Domestic Violence Awareness Month

[stuart showalter]

Hello everyone,

I am confident this letter arrives to you as you are still struggling to ensure that that the assault on families is eliminated. I do have a glimmer of hope to share with you and entrust that it may provide some solace to you at this time.

I recently testified to the Indiana Child Support and Custody Advisory Committee for the General Assembly on the topic Addressing Domestic Violence and Child Custody Decisions following hearing of the agenda items.

Agenda: http://www.in.gov/legislative/interim/committee/notices/CCSABAF.pdf

I distributed written materials to the Committee members.

http://www.boonecountyfathers.org/images/Addressing_Domestic_Violen...
see also attached files

After brief opening remarks I had about a ten minute dialogue with the Committee members. There was unanimous agreement that false allegations of Domestic Violence are being used as a strategy and tool in obtaining child custody in divorces.

The members expressed support for amending the Indiana Code to ensure that children are no longer deprived of access to a parent based upon a false allegation of Domestic Violence. Upon conclusion the Chair asked that I continue to pursue this matter and provide additional materials and recommendations to the Committee.

As many of us have been on the receiving end of Domestic Violence or the false allegation of having committed it I would like to hear your anecdotal experiences and what your recommendations would be. Specifically, I am looking for the following information;

1) If you been a party to a Petition for a Domestic Violence Protective Order and are you willing to provide more information on a downloadable questionnaire that may be returned anonymously please reply and I will forward the link.
2) Please give your thoughts about the accused being ordered out of a home or jailed until a hearing to determine the validity of the accusation or the option of the accuser seeking shelter outside of the home.
3) Please express your feelings on the ease of obtaining an Order of Protection?
4) Please discuss what you feel the level of proof should be to get an Order of Protection?
5) Please discuss what you feel is an “act of violence“, like “having thoughts” about a person which currently is by statute.
6) Please discuss the effect of those who make false allegations on the believability of those who are actual victims.
7) Please discuss your recommendations to ensure that Domestic Violence Protective Orders would still be put in place as needed but that the due process rights of the children and accused are ensured.

Another note of good news is that the Committee voted to recommend presumptive Joint Legal Custody legislation. We have received pledges of support from most of the legislators that we have spoken with. Any Indiana resident who would also like to help push this legislation through please visit IndianaSharedParenting.Org
We will continue to work toward passage of our bill to require judges to presume both parents are equally entitled to due process under the law.

Thank you for your help.

Stuart Showalter

[Theresa Martin]

Kudos Stu - Keep up the great work!

[Brian Kelley]

Thanks for putting the time in.

Sincerely,

Brian

[Dean Tong]

Stu:
You may want to call me sometime tomorrow with my opinion on this matter at 813.417.5362

Dean Tong
abuse-excuse.com

[Theresa Martin]

Stuart, Not only should you speak with Dean but I want to encourage that you reach out to Ed Bartlett of RADAR and Harry Crouch of California Mens Center. You should then be provided with excellent advice, resources and tips.

Thanks again for your efforts and I pray it will make an impact for the sake of all our children.

[stuart showalter]

I will be calling Dean. I have compiled a significant amount of material from RADAR. I will be presenting this to the members of the Domestic Relations Committee once I get everything done. Thanks again for your support.

[FAIR RULINGS]

Will legislation come from this? Keep up the good work...

[stuart showalter]

The Committee chair asked me to keep pushing on this, to not give up and to bring more information to them about what they can do. We did get a recommendation from the committee that the Legislature pass our presumptive Shared Parenting, although stripped of physical custody. It's a start.

[FAIR RULINGS]

It can work but it's a long hard road... I did it about ten years ago with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. I gave talks, educated people and worked with Michael D. Antonovich, Supervisor, Fifth District.

Along with others we were able to expose judicial slush funds and show that District Attorney Gil Garcetti was banking child support revenue in order to create grant money for his cronies.

Long story short, eventually, Antonovich was able to run against Gil and pull needed votes away from his campaign and he lost his race for re-election. Attorney Richard Fine was also actively involved with Garcetti's down fall.

I bring this up because when you think your spinning your wheels on a slippery slope you may not be... Find others of authority and meet with them, brain-storming helps me to create. Get copies of bills already in place... Use them to amend your point of view and go forth with finding a sponsor and/or cosponsors for the bill(s).

You're defiantly moving in the right direction... And you're not committing any felonies to get your point across. I give you straight "A's” This movement needs more Stu's like you.