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“White hats, black hats,” and the dissenting opinion

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Many of us here have had experiences in court where we were less than satisfied with the outcomes.  I feel mainly fortunate in that respect.  For the most part, those I dealt with understood enough about personality disorders to act accordingly. However, in one case I am familiar with, that clarity was somewhat lacking.  In the end, things worked out fine because the judge followed the laws of the land explicitly.  Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning because, in my opinion, his attitude and belief system could have been of serious concern had different issues (in the same court) been at stake.  As long as there are those who believe as he does, and he is not unique in this way, justice may no …

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To escape domestic violence, American mother sought asylum in the Netherlands

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An extraordinary documentary by Garland Waller, called No Way Out But One, told the story of Holly Collins, an American woman who fled the United States due to domestic violence and sought asylum in the Netherlands. The video above is a shortened version  13 minutes. The full film was screened at the Battered Mothers Custody Conference which took place last weekend in Washington, D.C. Holly and her two oldest children were beaten by Collins' ex-husband. A court in Minnesota acknowledged that they were abused. But the judge said that Holly Collins was crazy because of the abuse and the children were safer with their father. Holly was granted only supervised visitation. The children were afr …

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Heartbreak and heroism in dealing with child abuse

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Damon Moelter made the above video back in 2010, when he was 13. Last Friday, at age 16, Damon stood at the lectern and stated that he escaped abuse not because he was protected by the family court system, nor because he beat the system. He escaped because he found a way around it. How? Two weeks ago, Damon got married. Once he was married, he was emancipated, and his father could no longer demand custody. As I listened to this young man speak at the Battered Mothers Custody Conference, which took place last Friday and Saturday at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., I was on the verge of tears as were the 100 or so women (and a few men) in the audience. …

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An open letter to lawyers who have clients involved with sociopaths

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Dear Mr. or Ms. Esquire,When a client tells you his or her opponent is a sociopath, please be aware of the ramifications for your legal case.First of all, do not disregard the statement just because the opponent hasn't killed anyone. A common perception is that sociopaths (people who have antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, histrionic or psychopathic personality disorders) are all deranged serial killers. This is not true—only a small percentage of sociopaths commit murder. But all sociopaths are social predators, and live by exploiting others.Frequently this is financial exploitation—many sociopaths are skilled con artists—but not always. Sociopaths also target people who can provide them …

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While litigation fees mount, Connecticut court awards custody to abusers

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This two-part article in the Washington Times follows the money trail of Connecticut family court. Author Aine Nistophain writes about a 9-year-old, Max: When Max reported to authorities that his father had raped him, the Judge Munro awarded sole custody of him to his father. Suddenly, Max went from living with his mother full time, to seeing his mother a few hours a week in supervised visitation run by strangers armed with clipboards, then no contact at all. There's more, and it's bad. Read: Finding Ground Zero in Connecticut Immunity for Guardian Ad Litem destroys Connecticut family …

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Fact v. Feeling: “Disorder” in Divorce

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Editor's note: The following post was written by the Lovefraud reader “Adelade.” Names have been changed. One of the most important undertaking in divorcing from a sociopath is to remain, at all times, factual during legal proceedings. When I first entered my attorney's office to tell her why I wanted a divorce, I was hysterical and incomprehensible. This was immediately after I had been arrested for Domestic Violence, and I was in a state of sheer panic and anxiety that I had never believed possible. I didn't unload my “feelings” so much as the ugly facts about my action I had discovered that Kerby had not only been living a double-life since before we ever even met, but that his inter …

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Another custody battle, another murder

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Christine Belford was shot dead in a Delaware courthouse by her former father-in-law, Thomas Matusiewicz. David Matusiewicz, Belford's ex-husband and father of their three children, had previously had his parental rights terminated after kidnapping the children and taking them to Nicaragua. Documents hint at wider conspiracy in Delaware courthouse shooting, on Philly.com. …

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Prevent Theft of Your Child’s Identity

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By Elaine Walker, Certified Fraud Examiner We're constantly bombarded with advertisements for products to keep us safe from identity theft. Let's separate the facts from scare tactics. According to the Institute for Fraud Prevention, 60% of identity theft is perpetrated by someone the victim knows: a family member, friend, or someone who has access to the victim's home. LoveFraud readers know that the sociopath in their lives would have no problem starting a new financial life using a child's identity. But just how much should you pay for protecting your child's identity (and your own)? According to a Consumer Reports article published in February, 2012 (and revisited in January, …

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Father arrested in death of Prince McLeod Rams

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Back in October, the Lovefraud community was shocked to learn that the toddler son of our own contributor, Cappuccino Queen, went to his father's home for a court-ordered visitation and did not return. Today the child's father, Joaquin Rams, was arrested for his murder. Joaquin Rams arrested for allegedly killing Prince McLeod Rams, on WJLA.com. Dr. Liane Leedom will be posting about this case soon. …

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Love Fraud in the sick and twisted legal system, and the new law that may protect you

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By Dr. Karin Huffer, Marriage and Family Therapist Jan and I sat in our first of what was to be many sessions dealing with her victimization from love fraud, followed by a twisted legal path in her pursuit of justice. She sobbed, holding crumpled papers in her hands revealing stabbing deceit. Her husband had blown the money she provided to pay bills and now her credit was damaged, bills were not paid, and the money was gone. She now suffers in isolation. Her friends are weary of the story, and she is tired of “I told you so” and “I thought something was wrong with him.” Shame digs deep into her heart and soul. How could she have been such a fool and now be so hurt and helpless? So famil …

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