court

[lalecl]

YAYYYYYY I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS AND BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY

[Monty]

After what the Mother admitted in court - I would be very shocked if there would be an appeal!
Sounds like you finally got the "right" lawyer !
(((HUGS))) for you and that precious little girl!

[lisa l aka marci]

I am SO glad to hear how things went in court - sounds like you ~finally~ got a good lawyer!

One question - why did you have to hire your own stenogropher? Usually a court will have its' own to take transcripts - unless this was an additional one, or the plaintiff is required to pay for one? That sounds wierd to me..

Anywho - keeping my fingers crossed, hope you hear something soon!

[andrea]

First I would like the thank the lord for wht happened in court. We had everyone against us that had authority. But we had the all mighty.
And excuse some of the spelling. I am still a bit tired.

A week ago we went to our 8 th lawyer. He was preparing for the case. He told us he was very worried. He has talked with t he magistrate, the GAL (guardian et liten) and magistrate wanted to know just who Andrew thought he was. People are sending letters to everyone. Children services is not happy either. Even elected officals are getting letters. (Thank you to all the people that got involved) He was peed off.
Our lawyer Barry felt there had to be something Andrew was hiding. He told Andrew to tell him what it was because he did not want any surprises in court. My husband (Dan) and I backed Andrew up and said the GAL hates Andrew because he is fighting against the system and trying to protect his child. We feel the GAL thinks she is GOD and we have a buddy buddy court system. Barry said the court appt. pysh. is testifying against Andrew, also child services and children resource center and the GAL. Pretty heavy people. He assured us he would do the best he can. TOld Andrew he was to come to court dressed like he was going to a funerl. Keep his hands on his lap and not to make a sound. Not even to talk to him. Barry has a assistant lawyer that puts together the case. Barry then presents the case.
Until now wood county courts have not treated Barry well. They would not send or fax any court documents to him. His assistent had to drive to Bowling Green from Columbus and hand write the documents. They would not let her copy them. This is costing us 1400 a shot. They had to do this twice.
Now the good stuff. Day one in court.
Court started at 9 in the morning. Barry comes out 2 hours later. TOld Dan and I that it is not looking good. C. A. pysh in layman words thinks Andrew is a pile of sh##. He is worried. Abour another hour later. Barry and Andrew came out pretty excited yet very nervious. Here is what happened.
CA pysh said that Andrew talked badly about the mother is front of Star. Said that Andrew coached Star into saying bad things about her mother while they were playing on the floor. Said Andrew "set him up" asking pych to take Star into another room and talk to her about her mother. Also Andrew left some blank question in his pych test so how can he test a incomplete test?
Andrew knowing that he is not supposed to say anything to Barry. Grabbed Barry by the arm and looked him straight into the eyes and said. He is lying. Ask him for the tape of the session. He recorded the session. Barry told magistrated his counsil has told him the CA psch is not telling the truth and andrew knows that he taped the session Asked masgistrate to ask for the tape. He did. Dr. Graves (CA pysh) went to get it. So everyone takes a lunch break. Our stomach were turning. The GAL and CA psch were walking out to there cars they were laughing very hard. Barry said if what andrew says is true this would be the turning point of the case.
Dr. Graves came back with the tape. Turned tape on and it was blank. Dr. Graves said he must of mistakenly erased it. He doesn't think he has a copy. Unreal. Magistrate was very mad. Told Dr. Graves to find the tape. He didn't care where but he was to find the tape.
Barry then asked Dr. Graves (Dr. Graves now knows he has to come up with the real tape) if maybe he forgot and got things mixed up. Dr. Graves said yes maybe I did. Dr. Graves leaves to go to TOledo to get the real tape.
This takes 2 hours. Meanwhile Children services went in and testified against Andrew. They felt Andrew was the problem. Then CRC (Children resource center lady testified against Andrew. But she forgot one thing. While she gave Andrew parenting classes she wrote andrew 5 letters with different dates of how well andrew interacts with Star and what a good father he was. After Barry got hold of her she admitted that Andrew was a excellant father and that she lied. She left crying. Then Andrew had to be questioned by the mothers lawyer. He did great. Barry kept giving him thumbs up. They had a hard time shutting him up once he got started. He told magistrate he has been trying to get in front of him for 2 1/2 years and he is going to tell it all. Andrew shot down the mothers lawyer. He had paper back ups for everything she was accusing him of.
Then here comes Dr. Graves thru the door. He looks like he means business. I am praying that Andrew remembered everything correctly. Dr. Graves has a tv and vcr and lots of papers with him. Barry said if Andrew was not telling the truth the case was over. Everyone waits in suspense while they are putting up the equipment.
The tape is playing. It shows Andrew playing with Star on the office floor. Never saying anthing bad to her.(first lie from Dr. Graves) Dr. Graves asks Andrew if he could take Star into his private office and talk to her. (second lie from Dr. graves) Video shows Dr. Graves asking Star about her mother. Star stated very clear that her mommy is mean, her mommy hits me all the time. Her mommy does not like her. Her momy says I am sick of you. Dr. Graves on taped then asks her what about daddy. Star states that Daddy loves me very much and I love daddy very much. Vedio also show Dr. Graves asking Andrew about the abuse in front of Star.(third lie form Dr. Graves) Andrew tells him he will have to call the Star's counsilor.
Andrew said you should of seen everyone faces. The magistrate just shook his head. The mother covered her eyes and put her head down. Gal's face was as red as her hair. The mother paid Dr. Graves 3500 to testify for her.
Also on the tapes was Dr. Graves telling Andrew he missed 5 questions. And asked Andrew to finish them. Andrew said yes, sir. And he did just that. (forth lie from Dr. Graves.)
Dr. Graves then admitted he did finish test and all his scores were excellent. Fith lie from Dr. Graves.
Dr. Grav then admitted he was lying to the courts. He admitted he did not follow the ethis code of psch. Beads of sweat are running down his face and he is having a hard time swallowing.
Barry and Andrew come out smiling from ear to ear. Barry is so proud of Andrew. Tells Andrew he will now believe everything he has to say.
To be continued..................

