Socrates,
If our National and State leaders maintain the views that you have espoused and this does not change with the coming generations of leaders, then unfortunately, I will have to conclude what Mel Gibson has concluded. Like the Mayan civilization, we are doomed. But, I will continue and intensify my efforts toward informing today and shaping tomorrow.

tstarkey -

People who have studied law for decades, remained faithful to their mates, established stable homes, successfully raised productive children without state intervention, and have never been named as criminal defendants or civil respondents are no doubt envious of your intellectual and moral superiority. Someday you must tell everyone how you did it. We will all sleep easier tonight knowing that you will be informing today and shaping tomorrow for us.

S.

Socrates,
You’re just jerking my chain. What are you trying to distract me from doing? I interpret your most recent comment as one of the most elitist and absurd comments that I have ever read. I reviewed inmate grievances, and the facility’s and State’s responses, as a part of my former occupation for years. I’ve have also listened to local legal professionals, specifically the local family lawyers for the years I’ve been involved in family court. Honestly, there are more similarities in the structure of their arguments than there are differences. Like dishonest and otherwise sociopathic individuals, they make their arguments based on a fragment of truth, and the remainder they make up to justify their predisposed views.
Look, I don’t think the legal profession can or should be dissolved. I’ve got relatives out of state who are good people and successful lawyers. It just happens that the State of Florida is somewhat unique in this country in that due to systemic and structural flaws, the legal profession is allowed to run roughshod over the rights of the good men, women, and children who reside in the State. It seems to have absolute, unrestrained power. It is simply the elite ruling class, by all accounts doing very well for itself, leading the herd to slaughter, one cow at a time.

T -
You actually consider your arguments so powerful or your efforts so important that I want to distract you from them? Surely you jest! By all means, continue to express your opinions in this forum. But expect to be challenged by those who think your opinions are nonsense. You have repeatedly attacked the personal and professional character of the lawyers and judges of the family court system. Okay. Tell us specifically what moral, educational, intellectual and experiential qualifications you have that make your judgments and opinions more weighty theirs? Generalized nebulous description of your previous employment activities and court experience just don’t cut it. You say you don’t want the legal profession to be dissolved. Seems you just want to be in charge of it because you think you were screwed by it.
S.

Family courts are not the ones who break up families.  Family members (be it the mother or father) do so, then petition the courts to resolve their problems.  You can’t blame the courts for a judgment to pay child support, then go against the judgment and do as you wish.  It just doesn’t work that way.  Just because the courts did not find in your favor, doesn’t mean they are not right.

From what I gather, it appears to me that someone lost in family court, refuses to do as the Judge said and now has a warrant for his arrest.  TURN YOURSELF IN!!!  If you do that, chances are that the judge will go easier on you then if they have to find you.  The warrant will not go away for a while, and living your life looking over your shoulder is not a fun way to have to live.  It will be better, in the long run for you and your offspring. 

If someone is not paying support, they should be held in contempt of court.  Don’t blame the courts for trying to make you responsible for what you brought into this world.  By not paying support, your children are suffering, YOU are distancing yourself from THEM, and the courts can not be held accountable for that.  The kids will know the truth eventually (ie: daddy didn’t support us, he chose the jail route instead, because he can not set a good example for us and do as the courts have said) . 

I have dealt with this family court before.  I have always been satisfied with the results that have come out of Highlands County Family Court.

If someone can’t support children, don’t make babies!!!

I know The Honorable Jerry Hill very well.  I know him as an upstanding man who, among the many things he does, investigates other districts that are corrupt, or suspected of being corrupt.  He’s a responsible family man, who has paid his fair share of child support in his life too.

Socrates - 24 October 2007 01:50 PM

T -
You actually consider your arguments so powerful or your efforts so important that I want to distract you from them? Surely you jest! By all means, continue to express your opinions in this forum. But expect to be challenged by those who think your opinions are nonsense. You have repeatedly attacked the personal and professional character of the lawyers and judges of the family court system. Okay. Tell us specifically what moral, educational, intellectual and experiential qualifications you have that make your judgments and opinions more weighty theirs? Generalized nebulous description of your previous employment activities and court experience just don’t cut it. You say you don’t want the legal profession to be dissolved. Seems you just want to be in charge of it because you think you were screwed by it.
S.

