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[polldaddy poll=7832718]

 

And here are the results:

DC_PollQuestions_WordPress_No_Biased

 

Well, only 5% of people have found their judges to be helpful and patient.  The other 95% of self-represented litigants have found them to be either annoyed that they did not have a lawyer, or biased, or so bold as to tell them to hire a lawyer. Some believe that the family laws have been made so complex that litigants must hire a lawyer to navigate the system; and that this is being done to intentionally enrich attorneys.  We think the results here speak for themselves. If our government really wanted to help its citizens, it would require judges to be respectful and courteous; and it would simplify the laws so that citizens could easily represent themselves.


50 thoughts on “If you ever tried to represent yourself, was the judge biased against you for not understanding the law or courtroom procedure? Poll #8

  1. Ironically, she rewarded opposing council who filed a motion to relocate when procedural law required a petition, the magistrate in seminole county Florida granted it even tho it was filed as a motion not a petition and didn’t even hear evidence regarding the lies!

    • Judges has nothing to gain, by letting someone represent themselves in court. You or I are not going to contribute to their campaign. If we did it would be bribery, but not in the case of an attorney making a contribution for is own benefits, an attorney’s first obligation is to the courts (bar association) then the judges then the opposing attorney then you or in most cases our ‘s adversary.

  2. My judges routinely laughed, yelled, and generally misbehaved because I was citing the law, and they didn’t want to deal with me but wanted me to have a lawyer so that they could intimidate the lawyer into submission — all without having any jurisdiction at all!

    • This is also known as playing god. It has to stop. The real God will see to it that it does. Thankfully, He is on our side to change the world for the better. Together we must be diligent, and patient. John 8:32!!!

    • they want you to hire a lawyer because the legal system in probate court is a monopoly, they size up how much you have, the lawyers get half, the judges get the lawyer’s votes

    • I believe the judge wanted you to have an attorney so you would have to pay him, so he could possibly get a kick back. Do not be fooled for a minute they are all in it together, it the same old good cop bad cop scam. I had an attorney recommended to me by a friend and they honestly say to me that they were not going to jeopardize their career going up against a judge out of that county.

  3. family courts treat parents like garbage. The clerks, judges and other personnel. Family court is no place for family business to be taken care of…. The only think taken care of is any funds the parent may have left.

  4. My judges couldn’t find any law to take my child, so they wanted me to get a lawyer so that they could intimidate the lawyer into submission.

  5. While I was eventually able to help get the “judge” (Jack Halpin) disrobed by the Chief Justice of California, his equally corrupt and collusive Mediator/ExecDir., Special Master, GAL, and Clerks were never called up for their justice. Today is DAY 1107 since my oldest daughter was illegally abducted and covered up by the Family Law Industrialists of Shasta County California. The order for “no contact” lives on… Their “judicial immunity” lives on while my youngest daughter and I suffer in silence without our court alienated dear one in our lives… The shadowy syndicate of “Family” law preys up those of us impoverished by lawyers whom dump us before trials, seeking more money – and judges, et al… prey upon our lucrative ignorance of laws and procedures. (I mentioned that to James Scurlock when he interviewed me for the most remarkable, “Divorce Corp.”)

  6. Thank you for all you do maybe together we all can make a change .. Doing my part and standing up the the good ole boy court system

  7. The good thing about pro se is .. basically you can speak your peace .. in a very civilized manner. I once asked the Judge if his wife pulls his hair..spits at him…or threatens him with a baseball bat….he just stared at me looking somewhat bewildered…of course my former wife was going through menopause at the time…

  8. Most of these judges don’t even look at you and smile at the opposing attorneys. This is a very corrupt system and everybody is in on it..judges, lawyers, evaluators, clerks, CPS, CSS,…its an all you can eat buffet.

  9. Represented or not didn’t matter. I was viewed as guilty in the first place because I hired a lawyer. After that first judgment I represented myself. I was viewed as less-than because I didn’t have a lawyer to make sure I would be heard. Your poll is missing an important choice: I wasn’t allowed to speak openly because I was self represented.

  10. Ode to those with faint hearts and gullible minds. It’s bad with a lawyer, but even worse without one. Unless you hire a court reporter and appeal every decision, be prepared for hell on Earth. They can do anything to you, and take everything away from you.

