Letters to the Editor
Treated as Threats: What DOJ’s Own Report Shows About Federal Power and Parents
A recent DOJ report reveals the FBI conducted assessments on parents following a 2021 memo addressing threats at school board meetings. These assessments included parents’ affiliations and gun ownership. While the report shows some internal dissent, it also raises concerns about federal scrutiny of parental rights and free speech related to advocacy.
The Jerseys Test: An Ohio Ex-Wife, a Handgun, and a $500,000 Bond
An Ohio woman accused of threatening her ex-husband and firing two handgun rounds faces attempted aggravated murder charges and a $500,000 bond. The case raises questions about domestic violence, pretrial release and whether public reactions change when the accused is a woman.
HB 1499 Gets Its Hearing: Supporters Fill the Room, Opponents Raise Safety Concerns, No Vote Announced
House Bill 1499 in Pennsylvania proposes equal parenting time as the default in custody cases. Following a lengthy committee review, it received mixed responses with significant opposition citing concerns over domestic violence and custody fairness. While supporters emphasize its potential benefits, uncertain future votes and amendments complicate its path forward.
What “Parental Rights” Leaves Out
Defending Education’s RISE report ranks states on parental rights, focusing on school transparency and sex education laws. Tennessee and Alabama top the list, while Illinois ranks last. The report, however, neglects to address custody laws, leading to confusion about actual parental rights and relationships post-separation, highlighting discrepancies with the National Parents Organization’s ranking.
Pennsylvania’s Custody Bill Gets Its Day at the Capitol. Whether It Gets a Vote Is Another Question.
Pennsylvania’s House Bill 1499 proposes equal parenting time as the legal standard in custody cases, aiming for shared physical and legal custody near 50%. The bill emphasizes child safety considerations and requires clear evidence for any deviations. With broad bipartisan support, its future depends on the Democratic majority’s decision to advance it.
The Gap Has No Side
A recent analysis reveals that family courts inadequately protect domestic violence victims due to implementation issues rather than legal authority. The research indicates systemic failures affect both victims and accused parents. Proposed reforms include improved evaluator standards, judicial fact-finding, and consistent data tracking to enhance accountability and protection for all parties involved.
A Rash of Parents Killing Their Children? Twenty-One Cases From 2025–2026 and What They Show
The article reveals a grim series of 21 filicide cases from January 2025 to September 2026, detailing parental violence against children in various states. Many families had prior contact with child welfare or mental health services, raising questions about systemic failures. Despite the alarming reports, evidence does not conclusively show an increase in filicides.
The Present Tense Problem
A Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling determined that grandparents lack custody standing if no parental custody case is currently open, even after years of a consented relationship. This decision, stemming from the McGuire case, emphasizes the significance of legal proceedings’ timeliness over the actual relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
Signed Away
A Tampa Bay Times investigation reveals that many Hillsborough County families lose custody of children without legal representation or hearings. The report highlights over 300 cases where parents were pressured into temporary custody transfers. A proposed bipartisan bill aims to improve transparency in child separations, addressing systemic legal issues.
She Had Time to Read It
Christina Avgerinos reached out to express concern over a Medium article that mentioned her and their son Dylan, accusing the author of hypocrisy while questioning the lack of communication regarding their child. The author highlights a consistent pattern of denied visitation and communication issues, contrasting her engagement with his writings against her neglect of co-parenting…
A Custody Exchange, an AR-15, and a Father Who Fired Back
A routine Florida custody exchange erupted in gunfire when authorities say the mother’s boyfriend opened fire with an AR-style rifle. The father fired back. The children escaped unharmed. And the case exposes a blind spot even Florida’s safe-exchange law may not solve.
What Losing Contact With a Child Does to a Parent’s Mind
Research indicates that parents alienated from their children suffer significant mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Current family court systems lack effective procedures to assess post-custody mental health risks, raising critical questions about responsibility in identifying and addressing these crises among affected parents.
The Chatbot in the Courtroom: What AI Means for the Parent Representing Themselves
Family courts often see a high rate of self-representation, with many turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for legal advice. While AI offers accessible help, it also poses risks, such as providing incorrect information or compromising legal privilege. Vigilance is crucial, particularly for those without legal representation, highlighting the need for supplemental human support.
The Custody Question Got Answered. The Process That Answered It Didn’t.
Justice Elena Kagan’s denial of an emergency stay in a California parentage case involving Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar leaves unresolved issues about due-process and jurisdictional arguments. The courts have converged on the parentage decision, affirming California’s ruling. The case intertwines family law and abortion rights without clear public reasoning for Kagan’s decision.