[Barbwire]

What great news, Andrea! Thank you so much for taking the time to type that all up for us to read; it was very educational.

[Terri]

Thank you for posting all this Andrea. We are pulling for you and Andrew and Starr. She deserves a loving and safe home. Sounds like you got a great lawyer too!

[andrea]

All of the mothers witnesses has been shot down. Except Children services. IN which we do not care about. There's will come later.

On with the court case.
After Dr. Graves leaves then it is our witnesses. First we call the counsilor. Mothers lawyer objects to her coming testimony. Saying she is not qualified. Magistrate says this women has 2 master degrees and has been in counsiling for 20 years. I value her opinion. Sandra does a great job. Reads all of her notes to magistrate. Tells magistrate that the person that took this child away from her father has caused irriversible emmotional damage to this child. (meaning the GAL) Also one of the things Star told her was Star's mother was telling her that the reason she was with her mother now was because her daddy does not want her anymore. God how cruel can a mother be.
It was 9:30 at night. Everyone asked magistrate if we could finish tomorrow.
Next day was the YMCA teacher. The Gal questions her. Said do you remember that I talked to you. Teacher says yes i do. Do you remember you telling me that you did not see Star getting hit. Or was that a figment of my imaganation. Teacher said in a loud voice and in GALs face that that was a figment of her imagination.. Gal was red faced again. No more questions. There was girlfriend with the mother when the mother dragged Star across the parking lot hitting her. She told police and gal that her mother did not hit Star. But she would not come and testify for the mother. So she must of been lying about it.
Then myself. Oh I forgot. Children services said that I brought star in and coached her in front of Brandy (works for cs) to get her to say her mother hit her and pulled her arm. I testified that I asked Brandy when we went into her office for her to help me with the questions. I do not know how to question her correctly. You tell me what to say and I will say it.. So that shot down children services. I told the magistrate about all the marks brusies and black eyes Star had.
Then my husband went in. He gave the magistrate a ear full. Told him that Andrew would mark the diapers with a x and when mother would bring Star home 24 hours later the same diaper was on her, her butt beat red. Urine in her socks and shoes. He told the magistrate no child should have to indear this kind of abuse and Andrew should have custidy and mother should have alot of counsiling. Magistrate questioned him on the internite site. ALLfor star. Dan said yes, he incouraged it and thought it was great. He told magistrate he would support his son in everyway if he thought he wasin the right. And he would continued to do so. Magistrate said he looked like a articulet person. Dan said he was.
Then the Gal got on the stand. Thru all of the trial the GAL sat in the back of the room. Writing things down on her note paid. Barry's assistant and Andrew saw the GAL give her note book to the mothers lawyer. The mother's lawyer was asking questions from the GALs note book. After the mothers's lawyer was done. Barry asked the Gal if she handed the mother's lawyer the note book with the questions on it. Gal said no. Barry says my assitent and Andrew saw her hand the notedbook to the mother's lawyer. He throws his pencil on his desk and says i rest my case. Yes he caught the GAL in a lie.
Then Barry put andrew on the stand. Aked him a few questions and told him this is his opportunity to address the magistrate. And Andrew did again for 1 hour. Magistrate asked Andrew what he wanted in this case. He told magistrate that he is a christian and he forgives mother for the abuse. Told mag. that mother needs alot of counsiling so she can be a good mother for Star. ALso told him he wanted shared custidy with him being residentual parent. Told him he did not want to take the mothere away from Star. Told him he has been trying for 2 years to get the Gal to have mother to go to counsiling. Gal did nothing.
I forgot. When Star'smother testified. Here are a few things she had to say. I do not know how star got the broken arm. I was on the swing with a boyfriend. There was a few people in the hot tub. (this is an adult party) and someone yelled to me Star is hurt. Star was not being watched by anyone 12 at night. From how it sounds.
Yes, Stars bed is in my bedroom and yes i do have boyfriends sleep in there with me with star in her bed. Our lawyer says . what is your boyfriends name. Mother says first name is so and so but I dont know his last name. Also stated she did have star in the beer tent at 12 at night at the festibel. Also stated that yes she did leave Star in a running car at the gas station. She said I didn't know it was a crime to go pay for gas. She kind of fell apart and was telling it all. Andrew felt sorry for her. Barry was easy on her though. Barry was not after her he was after the GAL and CA psch. Magistrate asked mother what kind of father andrew was. She said he is a very good father. Asked mother why she would want to take this child from Andrew. She said she wanted custidy so she could move to arizona. They would not let him question the Gal much. Said she was protected by the courts on most things. Unreal. And she was the whole problem.