  11. I was on the stand being interviewed by my former wifes counsel. When she was done. The Judge asked me if I rested. I thought she meant my interview. I said yes and than asked to call my former spouse to the stand and the Judge said, sorry, you rested. I said I thought you meant just me and my testimony. I said would you please reconsider. She said sorry, you rested. I was sandbagged by the Judge who did not want me to proceed with my case against my former spouse. I asked her twice to reconsider and she said sorry, you rested, case over. I filed a complaint but like 93% of all complaints it was dismissed.

  12. after I hired the lawyer to help, he did not, I lost, he told me he’d help again, and as I waited and waited, and my self-respect dwindled, I found out he was suspended. Not only that, the lawyer cursed at me! I filed a grievance about the judge, to no avail.

  13. I was sent to jail for trying to explain the reason for mailing my alimony check on a Saturday morning instead of a Friday night. I worked overtime because I had very little money left but when I tried to tell the judge , he said that there was a mailbox in front of my work place. There is no mailbox there. At this point I was handcuffed and shakled and told by the judge that seven days in jail would help me find that mailbox. I was only eight hours late.

  14. Yes, multiple times as I was pro-se, and the judge ignored an expert witness that did a vocational analysis of my ex,,,and picked a figure out of the thin blue sky that he estimated she could make. and he has zero training in vocational analysis. He also punished me by simply choosing to ignore Florida statutes that I brought out about how to determine income from self employed citizens, and allowed an unprecedented, incorrect, exaggerated, and bazaar method of calculation made by the opposing attorney in estimating my personal income, He also punished me by not sustaining any objection I made, and not overruling even one objection the opposing attorney made, He said he would not over rule an objection made by the opposing attorney (AKA his friend) when I was questioning my ex, because I didnt word the question correctly, even after several readdresses, but he would not tell me how to word the question in order for him to overrule the objection , and on and on and on. Overall he punished me for not having an attorney. I was totally exploited by the judge for not having an attorney. At the end and it was clear that my civil rights were violated and I didnt get a fair trial, I asked the judge how do I appeal, and he did not answer the question, he just gave me a “Im Very Annoyed, you just insulted me, figure it out on your own” look and just told me I had 30 days to appeal, and would not say anything else. It was just a clear case of the judge and the opposing attorney being good friends, so the judge granted everything that the opposing attorney offered. It was injustice at its finest.

  15. Oh yea, and the judge punished me and went into cover up mode, covering up his friend ship with the opposing attorney by declining my motion for discovery to ascertain if the opposing attorney had represented the judge, or any of his family members in the recent past. And how many activities that they had participated in on a social basis in the past year. He clearly did not want that exposed and he did not agree to transparency on that issue. Further proving that they were friends and did things on a social basis after court hours.

  16. My husband never missed a child support payment, but after taking his viable, evidence-backed concerns if medical neglect of his children in front of the judge he was punished by having his child support increased by over $1100.00 a month and inexplicably set $6000.00 in arrears. We were in court for 9 month, spent over $11,000.00 in attorney fees and the judge NEVER viewed our evidence. The bio mom directly violated a court order over 40 times in that time but never, not once, was the judge willing to hear any of it. My husband was treated like a criminal while his ex wife was rewarded with an extra thousand dollars a month to leave her critically ill 6 & 8 year olds home alone while battling pneumonia dispensing OTC meds to each other (which she admitted to CPS and CPS said it was fine). The children have never been immunized, she withholds all communication for months at a time (even with a court order for joint custody in place) never notifies him of illness or injury and forced them to call another man “Daddy”. When our lawyer quit mid stream because we ran out of money, the judged pounced leaving us emotionally and financially traumatized. If course there no recourse for us and since my husband can’t afford his child support obligation- they still take have if his paycheck and the rest goes into arrears. At any time he could be sent to jail and there’s not a damb thing we can do about it. Meanwhile, bio mom got a new car, new clithes, hair and nails and the kids still come to us looking like homeless people, unbathed wear clothes rwo sizes too smal they aresick all the time and have learned to lie like champions about what goes on at their Mother’s. Trying to protect the children was the biggest mistake we ever made. We now spend our days doing all we can to.protect my husband from this vicious,biased, gender discriminatory court who cares NOTHING about tthe children and is completely fueled by money we don’t have to give them.

    • I am personally sorry to hear your all too common Divorce Corp related problems. Eliminate the money —> eliminate the greed —> eliminate the insanity ruining our family values!!! Judges, lawyers, politicians PLEASE wake the heck up to see the reality your actions and non-actions are creating!!!

