen Willet | Maricopa | 1 |
| Details: Failure to act on motion for visitation. |
Connecticutt
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
Cynthia K. Swiention | New Haven | 1 |
| Details: Complaint allages that this justice refused to uphold automatic orders of the court (which were noted in official court transcripts) and allowed the plaintiff in this case to sell the family home. Complaint further alleges that this judge demonstrated bias in favor of plaintiff by allowing plaintiff to retain legal counsel with proceeds from this sale. |
District of Columbia
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
Natalia Combs Greene | District of Columbia | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges that this judge has allowed government attorneys to bribe, intimidate, threaten and harassed plaintiff witnesses, and to commit perjury in almost every motion. Complaint further alleges that Judge Combs-Greene justifies her behavior by citing that "she was a government attorney". Complaint further alleges she attacked complainant's witnesses and then began systematically reversing a previous sitting judge's orders; also, that she is verbally abusive and once called the complainant "a dog" in open court and threatened complainant's counsel; and that she failed to recuse herself from complainant's case, even after complainant's counsel complained to Chief Judge and filed Judicial Disciplinary complaint against her. |
Illinois
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
Alexis Otis-Lewis | St. Clair | 2 |
Details: (Complaint 1) Complaint alleges that this judge has materially participated in and then attempted to cover up her participation in willingly allowing a marriage fraud and abuse of an American citizen and American citizen children, ages 3 and 5. Has terminated all visitation and attempted to terminate all parental rights of the father for speaking out about this abuse. IL 20th Judicial circuit court Belleville, Illinois Case number 05-D-814.
(Complaint 2)Complaint alleges that this judge gave preferential treatment to female party in divorce proceedings by setting a $600/month alimony payment with no termination date (despite fact that female party is college-educated and in good health). Also, although male party in this case was awarded custody of child, the female party was ordered to pay child support for only two years, without enforcing payment of child support arrears (as is usually the case when a male is the non-custodial parent); complaint further alleges that this judge also did not order female party to pay any other expenses customary in such cases. |
Michigan
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
John Gadola | Genesee | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges this judges engaged in impartial behavior in a custody case; complaint further alleges that this judge, on multiple occassions, did not show up for scheduled hearings after causing the complainant to travel from South Carolina to Michigan. |
Minnesota
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
Martha M. Simonett | Dakota | 1 |
| Details: Awarded car to complainant's ex-spouse although she did not possess a driver's license. |
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Michael Sovis | Dakota | 1 |
| Details: Modified court transcript, ignored possible immigration fraud, ordered excessive child support. |
Update: On August 12, 2008, Judge Michael Sovis was officially reprimanded for inappropriate behavior. Read the following news clip from "The Minnesota Lawyer Blog":
"Tuesday, August 12, 2008. Judge Michael Sovis reprimanded, Fined"
"First Judicial District Judge Michael Sovis has been publicly reprimanded by the Board on Judicial Standards and fined $1000 for improper treatment of a member of the public who was engaged in a dispute with a friend of Sovis and Sovis’ spouse. According to the board, Sovis personally instituted contempt proceedings against the man and personally ordered him arrested. The board stated that Sovis did not advise the man that he had the right to an attorney or a trial."
"The Board concluded that Judge Sovis’ actions were contrary to the Minnesota Code on Judicial Conduct, Canons 1, 2A, 2B, 3A(4) 3A(5), 3A(7), 3A(9),3D(1) and Canon 4A, as well as the Rules of the Board on Judicial Standards, Rules 4(a)(5) and (6). The board said that Sovis’ conduct did not uphold the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, gave the appearance of impropriety, violated his duty of impartiality, did not conduct his extra-judicial activities in a way that did not conflict with his judicial obligations, and engaged in conduct that brings the judicial office into disrepute." |
New Jersey
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
Glenn Berman | Middlesex | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges that this judge was biased in favor of a 27-year-old female family law attorney who was involved in a custody-support case against a 19-year-old college-bound student; complaint further alleges that this judge set a child support order at a level inconsistent with the non-custodial parent/student's earnings; also that he ignored the non-custodial parent/student's request for a court-appointed attorney (which he could not afford), although this judge was aware that the other party in the case was a family law attorney; was also verbally abusive and told non-custodial parent student he had "no right to an education". |
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Stephan Hansbury | Morris | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges that this judge allowed a family evaluator to collude with complainant's opposing attorney and that he held exparte meetings with complainant's adversaries. Complaint further alleges that this judge (and some of his staff) made disparaging remarks about complainant's race and disabilities, and that he tampered with a recorded interview with complainant's son. |
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William J. McGovern, III | Sussex | 2 |
Details:(Complaint 1) Complaint alleges this judge violated and overturned a Final Judgement of Divorce Decree; allowed maliicious moveaway; cut parenting time in direct violation of court rules and statutes; awarded a non-valid child support order that was sufficiently above complainant's means; unfairly set child support by imputing a salary unsupported by income tax returns; ignores plea filings; refuses to enforce rights according to state statutes; degrades complainant verbally.
(Complaint 2) Complaint alleges this judge refused to listen to evidence without just cause in a custody, visitation case; complaint further alleges this judge set child support at a level non-custodial parent had no ability to pay; that he recommended a disreputable family evaluator and had improper contact with complaintant's opposing lawyer; that he violated the rules of professional conduct and judicial cannons by threatenening complaintant with broad powers. |
Ohio
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
David Berta | Lorain | 1 |
| Details: Fails to act in impartial manner; allowed fraudulently executed documents; violated civil rights. |
Oklahoma
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
John Micheals | Garfield | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges a failure to act in impartial manner; ignored motions for visitation. |
Texas
| Judge Name | County | # of complaints |
|---|
Vicki Isaacks | Denton | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges that this judge us biased in favor of mothers; complaint also alleges that this judge has a conflict of interest with her husband who is county's district attorney; complaint further alleges she has paid attorney friends hundreds of thousands of dollars out of public funds as "ad litem" fees in civil divorce cases. |
| Additional: Read the following news clip about this judge on the Denton-Record Chronicle. |
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Dee Shipman | Denton | 1 |
| Details: Complaint alleges this judge allowed a child's out-of-state move away of over 900 miles, despite temporary orders and despite the fact that the custodial mother remained in state and placed the child in care of her relatives. |
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Please use the convenient form below to send us reports on judges in your area. You may also e-mail tips and updates directly to judges@ncpforce.com.
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ABOUT NCP FORCE! (Non-Custodial Parents Force)
Our organization is a non-profit, grassroots action organization dedicated to reforming
America's family law system.
While we frequently refer to divorced fathers, who overwhelmingly
bear the brunt of abuses in the family law system, we champion the cause of all non-custodial parents,
be they unwed fathers, non-custodial mothers, grandparents, or assigned parentage fathers
(men who are held responsible for parentage despite the fact that they are not biological fathers).
Unlike many other family law websites which claim to help divorced dads and NCP's, we will never ask our visitors for money or donations. We also do not charge for, or offer legal services. Instead we provide a virtual base of operations, a forum, and an information clearing house for visitors to help themselves free of charge.
Learn more about joining the NCP Force! It's free and no personal questions will be asked unless you wish to
share your family law experiences with us.
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