Socrates,
“Tell us specifically what moral, educational, intellectual and experiential qualifications you have that make your judgments and opinions more weighty theirs?”
Obviously, the opinions of the people, including mine, in reality don’t carry more weight than those in the legal profession in Florida at the present time. It is human nature for the profession to act in its own self-interest, and it does so with gusto. Someone once said to me,"You know why they do what they do?” I, said, “No, why?” And, he said, “Because, they can.” I just don’t think the legal profession should be able to do what it wants to do without concern for the consequences of their actions. As a self-regulated entity, they do what they want, when they want and there presently is nothing that anyone can do about it. In doing so, they are seemingly exploiting and perpetuating every conflict that exists in our society, and motivated to do so by self interest, and I think by doing so are causing great harm to those they are expected to serve. But, give me a day or so to start my next blog and I hope through that discussion to educate the very few readers of the blog and in some very small way contribute toward my goal of bringing about a greater degree of republicanism (control by the people) to the Judicial Branch of Government in the State of Florida. I think we’re all being “screwed” by it, to use your term.

You might be surprised that I don’t disagree with you that the legal profession is extremely exploitative. So are the pornography, alcohol, tobacco, automobile, pharmaceutical, fast food, fashion, entertainment and nearly every other legal free market industry. But individuals have personal responsibilities and the choice to do right or wrong. Ignoring individual personal responsibility and blaming an industry for the credulity and wantonness of its clientele doesn’t solve the problem. It only sweeps the problem under the rug.

It just happens that the State of Florida is somewhat unique in this country in that due to systemic and structural flaws, the legal profession is allowed to run roughshod over the rights of the good men, women, and children who reside in the State. It seems to have absolute, unrestrained power. It is simply the elite ruling class, by all accounts doing very well for itself, leading the herd to slaughter, one cow at a time.

As one of those “cows” being led to “slaughter” I must absolutely disagree with everything you have posted in this forum.  Sorry this is all happening to you Mr. Starkey, but you alone are not the majority and are not accurately representing us “cows”!  My rights are upheld on a daily basis by our judicial system, thank you very much.

Sporty Lady - 24 October 2007 03:32 PM

Family courts are not the ones who break up families.  Family members (be it the mother or father) do so, then petition the courts to resolve their problems.  You can’t blame the courts for a judgment to pay child support, then go against the judgment and do as you wish.  It just doesn’t work that way.  Just because the courts did not find in your favor, doesn’t mean they are not right.

From what I gather, it appears to me that someone lost in family court, refuses to do as the Judge said and now has a warrant for his arrest.  TURN YOURSELF IN!!!  If you do that, chances are that the judge will go easier on you then if they have to find you.  The warrant will not go away for a while, and living your life looking over your shoulder is not a fun way to have to live.  It will be better, in the long run for you and your offspring. 

If someone is not paying support, they should be held in contempt of court.  Don’t blame the courts for trying to make you responsible for what you brought into this world.  By not paying support, your children are suffering, YOU are distancing yourself from THEM, and the courts can not be held accountable for that.  The kids will know the truth eventually (ie: daddy didn’t support us, he chose the jail route instead, because he can not set a good example for us and do as the courts have said) . 

I have dealt with this family court before.  I have always been satisfied with the results that have come out of Highlands County Family Court.

If someone can’t support children, don’t make babies!!!

I know The Honorable Jerry Hill very well.  I know him as an upstanding man who, among the many things he does, investigates other districts that are corrupt, or suspected of being corrupt.  He’s a responsible family man, who has paid his fair share of child support in his life too.

Sporty Lady,
I am so happy that your brought up the subject of child support. Boy, have I got a child support story to tell you. But first, the Writ of Bodily Attachment says “support,” but it is not for support at all, that is why it upsets me so. It is for legal expenses and the money is going to the attorney. The amount is the first of ten monthly installments of $500 each. I’m trying to say this in a delicate way. Suffice it to say that I, as a father was doing everything I could to protect those I care about the most from physical, mental, and emotional harm during the time my opponents were incurring this expense. Now, the attorney I had at the time either took the proverbial dive, or was simply incompetent in his handling of that hearing. I could have done better on that one myself but I trusted him.
I will tell you the “child support” story of all child support stories later today or tomorrow. But, gotta go now, thanks for bring this up.