    • No, protecting your children is Not a mistake. Never is.

      The problem is a dysfunctional and irrational family court system.

      Lesson learned.

      Keep doing the right things, I believe and know God will bless you. He has a way to change people who you never thought would change, or impossible situations.

      We start by joining together to change things, for our children. To protect them.

    • I have immense sadness for you and share your husband’s pain. I served as custodial parent of 3 sons for 10 years on less than $200.00 per month, the court determined we made the same amount of income. Custodial parenting was like having a target on my back, For years, I got bills for shoes laces and snacks. I depleted all my savings, assets and retirement during those years, yet our son is currently in med school and we have a natl merit scholar in college. This year all my funds were exhausted, I lost my job due to changes in the lending industry. The boys’ father filed court action to get sole custody of the youngest son rather than joint custody. He knew I could not afford an attorney. I was deemed unfit with no investigation, no history of violence or alienation. There was only one witness our adult son who testified his father was lying and had sought mental health assistance. My evidence included numerous police reports proving the father regularly interfered with my parenting time (although I gave him liberal visitation to promote a strong father/son bond), and emails where the father abused me verbally, bragged about lying to court officers about me and he copied our children. The Judge removed our son from my home, gave the father sole custody, ordered me to pay the legal fees for the father ($20,000 remember I am currently unemployed), ordered that 50% of the FEDERAL ASSISTANCE I RECEIVE HAS TO BE PAID TO THE FATHER (emphasis is mine as this is defrauding federal programs by filtering low income money to a person with 3/4 of a million in assets and $150,000 household income per the federal fraud investigator), and my child support to dad is $460.00 per month for this one child. Since this change our son’s next report card was the worst he has ever received, the school suggested in the communication that he seek out a STUDENT to be accountable to, and his father staged a break in of my home with my son when I was teaching Sunday School and worshiping. The only justice, which I never sought, is the two oldest sons are adults and have zero respect or love for a man (including their father) that would do this to their mother. These boys would have felt the same for me if I would have wrongfully abused their father. PLEASE persevere, forgive others even when they do not deserve forgiveness, support the children emotionally and try to find the self-control to never bad mouth the other parent. You will be financially broke for the rest of your life, you will be loving relationship rich with your children. Your children will use you as the role model for parenting one day. You will be richly rewarded for your courage and strength to do the right thing in the face of such horrific adversity.

  17. Judge in Douglas Co. Nebraska made fun of me and began to yell at me and told me time and time again that he would put me in jail. Then he made me take down a facebook page called Nebraska Judges. I now have a new page called Dysfunctional Judges. GAME ON JUDGES

  18. I was once before a Temporary Magistrate Pro Se, and I contradicted a decision he was attempting to bring down upon me. I had supporting evidence in my hand that had been filed with the court 3 weeks previous. The Magistrate then had a conference in closed chambers with the States Attorney, and didn’t include me, which was a violation of the Judicial Rules of Procedure. Then after I basically forced him to dismiss the charges against me based upon the evidence I submitted, he chastised me and told me the next time I appear, I better be represented by counsel.

  19. Also, one of the most disturbing aspects of self-representation is the absurd expectation from judges that you should be unemotional in your presentation. They take your kids away and then slap you for reacting. Courtroom or not, it’s inhumane.

  20. I had Bensonetta Tipton Lane in Fulton County Georgia, whom assessed a $100000 attorney fees against me, precluding my own representation.
    She encouraged false filings by the wifes lawyer, refused to sanction or award costs for perjury against ex wife, and her jerk attorney, Gary Markwell.
    She also refused to acknowledge a valid prenuptial, refused to allow my 14 year old minor son his election to stay with me, refused to allow me to collect my judgment awardfed by the jury, etc.
    Lane has NO respect for the law!!

    But I forget, it’s the Banana Republic of Georgia!

    • And I forgot, the Guardian ad Litem, M. Debra Gold is a total sexist, Pig!,
      Dr. Howard Drutman a shill, just collecting fees!,

  21. I have twice been before a judge in Jefferson County, Alabama who lied in court to cover up her own failure to follow the law and judicial canons of ethics and absolutely refuses to hold my ex-wife in contempt for over 100 violations of the court order in just a 16-month period. She openly chastised me for obeying the law and returning to court instead of taking matters into my own hands and also against the law orders me a pro se litigant to pay ex-wife’s attorney fees though I provided not only un-refuted testimony but over 100 exhibits to support my testimony and ex-wife’s child endangerment. This last time she revoked the Joint Custody I’ve had my son’s entire life ! What is it going to take to het child custody reform nationwide?

