Your Honor, recently you sat on a divorce case involving a young lady and her estranged husband---I say estranged, because he had been living with his girlfriend ever since he had left his wife. He refused to pay his share of the bills that he and his wife had amassed during their four-year marriage, leaving the wife with no recourse but to file for bankruptcy. The wife hired an attorney and started divorce proceedings. Her attorney (not the best egg in the basket) took so long getting a court date set that he was unable to complete his obligation to her. He was becoming a Judge on Jan. 1, 2008 and could no longer represent her (a conflict of interest and all that)-all this after taking her money (which she had to borrow) and knowing he would have to drop the case. This attorney then, being the Good Samaritan' that he is, advised her not to go to court without representation-knowing full well that she could not afford to lay out another 2500 dollars.
The young lady showed up in your courtroom without an attorney. She had heard that you were a fair judge. Her problem, however, was that she didn't have the nerve to speak out against the injustices that were thrown at her by her husband's attorney. Sadly, she didn't know that she could speak up and defend herself; therefore, she was taken advantage of in the extreme.
Her husband's attorney stood up and said the divorce would not be an issue and was not contested. However, there was an issue of some land that the couple owned and that two acres were lost in the bankruptcy that his client had nothing to do with. Therefore, that two acres should be considered as part of the wife's half of the total fifteen acres.
This was land that was given to the wife, only, by her parents. However, after much harassment, by the husband, she finally agreed to take him down to the title office and have his name put on the land along with hers.
The divorce came about because: 1.) The husband was seeing another woman (the one he moved in with as soon as he left his wife); 2.) The husband was stealing her father's tools; 3.) The husband was abusive to her two girls-using vulgar language and allowing his fifteen-year-old son to force his wife's thirteen-year-old daughter to show her breasts to him and his friends (her husband saying only, "oh, that's just a guy thing"); 4.) The husband filed false charges against his wife's father saying that he was sexually abusing his wife's two daughters (these charges were proven to be false). He did this in a plan to send his wife's father to prison so that he could take over complete control of her parent's home and land. His plan backfired; his wife asked him to leave; therefore, he felt compelled to use the law again to steal what land he could from his wife.
You may ask what is my interest in all this? And I will tell you:
My concern in all this is where is the justice? Why did you (Judge R.H.) show no concern that this young lady had no representation? Would it have been beyond your realm of duty to ask the young lady if there was anything that she needed or wanted to say to the court? Would it have been asking too much of you to help this person with even the bare minimum of support? Thirty years ago another judge in another court would probably have shown some compassion for this lady and would have at least questioned the things brought out that benefited only the husband. Being the fair' judge you were thought to be, didn't you even wonder?
I am certainly no longer confused at the shear disregard and dislike of the American justice system. There truly is no justice in this country. The people holding our government offices and who have the where-with-all' to make change, care only about getting their pay and getting home or to wherever their mind has already wandered off.
I can only wonder how you, Sir, and the attorney (many attorneys, for that matter) can look at yourselves in the mirror without seeing what John Q. Public' sees-a person who just doesn't care; who cares only for the easiest and least time-consuming resolution.
My Bible teaches us that "Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord". So, as a court observer, I witnessed this injustice and went away to pray that the Lord will one day have His day and that this man and his attorney, who so greedily hurt this young lady and her two little girls, will have their day in the Lord's court. That will be a justice that I can have faith and believe in.
Here is something interesting I found that you may think fits quite well with this article.
The Alabama Judge....
Alabama
Judge
Some of you may be wondering what Judge Roy Moore has been doing since he was removed from the bench for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom wall. Please read the poem he wrote. It's below his picture.
The following is a poem written by Judge Roy Moore from Alabama . Judge Moore was sued by the ACLU for displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom foyer. He has been stripped of his judgeship and now they are trying to strip his right to practice law in Alabama ! The judge's poem sums it up quite well.
America the beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride;
I'm glad they'll never see.
Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.
Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine
choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said abstain.
From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love
and a need to always pray.
We've kept God in our
temples, how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.
We've voted in a government
that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges;
who throw reason out the door.
Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.
You think that God's not
angry,that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?
How are we to face our God,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?
If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:
Then God will hear from Heaven;
and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.
But, America the Beautiful,
If you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.
~~Judge Roy Moore~~
Sandra E. Graham, author, AMOS JAKEY and NICOLINA published by American Book Publishing. I also write book reviews for authors through Book Pleasures. Visit my website for more info on my writing. http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com
i can't go into what i have been going through for 17 months in a divorce, because there ain't enough room to write it all. lawyers ONLY want your money, they don't care that he came in the middle of the night and took my car, or that he cut off all monies, they simply want their money.
my lawyer knows that i have no money, 2 front teeth that were caps, and broke off, and i have no money to have them fixed, no car, and my 2 kids left home because they were asked to ship in, and figured if they had to do that, they'd get their own apartments. my daughter has no car, no money, no job, and she has to be out of the place she's been living by the end of the month.
does my lawyer care? my last contact with him was july 9th. my trial date was canceled from july 14th. it goes on and on, but i agree with you-the court sytem doesn't really care, and the lawyers just want their money.
