Judge Retaliates: Jails Mom Who Filed a Lawsuit against Him

Paternal Grandfather Given Custody after Father Incarcerated for Child Rape

A Pennsylvania Family Court judge has retaliated against a mother who filed a State Tort and Civil Rights lawsuit against him—by jailing her.

This is yet another example of a judge abusing his power to punish a woman who refuses to comply with unjust orders that empower the father and harm the children.

Sara was sentenced to six months in jail. She was not officially jailed because she filed the lawsuit against him, of course. The judge found her in contempt for bogus reasons, which we’ll go into later.

Apparently, he did not anticipate the outcry that ensued.

Sara was incarcerated on Monday, October 7th, and her outraged friends took to social media. Nicole, was really, really pissed off her friend was so unjustly treated and jailed and did not hold back.

Here is Nicole blasting the judge. (You really need to watch this! Her passion and fearlessness is great.) [language]

I need help Tiktok: we need to blow this shit up!

…These kids are in danger so I need your f’n help. Make this shit go viral!

Facebook and gofundme pages were started and got a lot of attention. This put the judge on notice that the public was watching his deplorable behavior.

Thankfully, after all the outrage expressed by her supporters, Sara was released on Thursday after serving just a week and a half of her six month sentence.

Let’s look at how we got here—from the father being a convicted child sex offender to him being given custody via his father—to the mom being jailed.

Buckle up, it’s a crazy ride.

SARA’S STORY

In 2018, Sara began the battle for custody of her children—their son, R.H., and her daughter, A.P. from a previous relationship. Note that A.P. is not her ex’s biological daughter. That is important for the case.

Sara

In 2019, joint custody was awarded to Sara and her ex.

That same year, her ex began continuously raping a 14-year-old girl, which went on for nearly 3 months—until he was caught. He was charged with statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years of age, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of a minor, sexual abuse of a child, possession of child pornography, unlawful contact with a minor, and indecent assault.

He pled guilty and was sentenced to 4 1/2 - 10 years in prison. He is locked up to this day. (Wonder how he’s faring in a place that is known to be anti-child molester…)

Since the father was in prison, Sara got sole custody. There was a no contact order issued against him.

This is where the story gets crazier.

The father found a way to maintain control from prison—by adding his father to the case! They filed a petition together for custody and visitation.

3 years ago, my son's father/our abuser went to prison for violent sex offenses and the court allowed him to tag in his previously uninvolved father, so he wouldn't have to give up control.

Judge N. Christopher (Chris) Menges allowed the child rapist and abuser of his ex and children to petition for custody by adding the grandfather to the case whom he endearingly refers to as “Pop Pop”.

Judge Chris Menges

Judge Menges, of course, knew it was a ruse meant to give the father control from his prison cell through a third party. In fact, he was the one who suggested it. At that point, they entered into a conspiracy, but it would not be until years later Sara would hold him accountable for that in her lawsuit.

So Sara was subjected to yet another custody battle with both the father and grandfather named as Respondents. Incredibly, even Sara’s daughter from a previous marriage was a subject of the custody dispute.

Let’s look at some defining case law involving the issue of grandparents’ rights that should prevail.

In 2000, SCOTUS ruled in Toxel v. Granville that it is an unconstitutional infringement on parents’ fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children to allow third parties, including grandparents, to be granted custody if a parent opposes it.

The OBN recognized that ruling as a possible threat to men’s power in the family. A number of exceptions were inserted into Family Law that give judges the ability to get around that pesky ruling in cases where the father is indisposed, such as Sara’s case. However, the exceptions do not take into account the fact that Sara’s daughter is not the biological father. That is one basis for her lawsuit.

“PSYCHOLOGICAL PARENT”

In 2022, the new custody trial took place and concluded with Judge Menges ordering the grandfather/father duo have partial custody. Pop Pop would get visits on Saturdays and phone calls at least three times a month.

Judge Menges justified giving the grandfather custody by finding him to be a “psychological parent”. This is despite the fact that Sara clearly showed he was never a psychological parent to her kids and they do not want to visit with him anyway, nor talk to him on the phone. This fact alone should raise alarm bells, although it is unclear whether there are reports of abuse or neglect by the grandfather.

This ability of someone other than the father—but associated with him, being able to position themselves as a parent is not uncommon in cases in which it is impossible for the judge to grant the actual father custody, as in cases involving stepfathers and paternal grandfathers. This strategy is just an extension of the agenda to maintain men’s control of “their” women when they are indisposed.