    • A MAJOR PUBLIC UPRISING. Masses of like-minded people have changed America for the better since the beginning. Masses UNITE!!! Thanks Divorce Corp for being our springboard to repair the Family Law system’s brokenness!

  22. More to the point, the judges were biased against me because I did not wear a dress. As a man, you can pay a lawyer to lose your case for you, or you can represent yourself and lose. But as a man you’ll lose unless you have very deep pockets and shamelessly pour gasoline = money on the fire, or have connections with the court system.

  23. Here’s a good quote that becomes true, from my own experience and opinion, when dealing with Pro Se and in Family Law Division Court:

    “Ignorance of the law is of no excuse, Knowledge of the law is of no use…”

    Think about it.

    – Steven Burda

  24. Preview From Our Blog Site:

    After years of research, I discovered a phenomenon. The “gaming” of placement schedules meant to trigger federal incentives and matches by stripping due process though “Physical Placement Orders” and the manipulation of non-custodial appointments meant to block safe non-custodial parents from protecting their biological children from significant other abuse.

    After the county discovered these improprieties were discovered and the implication of the recently passed child protection bill I had written addressing significant other abuse and its effect on county budgets, the county and a former Justice used judicial maneuvers to boldly intimidate our family. Thanks to a judicial clerk’s note taking, we were able to confirm the intent to break our family and businesses financially to cover up the discoveries and squash any future efforts in exposing the truth.

    As time goes on the multi-agency intimidation effort to hurt our family continues, even though family law attorneys, social workers, housing authority, county budget finance and evidence based research confirm the findings.

  25. If you represent yourself in court in New Mexico 2nd district, the judge will allow opposing counsel to proceed ex-parte the same as if you were incarcerated and seize everything you have. I have seen people in clinical shock at the self help desk from it. They just tell them you have a legal right to appeal if you don’t like it. Then they tell them you may have to advance the opposing attorneys there fees for appeal before the judge will let you appeal.

  26. I think the judge was actually glad I was not represented by counsel. This gave him the opportunity to step all over my rights.

    Now that I studied law, and I read back over transcripts, I see that the judge and appointed minor’s counsel violated the evidence code and the code of civil procedure and the family code constantly.

    • Laura Lynn…you do have rights, but you have to take them. Inalienable rights and constitutional rights, use them. I see where you stated you went to law school, they won’t show you the atrocities until your a member of the BAR. Demand common law rights, NOT Admirlty, or Equity jurisdiction. It is your right! Because people don’t know they can is why there slowly taking our god given and constitutional rights away. Stand up…Silence is the same as consent!

    • Just our followers, not a survey of the general public. However, for this question one would have had to have represented oneself in family court before answering.

  27. When I argued against opposing counsel the Judge said your right but you need a lawyer and sided w/
    Petitioner.

  28. After reading all of the comments above, I am convinced I need legal representation and cannot file and
    represent myself. There is only one chance to get this right and finalize things in my own interest in the end. This would seem best served by having an attorney plead your case.

  29. I spent 3 1/2 years and $300,000 trying to get a divorce in Fayette County, Georgia. My wife, after embezzling all funds from my business and awarded over $500,000 in support was then granted permission to move to New York because she was “destitute”. She then opened a new divorce case in New York and our divorce is now in its 6th year with no end in sight. I’m bankrupt and disabled and going blind. I can’t afford an attorney but I’m paying for hers with the 45% of my disability pay I receive while she collects the other 55%, plus I have to pay for her new car loan, insurance, taxes, repairs, 100% of her heath insurance, including her cosmetic dentistry, 100% of the children’s insurance plus 100% of everyones out of pocket expenses. I’m also required to pay $1000 a month on the $1.7 million life insurance policy she owns on my life for which she and her family frequently threaten to kill me. I haven’t seen my kids for 3 years. I’ve been jailed for 60 days for paying support from my 401K because I didn’t make enough to comply with court ordered support. My wife is a trained neurosurgeon who refuses to work. I paid for all 8 years of her schooling, paid to set her up in practice and now I’m paying for her to go to nursing school because she won’t practice as a doctor. The judge in Georgia, Tommy Hankinson, dismissed my attorney on several occasions during hearings and left me defenseless in the courtroom while I got raped by her attorney, his high school friend. Either way, with an attorney or without, there is NO justice. I often question if this is America.

