Thoughts about Pending Hearing on Motion to Extend Time for Appeal

In less than one week, I will be faced with Judge Roberts in regards to my motion to extend time for my Appeal. Unfortunately, based on what I have experienced in Family Court, I am not confident in winning this hearing without an attorney IF at all.

A part of me feels completely stuck and trapped in a whirlwind of such hatred against me as I try to sort out my feelings to why Judge Roberts would repeatedly ignore my plights for help since 2006 which started as a domestic violence case.

What is it that I am doing wrong besides being financially destitute? I have repeated asked the courts to tell me what I have done so wrong to be DENIED visitation with my children for the better part since September 2007. NO ONE ... No Judge ... No Court ... has ever told me why the relationship between myself and my children have been pretty much short of completely severed?

As a protective mother trying to protect her children from abuse, I went from having a restraining order to being forced to lift it to almost never seeing your children again for no explanation as to why.  I have NEVER been declared an unfit parent and NEVER has the court had any safety concerns with the children in my care.

I am now threatened with jail time for up to six months and receive the kind of orders I have been given yet those same rules have NOT applied to the opposing party who has repeatedly testified under oath his blatant refusal to comply with any orders since 2006 with NO sanctions ... NO penalties ... and NO justice. This has given me nightmares with ongoing panic attacks and a host of other physical issues that are hindering my progress due to the chronic stress and constant threats I have been living with NO relief.

I have no idea how to appease this judge and satisfy her hunger and blatant bias and get her to see that I am just a grieving mother who is faced with surmounting life circumstances.

I have no idea how to comply with the orders she is seeking for $80 a week in child support on estimated $10k a year on income plus restitution for HIS legal fees.

I am also the POA for my gravely ill mother who has been in the hospital for the last ten out twelve months and almost died twice.  Judge Roberts declared that I made a "choice" under the POA to care for my mother when she was declared medically indigent instead of abiding by her order. 

Yet I was denied a penny for the $135k in legal fees I incurred as a result of HIS deliberate contempt of preventing me from seeing my children or having any contact with them for over 90% of the court ordered visitation and phone calls. I have not seen my children now since August 3, 2011 when my uncle died and my ex used my uncle's death as an excuse to stop visitation despite court order. That alone is very upsetting for any parent.

Can someone please help me understand and how to NOT BE HUMAN so I can comply with this judge's order and try to reclaim my life again without the feeling of this constant neuse around my neck?

I wish I hit the lottery because what I am seeing more clear than ever is that JUSTICE ONLY occurs with those who have the most money to spend.

I am saddened at the hundreds of thousands of dollars my ex has constantly battered me with in legal fees ... most of it trying to defend myself in court when if he cared at all for his girls, he would take the money he is spending and forcing me to spend and put it towards my children's education. The amount spend in excess of $200k is enough to pay for their education.

Why doesn't any judge see the battering this man is doing?

How can I comply with this judge's order with the income I make and NOT go to Jail on May 15th for as upwards of 30 days to six months per her order.

How can I fight this case which is CURRENTLY still in appeal and fight the double standard as if two cases when it is one that is being appealed PRO SE?

Can anyone answer this question for me?

Will this judge approve this motion to extend time for the appeal or will I be denied as over 90% of my motions have been denied.

Help Me See My Children and Begin the Healing Process in Reunification

I need your help.  I am writing to your organization because I have exhausted all my resources in Massachusetts and beyond.   

 This is my situation. I have three daughters, Alexandria aged 15, Shannon aged 12 and Kelly aged 9 who I love dearly. However, my ex-husband was granted custody, ex-parte, after he convinced me to lift a restraining order or else he would not pay child support for our daughters. I have not seen my children since August 3, 2011. My case started out as a domestic violence case in 2005 that included numerous police incidents including a restraining order for assault and battery and medical treatment. Pictures were also taken by the police department showing bruises on my face, arms and legs from the abuse. 

 I lost custody on a false ex-parte motion shortly after my abuser begged me to drop the restraining order as he was unable and in contempt for failing to pay child support. Two weeks before the ex-parte motion, a contempt motion was filed for failing to comply with his own granted visitation and child support. I was also seeking changes in visitation as a result.  I have been pretty much shut out of my children's lives since Sept 2007 as my abuser and father of my children has refused to comply with court ordered visitation and was recently found guilty on 96 Counts of contempt for failing to comply with visitation, but I was sanctioned for his contempt. 

My previous judge ADMITTED bias andrecused himself in December 2009. He forwarded pending motions and contempts to the new judge (some filed in 2008 and unheard), but new judge took over a year (until Oct 2011) to address contempts especially in regards to the visitation interference. The court has allowed many things that right now I cannot post in fear of retaliation and in lieu of pending Appeal of my case. 

Bottom line.... There have been at least 5 attempts to terminate visitation based on unfounded ACCUSATIONS of mental illness and motions for mental health evaluation been denied 100% ONLY AFTER I filed for help from the court regarding the abuse and AFTER I filed for divorce and was granted full physical and shared legal custody in the divorce. 

Please explain to me how a protective mother goes from having a restraining order to being forced to lift it for financial reasons (documented), to never seeing your children again? 

My abuser has spent the last six years trying to obliterate any and all mother-daughter relationship between my daughters and me.  He made it crystal clear as testified in court in March 2009 that he wanted the children to forget I even existed.  He has testified that he has not complied with court orders and has no intention of complying with court orders. He has prevented me from seeing them, confiscated all gifts and letters I sent them and even placed a block on my telephone number so I could not speak to them for months.  This was verified by the phone company and documented through the police department.
 

My children and I cannot get back those formative years we have missed. The damage is already done and is irreversible. All I can hope for is to be given the chance to help my children through the healing and begin to rebuild a relationship we lost on that fateful day in September 2007.

In hindsight, I feel like the biggest mistake I made was I left my abuser, my children’s father because at least I would still be with them. I do not drink, use drugs and have never abused children.  I am a adjunct instructor at a local college, volunteer doing healing work, and have won awards for my volunteerism which is one thing I find very self healing to me.  

However, I am still heartbroken.  I can’t see my children grow up or see their faces on Christmas morning after Santa has left presents under the tree. I can’t be there on their first day of school or on their birthdays.  Mother /daughter times don’t exist for us, times taken for-granted by many.  I have missed ALL THEIR birthdays, first day of school, first dance, holidays, vacations, school volunteering since 2007. My youngest is 9. That means I have already missed out on HALF her life. Unfortunately the tender, formative years are gone forever and my children will grow up  not knowing their mother and have no memories of the mother/daughter bond created during childhood due to their father.

I have exhausted the judicial system as well as my personal and financial resources trying to reverse the damage done to my children, my family and myself.  I have lost everything to the point that I had to move in with my father so I would not be homeless, for basic survival, and so I can continue my fight. 
 

I am reaching out to you because I don’t know what else to do, but I refuse to stop fighting for my girls until they are safe with me.
 

In-light of the recent documentary No Way Out by Garland Walker and Barry Nolan and the recent Fox LA news expose’ series on the Family Court victimization of countless children, I cannot and will not stop until justice is done!
 

All I want to do is hug my children, tell they I love them and after all these years have not stopped fighting for them. If you could help me or lead me to someone who can, I would be forever grateful.
 

Thank you