Funny things in court.The site www all for star was one of the main topics with mother's lawyer. She kept trying to have the magistrate say it was hurting Star. Some professional asked Star what the sign was in her yard. It says: why is no one protecting our children and it has Stars web site on it. Star said the sign said Happy birthday. Magistrate said the site was not hurting Star.


Barry told us when he comes to bowling green he is to have the BEST hotel. Bowling Green has only 2 hotels. So we put him up at the holiday inn. I asked him how his hotel was and he said clean, but very cheap. That night Barry and Amanda had to go to frickers. Said that was his first time at flickers and he was the oldest man there.

.
Mother's lawyers had Andrew's lie detecter test. We could not bring this into court. Her lawyer summited into court against Andrew.? Barry told andrew to remind him to thank her.
I was so proud of Andrew. He finally got his chance to fight for his child and he did it very professionally. Barry told him that he did a great job putting together everything for the case. That if they were to lose, it would be Barrys fault not his.
Of course there was alot more then this. But this is just a summery. We are hoping to put the transcripts on Stars site after 30 days. Andrew has become a advocate for abuse children and is working with another father right now in the wood county court system. They will really hate him now.

The magistrate has to give his ruling. We will be ready for a appeal. But hopefully we will not need to appeal. I know after i get off i will think of more. But I am getting tired. Thank you all for caring and helping my grandchild.

One last comment. I am now broke. :evil: But it was worth it. :D

[Heidi]

OMG! I can't wait for a happy outcome! Fabulous day in court! Just wonderful!!!!!
Heidi

[andrea]

thanks Heidi and lalecl. I will keep you posted on the magistrate's decision when we get it.

[andrea]

A couple more things i remember.
Social services brought in a repesentitive with Brandy. SHe kept putting her arm up and objecting. Finally the magistrate told her she could not objectt so please stop objecting.

Word spread in the court house. We had lawyers coming in a watching Barry. After it was over. They came back to shank his hand and tell him what a great job he done.

ANdrew was testifying. Mother's lawyer kept staring at him really mean. It was bothering Andrew. So he winked at her. She was a really loud mouth. Said did anybody see that. Andrew winked at me. She was so mad.

[andrea]

Lisa, the reason we had a stenographer is because our court tapes the conversation. We had a pre-trail once and it was taped. Andrew made a agreement with the GAL. When the GAL sent him the agreement it was not what he had agreed to. So Andrew filed for the tape. He got it and it was unaudible. Never trust the court system.

Also I took the part off about the nationality of the lawyer. But he was really cute. LOL Sorry if I offended anyone.