One Day, Seven Cases: A Court Watcher’s Portrait of Judge Vivian Wang
Judge Vivian Wang, newly appointed in San Mateo County family court, is navigating her first year with a strong commitment to understanding cases and assisting unrepresented litigants. However, her lack of family law experience exposes gaps in legal…
Court Denies Brenna Gano’s Motions — But Sets the Stage for Trial
A San Mateo family court judge rejected Brenna Gano's requests to set aside a contested 2022 settlement, citing statute of limitations issues. While Gano claimed duress and lack of accommodations, the judge ruled her allegations did not meet the…
No One Is Watching: How Montgomery County’s Family Court Operates Without External Oversight, and What Happens to the People Who Notice
An investigation reveals a significant accountability gap in Maryland's family court system, where civil rights complaints against judges lack external oversight and transparency. Complaints filed are often sealed and unreported, leading to systemic…
A Father’s Silence: How Jeffrey Reichert Lost His Son to a System That Stopped Listening
Jeffrey Reichert hasn’t seen his son since 2022. Every criminal charge filed against him failed. Yet he lost custody—and contact. This investigation examines how it happened, and what it reveals about Maryland’s family court system.
The Mother the System Called the Problem
On Parental Alienation Awareness Day, Rhonda Reyna’s story exposes a disturbing inversion inside the family court system: the very label meant to protect children from manipulation is increasingly used against the parent raising legitimate safety…
Inside the California Custody Cartel
In California, family courts are criticized for prioritizing profit over justice, leading to parents like Brenna Gano losing custody rights. Gano's experience highlights a system where judges and therapists exploit conflicts for financial gain,…
Follow the money: how $1 billion in federal bonuses built an incentive to separate families
Since 1997, the federal government has allocated over $1 billion in adoption bonuses to states, with additional funding of $52 billion for the overall child welfare system. This financial structure favors permanent adoptions over family reunification,…