Domestic-Violence Crusader Mary J. Blige Slugs Husband

This is rich. Irony of Ironies. DV crusader punches husband out. Newsflash to Paula and Chrissy . . . this does "rise to the level of Domestic Violence" even if SHE is a SHE. More coverage over on the WA DV Press. I'd love to see Paula, Chrissy, Tootsie Boo Cane or Mary Pontarolo comment over on that thread about how this was somehow HIS fault and how it should be minimized, rationalized and explained by such male provocation and control. So, by all means, Thurston Scream Queens, please leave your rationalizations over on the DV Press comment thread.

As a side, this is disappointing to the Truther. I like her. She is talented. She was especially good on Clapton's Crossroads Antigua Benefit concert.

Divorce is a casualty of the Great Recession

Ever wonder how the family law folks are fairing at plundering estates and fleecing couples that they have gotten worked up into a lather? Answer . . . not well. That is probably the best news from the down economy. Perhaps couples are working things out or simply just holding on 'til things get better. One thing is for sure, even if they do get divorced, they are wisely doing it without the unnecessary high cost of the family law professionals' "counsel" as reported in this posting back in April. The trend continues . . . It's Official: Recession Kills Divorce.

An Excerpt; Divorce is officially a casualty of the Great Recession. Rates are down for the first time in five years, according to the newly released study of the National Marriage Project. Michael Gerson has called this shift a kind of “cultural renewal”; the idea is that when times are tough, people connect with their cherished values and stop indulging in the kinds of luxuries a fat economy allows. Divorce rates also dropped dramatically during the Great Depression. The reality is, however, that divorce is just expensive. People can’t afford to get divorced during a recession.

It looks quite empty in the TCFC hallways these days and for good reason. Who says it's all doom and gloom in the news these days. Indeed, there are some silver (or perhaps Gold) linings.

WATCH DR. WARSHAK ON ABC 20/20 this Friday

WATCH DR. WARSHAK
ON ABC 20/20

Friday, December 18
9:00 p.m. EST
8:00 p.m. CST
Note: 20/20 is broadcast for two hours on this date.







email from Dr. Warshak . . .

On Friday, December 18, ABC 20/20 will present the fascinating story of an international abduction case involving an alienated child. In preparation for this show, I was interviewed by Chris Cuomo.

During the second taping, I had an opportunity to demonstrate some of the procedures used during Family Bridges: A Workshop for Troubled and Alienated Parent-Child Relationships.

I expect this show to have a major impact in educating the public about the suffering of children who have been turned against a parent, and about what can be done to help ease a child's transition back to a rejected parent.

Please mark your calendars. Note that on December 18, 20/20 begins one hour earlier than usual and runs for two hours. The segment in which I am involved is scheduled for the first hour, although this is subject to change.

If you enjoyed the show, please leave your comments at: http://abcnews.go.com/2020.

For more information about Dr. Warshak, go to http://warshak.com

NEW CAMPAIGN: Ask DSM to Include Parental Alienation in Upcoming Edition

NEW CAMPAIGN: Ask DSM to Include Parental Alienation in Upcoming Edition

A group of 50 mental health experts from 10 countries are part of an effort to add Parental Alienation to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), the American Psychiatric Association’s “bible” of diagnoses. According to psychiatrist William Bernet, adding PA “would spur insurance coverage, stimulate more systematic research, lend credence to a charge of parental alienation in court, and raise the odds that children would get timely treatment.”

Few family law cases are as heartbreaking as those involving Parental Alienation. In PA cases, one parent has turned his or her children against the other parent, destroying the loving bonds the children and the target parent once enjoyed.

Fathers & Families wants to ensure that the DSM-V Task Force is aware of the scope and severity of Parental Alienation. To this end, we are asking our members and supporters to write DSM. If you or someone you love has been the victim of Parental Alienation, we want you to tell your story to the DSM-V Task Force. To do so, simply fill in our form by clicking here.

http://www.fathersandfamilies.org/

*** NEW BOOK & WEB SITE on P.A.S. ***

A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation, is the true story of one parent’s struggle to maintain a normal, loving relationship with his young son in the face of overwhelming odds. From the emotionally devastating actions of the child’s other parent, to a court system and mental health community ill-equipped to deal with a destructive family dynamic, A Family’s Heartbreak: A Parent’s Introduction to Parental Alienation is both an education in parental alienation and an eye opening experience for parents who don’t believe this could happen to them.

Link to web site and to purchase the book . . . http://afamilysheartbreak.com/

WA DV Press Seeking Testimonials About Good DVPT Programs

A very active and lively discussion/comment thread on the above. Ironically, no good DVPT Providers have been identified. Feel free to chime in if you feel these people are helping anybody other than themselves. Anyone, anyone . . . Bueller, Bueller?

WA DV Press Seeking Testimonials About Good DVPT Treatment Programs

Children torn by divorce

Good Article on P.A.S. from the B.C. Vernon Morning Star. Hat tip to Glenn Sacks . . .

Most people would agree with the old saying that family breakdown is hardest on the children. Now the phenomenon has a new name, parental alienation or alienation of the child, and families and professionals are trying to agree on how to make things better.

Parental alienation or alienation of the child — the experts disagree on a name — means that one parent will do anything within their power to make the child or children hate the other parent, including telling lies, denying access or even abduction. This goes far beyond the normal negative words spoken in moments of anger and frustration to the alienating parent consistently putting their own feelings ahead of the good of the children.

for more . . . Children torn by divorce

Of course, none of this is possible without the help and encouragement of the presiding judge and family law lawyers known as "the merchants of misery." Alec Baldwin sums it up best here in this post where he likens family court judges to Pit Bosses in a Casino.

42 U.S.C. § 1983. Violating Federal Laws under color of State Law

BLOG POSTING DISCLAIMER : THIS IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. THIS IS MERELY A RESTATEMENT OF THE LAW AND A LINK TO ANOTHER ARTICLE WHERE IT IS BROKEN DOWN BY A MEMBER OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION. DO NOT CONSIDER THIS POST AS LEGAL ADVICE. THAT ASIDE, WE THE PEOPLE DO HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW, SHARE, DISSEMINATE AND READ OUR LAWS . THE LATTER SHOULD ALSO NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE BUT RATHER AN OPINION PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

42 U.S.C. § 1983, commonly referred to as "section 1983" provides:

Every person who under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, Suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer's judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.The Act was intended to provide a private remedy for such violations of federal law, and has subsequently been interpreted to create a species of tort liability.^[2]

The traditional definition of acting under the color of state law requires that the defendant have exercised power "possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because the wrongdoer is clothed with the authority of state law,"^[18] and such actions may result in liability even if the defendant abuses the position given to him by the state

Read more here . . . http://www.constitution.org/brief/forsythe_42-1983.htm