A year or two ago a case came to us in which, in a matter of days, we helped the children be restored to the protective parent.
Recently the protective parent returned to us again, so we are back at work for her, to help her keep her children safe from their abuser.
The mother had experienced violent abuse at the hand of this former husband.
The children were abused as well. When they were with their abuser, he did such things as forcing them to eat garbage food and rancid juices that had been thrown out by the grocery stores. He pushed one of the children off the balcony, laughing all the while.
At one point the mother ran out of the house unclothed, screaming for someone to call the police. Finally she and the children got some notice and recognition. For a time the children were able to have peace.
But then they were taken from a loving mother (who is a good cook) and grandmother, to be physically, emotionally, and sexually abused by an abuser.
They are wonderful children, so kind and supportive to each other in this horrible situation. They have handled themselves with dignity and integrity.
When the FCVFC got the case a year or two ago, we moved quickly to have visitation stopped, and succeeded within days.
But when it came to prosecution, there was a hindrance. The man who had advocated for the abuser’s divorce and custody—who had even gotten DCF to withdraw their charges against the abuser—was now the prosecutor in this county.
Under the rule of law, this conflict of interest should have caused this prosecutor to recuse himself. But he did not. As a result, the abuser was not prosecuted for the multiple charges brought against him.
This allowed the abuser to get another attorney and then sue for custody of these children.
This is where we are now.
The abuser’s attorney, Jill Dillon, now claims there was no domestic violence, no child abuse. Only “parental alienation” on the part of the mother.
The attorney requested mediation. Mediation is not allowed in cases of domestic violence, but since she claimed there was none, that didn’t stop her.
However, I immediately filed a complaint against Jill Dillon. I also immediately contacted the mediator to inform her that domestic violence and child abuse were indeed issues in this case, so that mediation should be terminated.
So now attorney Jill Dillon is going to court, admitting that because of domestic violence they cannot go through with mediation. But still looking to move forward with a custody transfer.
This is what bad attorneys look like. They lie and cheat, without morals.
We are filing malpractice actions against this attorney and complaints to the bar association.