Thank you, Sue. It seems we have no control over the bad things that happen to us in a world gone mad. All we can do is pray for the strength to accept the inevitable and let the Lord do what he thinks is best at the time. But we know that better times are coming.
Bless you and may God be with you in your own trials.
It happens every day, every hour, all over the country. The Christian Faith is slipping and as Christians, we should band together (morally and ethicly) and pray will all that we have in us that this type of system farce be stopped!
Thank you for reading and commenting. And yes it is something that goes on all across our country and sometimes there isn't much we peons can do about it.
We can only pray that someday things will change--for the better!
Sandra, you spoke for me, as well. Excellent writing and summation. The Almighty Judge has said the final Word. You stirred up incendiary emotions in me. I had to extinguish them with the Word. Beautiful! Be blessed, my lady. Respond to this comment
I was left sadly thinking about where are justice system is going. I wonder what it will take for us little peoplke to stand up to the daily injustices we see in the judicial system. If you have money and contacts there is a whole different justice system for you. All we have to do is look at celebrity trials to know that an uneven balance hangs over our heads. My heart broke for the young woman who did what see thought was her choice, to look to the court for guidance and fairness, only to be stripped of the property anyway. It angers me yet I do not know what I could do to help. Perhaps there are advocacy groups out there who try to help that we don't know about but I would appeal that decision and start a petition. I would be first to sign up to draw attention to the lawyers and the judge.Good Job , Sandra.
Thanks, Nancy. The problem here is that the guy's name was on the land and that was a law that the judge could see in black and white. What he couldn't see was the moral issue that was only the word of the young lady and her parents--which was only considered 'hearsay'. So, what, in reality, can you do? Nothing. But as I said, some day that man will have his day in the Main Court---God's Court.
» left by nancy green from Jonesboro, ar. (123 days 14 hours ago.)
Sandra, I hope you will forgive my typing. I really need to proof-read my work over and over. My passion gets away from me everytime. I still believe judges could use moral common sense and redefine the judicial system if only they would. A great article..
I'm glad you wrote this piece and all I can add is that politicians, lawyers and judges are about the worst of humanity because they destroy so many lives. In fact, I place them beneath criminals because of their far reaching yet unstoppable destruction of American families and the once greatest nation on earth. Well done and I've been a victim of the injustice system beyond belief so I feel your frustration. lol
Thank you, Myla for reading and commenting. I am sure that over 95% of all Americans have had at one time or another had our justice system fail them. Too often it is those who can't defend themselves or are defended by an incompentant lawyer.
Wow! I knew it was bad from my stints on US soil, from friends I have who live there and from Americans who I have worked with but I never knew it was that bad! But then Britain isn't far behind I suppose! Well written and very graphic indeed!
Thank you for commenting, Leuan. And as embarrassing as it is to admit, our country has so many weaknesses; it would take a book to list them all. And sadly it seems we are going downhill every day. Don't get me wrong, I love America--I just realize we have our faults and we need to look at ourselves very hard in the mirror and admit that we do to make a change--and soon.
"My concern in all this is where is the justice?" Frankly and without being rude there is only justice for those of the world. Those who ahve no one to look out for them, protect them, advocate for them, well they are the sheep for the wolves meal. To actually think there is real justice is really something you need to revist. Justice starts with morality, integrity, trust, honesty and values. Find those attributes and you will find justice, good luck. Yes and good article and best wishes. I'll close with my ever so often " you shall know them by their works what they do and fail to do not what they profess, call or label themselves as.
Thank you, Robert, for reading and commenting. I know it seems that we only here one side of a story and we are never sure where are sympathies should be directed. But when we actually know for sure just who is receiving the injustice, it really hurts when the law is not even on their side; and you can only watch while the drama unfolds.
I have heard of similar happenings. It is hard to pray for someone who is so blind to truck and heartache of others, but it has to be done. Maybe someday we will see a change of heart from these that some refer to as heartless. We gotta hold onto hope. Meanwhile, what are the prospects for this young lady? I hope after this she can still hold onto some hope.
Thanks for the reminder that this is still happening.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Lorrie. The young lady has accepted her fate and now that it is all over, she will do the best she can with what she has left and try to start over. She seems to be strong and has great faith in God--she never misses Sunday School nor Church; so she has a lot going for her that her ex doesn't have.
thanks for reading and commenting, CB. You're right. It drives me up the wall when I hear or--worse yet--am involved in cases like these. The frustration makes by blood pressure reach the boiling point.
I forgot to add that divorce is one of those things that often has no winners for one reason or another. Both partners generally feel short changed, but each should have representation.
» left by Anonymous from Waco, Texas (116 days 5 hours ago.)
Loved the poem at the end. Fit in really well with the article. I've seen some good judges and some bad judges; some good attorneys and some bad. It's the same with politics. You don't know until it's too late.
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