Sara was ordered to communicate with the grandfather and her ex (in jail) via the Family Court Wizard app. She was also ordered to give them both access to the children’s school portal and medical records. A hearing was scheduled for just two months later to see how things were going, i.e. if Sara was complying with his unconstitutional and illegal orders.

At that next hearing, Menges ordered Sara to post the children’s schedule, including activities, medical appointments, and therapy appointments, on the Family Wizard app and provide them with the school portal passcode. Even worse, Menges ordered her to sign a release for the grandfather to speak to children’s therapist. That step is usually taken to monitor whether children are reporting abuse. A new therapist is appointed if they do not silence them.

Menges scheduled yet another hearing in two months, warning Sara he was considering giving joint custody to the grandfather/father duo. This, despite the fact the children do not want to see or even speak with either of them.

Menges threatened to find Sara in contempt and jail her if she does not follow all his orders. Sara is confused as to why he is not ruling in the best interests of the children.

I can’t wrap my head around how courts operate.

Countless mothers around the world feel the same way after stepping foot in Family Court.

APPEAL

Sara had filed several motions for Menges to recuse himself due to bias. But Family Court judges have the power to dismiss these motions, so he did. Surprise, surprise. Just another dead end for mothers in Family Court who are desperately trying to keep and protect their children, and going to great expense to do what they should not even have to fight for in the first place.

So Sara filed an appeal, thinking, like so many mothers, that will help. After all, that is the remedy for bad judges, right?

The children were refusing to speak with the grandfather on the mandated phone calls and Sara did not want to release the therapist’s records. So the father/grandpa duo took up Judge Menges’ suggestion to file for contempt.

The Appellate Court responded that they didn’t have jurisdiction to hear the case because the order being appealed was not a final one. That is another common ruse judges use—don’t finalize the judgment to keep women from appealing their corrupt orders and to drag out the case longer.

Having exhausted all her legal options, Sara decided to file a lawsuit. What a fighter!

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT

In March of this year, Sara filed a civil rights lawsuit, naming Judge Menges, her ex, the grandfather, and opposing counsel as Respondents. Notably, the lawsuit has not been dismissed so it is considered to have merit and is proceeding.

The lawsuit lists nine counts, including eight federal claims, 42 U.S.C. §1983, §1985 and §1986, and a State Tort for Civil Conspiracy. It is well-written, spelling out clearly all the ways Menges has violated the law and Sara’s rights.

The bulk of the Complaint focuses on violations of Sara’s right to a fair trial, i.e. Procedural and Substantive due process. Some are based on the State not having the right to interfere with a parent’s right to rear their children by granting third parties custody or visitation. In other words, the grandfather did not have standing to be joined to the case.

One Count deals with the right to privacy due to the order that Sara release educational and medical information about her children to a third party. One deals with the violation of her right to accurate transcripts. One of the Counts (§ 1985) is for conspiracy to deprive her of her rights.

It's a conspiracy. My federal suit is a Section 1983, 1985 and 1986 claim with a state tort claim for civil conspiracy. They conspire openly in court to do what they're doing and then change the transcripts.

The State Tort is also for a conspiracy, but, interestingly, for entering “erroneous” orders “enforced by threats, intimidation and coercion”. This is great: an actual tort against a judge for coercing, intimidating and threatening a mother with jail—something that happens all the time in family courts.

The Relief requested is that Menges be disqualified and enjoined from modifying custody orders, and compensatory and punitive damages awarded. A jury trial is demanded.

JAILED

There was a contempt and disqualification motion on the docket for the October 7, 2024 hearing. Sara had filed for a continuance because she knew she risked being placed in contempt and thrown in jail and likely wanted to hear something about the lawsuit.

At the hearing, Menges denied Sara’s request for continuance and once again her request to recuse. He found Sara in contempt for not complying with his demands: forcing the kids to engage in some phone calls and visits, for not providing the kids with cell phones, and not providing medical and educational records. All this, despite the fact she had made very clear in her lawsuit that he did not have the jurisdiction to order these things.

Since Sara’s lawsuit includes conspiracy to force her to follow unjust orders by use of intimidation and coercion, it is amusing he still used jail as the ultimate coercive means to get her to comply with his orders. Maybe deprivation of her freedom can be added to the lawsuit.

Menges sentenced Sara to six months in jail, the maximum allowed by a Family Court judge, since litigants do not have the right to a jury trial. He put forth a long list of things she had to do to “purge” the contempt before being released—which, of course, included the very things she claims are unconstitutional in her lawsuit.