Just_me_in_LP - 24 October 2007 06:04 PM

It just happens that the State of Florida is somewhat unique in this country in that due to systemic and structural flaws, the legal profession is allowed to run roughshod over the rights of the good men, women, and children who reside in the State. It seems to have absolute, unrestrained power. It is simply the elite ruling class, by all accounts doing very well for itself, leading the herd to slaughter, one cow at a time.

As one of those “cows” being led to “slaughter” I must absolutely disagree with everything you have posted in this forum.  Sorry this is all happening to you Mr. Starkey, but you alone are not the majority and are not accurately representing us “cows”!  My rights are upheld on a daily basis by our judicial system, thank you very much.

Dear Just_me_in_LP,
I sincerely apologize for this comment that offended you. I honestly was only using the terms as metaphors. In fact, I was including myself, those around me, and all individuals in our society as members of the “herd.” I’ll be more careful next time. Thank you.

Socrates - 24 October 2007 05:19 PM

You might be surprised that I don’t disagree with you that the legal profession is extremely exploitative. So are the pornography, alcohol, tobacco, automobile, pharmaceutical, fast food, fashion, entertainment and nearly every other legal free market industry. But individuals have personal responsibilities and the choice to do right or wrong. Ignoring individual personal responsibility and blaming an industry for the credulity and wantonness of its clientele doesn’t solve the problem. It only sweeps the problem under the rug.

Socrates,
Here’s a quiz question:
Which industry doesn’t belong?
a. pornagraphy
b. fast food
c. fashion
d. entertainment
e. alcohol
f. tobacco
g. automobile
h. legal profession
Answer:
Legal profession
Why?
Because it is the only one that is a self-regulated branch of State Government. more is expected from our government.  All of the other industries are either regulated by the government or the public.
I just don’t understand how the rest of your comments are relevant to family court. This is becoming redundant but Family Court rearranges the family unit through its Orders. It invariably creates an environment for a child where one parent is given primary responsibility for meeting the parental needs of the child and the other is an alternate weekend visitor and a child support provider. Children need both of their biological or adoptive parents involved in their lives whether these parents are divorced or not. Why does the Court order the after-divorce responsibilities as they do? Simply, because it allows one parent and one lawyer to win, to receive the prize (child support, alimony, power, control, etc..,). These Court Orders always create winners and a losers when it is not in the best interest of the family unit for winners and losers to be created. This practice is harmful to one parent and the children. The children miss the involvement of the noncustodial parent, and they frequently become a burden to our schools and later to our criminal justice system, so society as a whole pays.
Look, if rehabilitative alimony needs to be paid then have the bread winner pay it. That will make the attorneys useful and give them some conflict to win, but don’t run parents off or take away their natural or God given rights to be in integral part of raising their children. Bread winners are more than a paycheck from their children’s perspective.
You know as well as I do that lawyers typically are not the caregivers for their children, their spouses are whether they be mothers or fathers. The profession requires to many hours for them to be the primary care givers. So, we have a profession of non-primary caregivers making primary care giving decisions based on preconceived notions and self-interest and are usually doing so without advise from those in the community who are trained through experience and education to make those evaluations and recommendations. My experience and readings have led me to believe that family professionals typically would think the ideal solution after a divorce would be that each parent after a divorce would jointly share the responsibility for raising their children. Now, if the Court and its officers were concerned about the welfare of the children this would be the norm and not the rare, rare exception. Again, money and the desire for victory drives the process. As was said along time ago, “Money is the root of all evil.”

Sporty Lady - 24 October 2007 03:32 PM

Family courts are not the ones who break up families.  Family members (be it the mother or father) do so, then petition the courts to resolve their problems.  You can’t blame the courts for a judgment to pay child support, then go against the judgment and do as you wish.  It just doesn’t work that way.  Just because the courts did not find in your favor, doesn’t mean they are not right.

From what I gather, it appears to me that someone lost in family court, refuses to do as the Judge said and now has a warrant for his arrest.  TURN YOURSELF IN!!!  If you do that, chances are that the judge will go easier on you then if they have to find you.  The warrant will not go away for a while, and living your life looking over your shoulder is not a fun way to have to live.  It will be better, in the long run for you and your offspring. 

