All,

I haven't seen this posted here before or articles like it, but I wanted to let you know there is hope if the judge in your divorce has it absolutely out for you. Your lawyer may advise you against this course of action, but there are times when you shouldn't listen to your lawyer in my opinion.

  1. If there is a legitimate reason (judicial bias, pro-mother bias, allowing the mother to get away murder or other major issues (alcoholism, neglect, drugs, etc.) you need to think about this very carefully and if the judge has made an error in law (appealable if worth it) or if it was a clear violation of the law.
  2. I filed a complaint and an appeal on my own after my divorce was finalized, for some pretty serious conduct on my ex's part. I could not afford an attorney at the time, and represented myself. I got to know quite a bit about legal precedent, as well as how to shepherd those decisions to a decipherable conclusion, binding our judge on what he should do. He not only ignored admissions of criminal behavior while my ex was under oath, and actually complimented my direct and cross examination skills.
  3. The judge in my case, as well as other judges in my county were all recused from my case. While I didn't get the decision I wanted, it was a clear and loud message to this judge, who couldn't be bothered to do their job (disregarding binding precedent, etc.).

The only way to shed light on a corrupt judiciary is to report it to the judicial commission which disciplines them. One thing I didn't do but should have was to get the media involved, which would likely portray me as a complaining father. I did get state politicians involved as well, and while I'm not sure how much help they were, I was assured calls were made on my behalf. Here is a link to an article I read today about judicial discipline and how it is often unchecked, but the disciplinary committee will do nothing if you don't at least follow the reporting process.

Link to Article