Sara was thrown in jail and not even told where her kids would be taken. Not surprisingly, Pop Pop got them.

Sara was released on Thursday and was able to get her kids back. It is not clear whether she agreed to “purge”—comply with the orders, or what her next step is. We will update when possible.

TAKEAWAYS

This is something we have not seen before—an incarcerated child sex offender being enabled by a judge to maintain control of the mother and kids by adding the paternal grandfather to the custody case.

The fact that a judge can join people to a custody case by finding them to be a “psychological parent” (or whatever) is horrifying. Sara’s case is even so much worse because her ex is in prison for serial child rape. This demonstrates the judicial tolerance of men sexually assaulting children, which is seen in so many Custody Crisis cases where the molester father is given custody.

This lawsuit details how judges use intimidation and threats, including jail and the threat of jail, to get women to “behave” and to punish “uppity” women who resist. And how this is illegal and unconstitutional.

It is great the lawsuit addresses the conspiracy aspect of what goes on in Family Court. In virtually every Custody Crisis case the judge conspires with the father and his attorney, and most often with court-appointees as well. This case helps demonstrate how judges are deliberately colluding with others to empower fathers to the detriment of women and children. [In other words, training is not the solution!]

Something this civil rights lawsuit does not claim is gender discrimination, when that is clearly what is going on. Of course, it is only addressing one case and one judge, so it cannot do that.

However, The Women’s Coalition will be filing a Gender Discrimination Lawsuit citing the countless women who are similarly situated victims of Family Court. We are starting with California but will likely be doing other states and countries later.

If you live in California and are interested in joining the lawsuit, please fill out this form if you haven’t already. If you’re not sure, you can fill it out anyway.

Sara’s case also supports that Family Court judges can do whatever the hell they want. And that supports that custody cases need to be heard in a real court with the right to a jury, where judges do not have the power to jail mothers and endanger our children.

Join The Women’s Coalition where we are fighting for a new system.

KUDOS to Sara for her brave and fierce fight to protect her children and stop the violation of her rights.

Feel free to comment in support of Sara.

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IN OTHER NEWS

CHAPTER 27 IS OUT!

CHAPTER 27 of Mother-Fucking: The Saga of One Fucked Mother begins with Act I of the “Opera”. There are three Acts with five Parts—one for each of the three Family Court trials and two Appellate trials.

This chapter covers Acts I and II, the first two Family Court trials and the first Appellate Court trial. It is a long chapter and will be published in newsletter-sized bites.

In this first section, Legion is nervous about the trial but feels confident she will get custody as all the evidence that she had been the primary and better parent supports that, except for, of course, the cherry-picked, “male-identified” evaluator. She notes that the interrogatory questions, part of the discovery phase, are almost all about finances, not who the more nurturing parent would be. The sexism inherent in the system is becoming apparent even at this early stage of the proceedings.

In the last section of Chapter 26, Legion finished rebutting all of the lies in Herry’s declaration but decided to take her attorney’s advice and not say anything bad about him in her responsive declaration. So she presented a long list of evidence supporting that she has been a great mother and should be given primary custody. She still believes Herry only wants the boys on the weekends—his true vengeful motive of taking the boys away from her has not yet appeared.

Dr. Blue’s novel is based on her own experience of the Custody Crisis. It uniquely conveys how Family Court judges are “mother-fucking” women—a form of systemic oppression and violence directed at ex-wives—as protagonist Legion is systematically and methodically deprived of her children and money and reduced to “one fucked mother”.

Chapters are stand-alone interesting so you can begin reading anywhere. A Cast of Characters follows to help readers at any point [on the web page]. All published chapters are included in the Section: “Saga of One F**ked Mother” accessible on the top bar of the home page of Women’s Coalition News & Views. Sequential chapters are published every Wednesday and subscribers will find them in their inboxes, so make sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet!

TEASERS

Finally only near the ends of both of these Discovery sets do we come to the inquiries and answers regarding each other’s opinions about qualities or traits necessary to be custodial parents of human offspring!  To be the continuing primary caretaking parent of the babies whom I alone grew and whom I alone birthed.

I have quite a few ideas as to why this––the Mother‑Fucking––not only happened to me and to my Boys but also is today actually rampantly waging down against mothers and their minors in little courtrooms across every county around the entire nation some few short years later.  All of those ideas of mine boil down.  Into one word.  Sexism.  Sexism:  the Original Sin.  

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