If someone is not paying support, they should be held in contempt of court.  Don’t blame the courts for trying to make you responsible for what you brought into this world.  By not paying support, your children are suffering, YOU are distancing yourself from THEM, and the courts can not be held accountable for that.  The kids will know the truth eventually (ie: daddy didn’t support us, he chose the jail route instead, because he can not set a good example for us and do as the courts have said) . 

I have dealt with this family court before.  I have always been satisfied with the results that have come out of Highlands County Family Court.

If someone can’t support children, don’t make babies!!!

I know The Honorable Jerry Hill very well.  I know him as an upstanding man who, among the many things he does, investigates other districts that are corrupt, or suspected of being corrupt.  He’s a responsible family man, who has paid his fair share of child support in his life too.

Sportylady,
Look from the perspective of looking over my shoulder, I’m not the slightest bit concerned about that. I’ve traveled this great nation and seen many beautiful places to live. That warrant is a Civil Warrant and is not enforcable outside of the State of Florida. I go through places frequently where background investigations are conducted before you are allowed on the property, and have done so in the last week and knowone even brings it up and it is in that data system they maintain in Florida. I’ve also had quick checks done by the police recently, nobody cares about a civil warrant from Florida or any State unless you are in the State where the Warrant was issued. it is not extraditable. My concern is that I do miss my children and want to see them and be a part of raising them. They miss me and want and need me to be an integral part of their lives as I always have been. I just do not think I should have to pay an officer of the court a $5000 ransom to do so.
I guess on second thought, I’m not going to go through the whole child support thing. Just believe me when I say, I’ve had one or both of our children live with me for years and never received a dime in child support nor was I ever given credit for one dime for the years they were with me and I paid full statutory child support. And whenever they were not with me, I’ve paid full statutory child support.

tstarkey –

I’m not surprised you don’t understand. From your first post until your last one you have abjectly refused to acknowledge any contributory responsibility for any part of your ongoing problems that prompted you to launch this blog in the first place. You have done nothing but portray yourself as an innocent victim who is morally superior to malevolent conspiratorial judicial demons that are persecuting you unjustly. If the pattern of denial and blame that you’ve shown here is the same pattern that you showed during your family court appearance, I’m not at all surprised that they would award custody of your children to your former spouse. It would be interesting to hear her perspectives on the court proceedings and the events that led up to them. Maybe someone can contact her and encourage her to give us her side of the story. I suspect it would be quite different than the one you’ve told. And, if you must quote Holy Scripture, please quote the entire sentence, not just the clause that suits you. The complete sentence from Paul’s first epistle to Timothy and had nothing to do your personal family court crusade: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

S.

Socrates,
Maybe you should go look at the police reports and the record. Sounds like you have access to them. I have no doubt that she is aware that this blog is here as Sebring is a very small and clannish community. Some people unfortunately believe that the end justifies the means and will use whatever means are at their disposal to win. And, each and every personal fact that I have stated here is true. Maybe we should use polygraph examinations in family court proceedings, JQC investigations, and Florida bar investigations. We could get to the truth that way couldn’t we, and put alot of people on the unemployment line as well.

Socrates - 25 October 2007 09:08 PM

tstarkey –

I’m not surprised you don’t understand. From your first post until your last one you have abjectly refused to acknowledge any contributory responsibility for any part of your ongoing problems that prompted you to launch this blog in the first place. You have done nothing but portray yourself as an innocent victim who is morally superior to malevolent conspiratorial judicial demons that are persecuting you unjustly. If the pattern of denial and blame that you’ve shown here is the same pattern that you showed during your family court appearance, I’m not at all surprised that they would award custody of your children to your former spouse. It would be interesting to hear her perspectives on the court proceedings and the events that led up to them. Maybe someone can contact her and encourage her to give us her side of the story. I suspect it would be quite different than the one you’ve told. And, if you must quote Holy Scripture, please quote the entire sentence, not just the clause that suits you. The complete sentence from Paul’s first epistle to Timothy and had nothing to do your personal family court crusade: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

S.

I have to agree with you.  I’m done with this thread.  Good luck!