The Narrative Nobody Fact-Checks
A recent tabloid story about Brad Pitt explores how narratives surrounding custody disputes can be reshaped over time. It emphasizes discrepancies between Pitt’s past admissions of drinking problems and the anonymous claims blaming his ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The complexities of custody arrangements and public perceptions are also examined.
When the System Moves Fast for Custody and Slow for Everything Else
Years after Russell Ashford pleaded guilty to brutally assaulting Antoinette Forbes, restrictions on him steadily loosened. Now Forbes is missing, Ashford faces seven firearms charges, and a family court has again been forced to confront custody of their son.
A $21 Million Verdict Didn’t Give Cynthia Hayek Her Kids Back
A jury awarded Cynthia Hayek and Kenneth Hamp more than $21 million after finding that false abuse allegations helped cost Hayek her children. The judgment survived appeal. What remains unclear is whether the custody system ever gave her relationship with them back.
The Pipeline Nobody Audits
A report reveals that left-leaning professors significantly outnumber conservatives in U.S. election law courses, affecting courtroom outcomes. In contrast, family court lacks similar analysis of training and credentialing for professionals, leaving its ideological balance unexamined. Establishing this data could uncover biases, challenging claims of neutrality in family court proceedings.
A Massachusetts Family Says the State Took Their Daughter Over a Gender Dispute. The Record Is More Complicated Than the Viral Version.
A Massachusetts couple says the state took custody of their teenage daughter after they refused to affirm a male gender identity. But a confirmed criminal charge, sealed Juvenile Court records and Massachusetts custody law leave major questions unanswered.
“Worth It”: When a Custody Order Isn’t Enough to Save a Child
Jake Stoner went to court, won emergency custody of his infant son and reported the violation when the boy disappeared. Weeks later, an employer’s background check found the mother before the child-recovery system did. By then, it was too late.
The Medical Necessity Dodge
A federal appeals court rejected a defense used by institutions to deny accommodations for disabled individuals, ruling that self-determined medical necessity cannot end ADA inquiries. The case of Bilal Adom, who was denied incontinence supplies, illustrates how institutions may mask discrimination through paperwork. This ruling impacts various public entities’ obligations under the ADA.
What He Leaves His Children
A year after Charlie Kirk’s death, his movement can count churches, chapters and supporters. His children will inherit something harder to measure: whatever remains of their father after the politics, grief and public mythology are stripped away.
The Holdout Nobody Can Name
Eleven jurors reportedly favored finding Lindsay Clancy not criminally responsible. One did not. The result was a mistrial — and a revealing look at what happens when unanimity protects a defendant while also preventing an acquittal.
The Subsidy Nobody Qualifies For
A proposed federal rule would allow income-eligible married households to receive about $9,000 per child annually for at-home caregiving, excluding unmarried parents regardless of caregiving efforts. Critics argue this shift focuses benefits on married households, potentially harming single parents, especially mothers, amidst limited funding and eligibility challenges.
The Doubt Nobody Defined
The public debate over Lindsay Clancy has focused on guilt, sympathy and postpartum mental illness. But the jury’s deadlock appears to have turned on something narrower: whether one juror was properly applying the court’s reasonable-doubt instructions.
The Carve-Out Nobody Applied
Karyann Parkinson faced legal repercussions after allowing her five-year-old son to walk alone in their gated community, despite Virginia’s 2023 “Reasonable Childhood Independence” law designed to protect such independence. The case highlights the law’s inadequacies and the judicial system’s discretion, resulting in a misdemeanor conviction for Parkinson.
The Standard Nobody Can Escape
The Maine Supreme Court’s ruling in Bickford v. Bradeen clarified family court authority over disputes, particularly regarding a child’s religious upbringing. It rejected previously required heightened scrutiny and established that courts can apply a standard of the child’s best interests without needing to show harm, impacting parental rights beyond just religion.
The Prescription Nobody Can Enforce
A West Virginia father’s push for timely vaccinations for their children clashes with their mother’s vaccine skepticism, leading to custody disputes in family court. The article explores the inadequacies of family court in resolving medical disagreements and the broader implications of embedding bias in legal processes regarding contentious health decisions.
The Custody Standard the Dog Got First
Illinois’ House Bill 4540, known as “Rosie’s Law,” establishes a best-interest test for companion animal custody disputes, effective January 1, 2027. It allows courts to consider caregiving history and emotional bonds among various relationships, unlike the existing legal hurdles unmarried fathers face in establishing custody for their children, who must undergo a separate legal process.
The Orders That Can’t Follow You Home
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao responded to a viral plea from Marine spouse Jamie Lenio, who feared being trapped overseas during her divorce. While Cao’s order facilitated her family’s return, it did not address the underlying legal issue of habitual residence, which determines jurisdiction over custody disputes. This situation highlights significant gaps in…