July 21st, 2008 by Glenn Sacks

Glenn’s E-Newsletter/Week in Review, July 22, 2008

One of the big positives to come out of this year’s elections is the probable victory of California State Senate candidate Rod Wright. Before Rod was termed out of office in 2002, he was one of the unsung heroes of the struggle for fairness in family law, and he’s looking to push the fatherhood agenda forward again when he’s back in Sacramento.

Rod’s importance isn’t limited to one state–what happens in California family law has an enormous impact on other states.

My wife and I attended a fundraiser BBQ for Rod over the weekend. In May, I asked my readers to donate money to Rod’s election campaign, and Rod and his associate Cine D. Ivery have asked me to thank the many readers who donated to Rod. 

Both Rod and Cine were surprised and moved at the multitude of letters and donations they received from all over the country.  For those who would like to donate, click here. To learn more, see my post Pro-Fatherhood Candidate Rod Wright.

There is a large blowback from women’s groups and the media over a recent New Jersey court decision which helps men who are targeted by fraudulently obtained domestic violence restraining orders. For example, a few days ago the South Jersey Courier-Post’s editorial board criticized the ruling, saying it concerns itself with “abusers’ rights” and could “drag the state back into the caveman era.”

Mike McCormick and I wrote a rebuttal op-ed–Tighten rules on restraining orders (7/19/08). We noted:

“Under current law, it is very easy for a woman (or sometimes a man) to allege domestic violence and get a restraining order. The order boots the man out of his home and prohibits him from contacting his children. The standard is preponderance of the evidence and judges almost always side with the accusing plaintiff.

“The new decision declares the current standard unconstitutional and requires the stricter clear and convincing evidence standard.

“The Courier-Post says that under a recent court ruling, a woman could be killed by her abuser before she meets the evidence standard for a restraining order.

“Yet restraining orders are only enforceable against law-abiding men. A violent spouse intent on killing his ex-spouse is not going to decide against it for fear of violating a restraining order.

“New Jersey issues 30,000 restraining orders annually, and men are targeted in four-fifths of them. They have become a weapon used for advantage in divorce, helping women position themselves as their children’s sole caretakers, which aids them in winning sole custody of their children. The orders effectively give women the right to banish men from their homes and their children whenever they see fit.”

Some of the other stories I’ve been covering this week are:

Kevin Federline Gets Sole Custody in Battle with Britney Spears–Fair or Not?

Slandering Obama with Out-of-Context Quotes

Horrendous Frame-up of Father as Part of Child Custody Case

Devoted Dad Paul Goncalves

Stephen Baskerville: In Family Law, ‘Nothing is too private for the eyes and ears of the court’

Child Support Case Against American Indian Rejected over Tribal Law

Japanese Wives Showing Their Hard-Working Husbands the Door

Ad: Abuse Is OK if It’s Woman on Man

Best Wishes,
Glenn Sacks
www.GlennSacks.com

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