  30. I filed a petition to modify an existing court order where mom & I have 55/45 w me having the “majority of waking hours.” Our child however, has not responded very well to the arrangement the last 3 years & becomes hysterical at times when he has to leave. I want to modify the order so it’s closer to 50/50. There are a lot of other factors to consider, but too many to list. Anyway, I was pro se. At each conference my ex’s attorney tried bashing me with each LIE my ex has told him & EVERY TIME I’ve proven myself. At our last “conference” ( this has been going on for 8 months now. Not counting the FIRST time we were in court for the initial stip. She’s (my ex) has also been through 7, yes SEVEN different attorneys during the course of all this & we were NEVER married, plus all I want is 50% custody. I’m retired & have had custody of my 3 children from a previous marriage for over 8 years ( 2 are in their early 20’s now & going to school). What I found “odd” that I preferred going “pro se” & the judge APPOINTED me a court attorney on her own despite opposing councils objections. Why? To make things easier? To manipulate this person because he works there? Apparently, this judge is “fair” & “pro dad,” but these horror stories have me second guessing these motives. Next conference is at the end of the month & then a trial will be set if no agreement has been made. I’m not feeling very hopeful & am regretting having filed in the first place because at that point I was representing MYSELF & knew where I was headed. Now, an attorney that I DIDNT ask for has been appointed and imagine the retaliation I’ll receive if I fire this guy. Confused & a little scared is an understatement.

  31. Like any business family courts only understands cookie cutter formula’s. So this is what people have to understand, if you are a dad you will get no more than 14% of any time with the children..If you object to this idea, or the mother does not agree with you then do not waste any more time trying, Your former children belong to the mother and they will be obeyed, if she believes that love and care is more important than money then you may have a chance. Otherwise if she does not agree with the court, they will be also punished.

    The money involved and the purpose of family courts goes far beyond what it produces it is a special ideology not related to legal work,but a commission from from the UN, If people tell you to fight then you go right ahead and fight, you will only end up with more pain and allegations of abuse. You will as many end up with a no contact order or have reduced rights.

    Normally a court will just process cases and most dads understand you will get only every other weekend with the children. IV-d funding and the way commissions have designed new statutory law dictate those terms, and because the law views children as a commodity using a standard called the best interest (not interests) of the child, they are no more different than going to a butchers shop.

    Other industries not mentioned in the movie are the additional costs of the new family court designed prisons, the special group funding for social services, the public safety committees, and the educational system. The movie generally addresses the cost and methodology of divorce court. It does not indicate the dollar amount losses or costs other industries reap as a benefit of the practices. since it also generates derivative markets. Psychological, pharmaceutical, mental health, educational and even the credit market. Judges know exactly what they are doing. That is why they are immutable Judges, they also have access to the local treasury, advice from federal and UN representatives through the federal reserve as.friends, of the court. If you are a male you are screwed, if you are a female you will follow the method and think it is a good thing.

    Oh and don’t forget to remind the majority of fathers that ‘if they don’t do what you tell them to do , you will tell the judge to contempt him and he will pay the costs if he has not already learned the lesson. Now move along munchkins, nothing new to see here… What the movie does not truly explain is that there is no shared parenting, that is discretionary.

    . .

    • Arghh. We are not sheep. Stand your ground always, even if it doesn’t seem like you will get much. Right is always right. When you stand for the right, God, will also fight your fight.

      If you know you stood your ground, even if it doesn’t look like you will get any fair deals. At least you will know, and feel proud, that you stood by your kids even if they cut your head off.

      This will be like a water fall, unstoppable. But every waterfall starts with a drop of water. Each one of us is a drop of water, but together, we will create a water fall.

  32. Judges are the worst. They can get away with awful childish behavior and there is nothing you can do. Where I am in court all the judges including females seemed to biased against mothers. The worse the situation for the mom, the more cruel the judge is in her ruling. We need to change this system.
    I am pro se and the judge didn’t want to let me speak and instead allowed by ex’ lawyer to go on and on with hearsay lies about me.