Judges Thadd Blizzard and Matthew Gary, and Attorneys Who Aided Criminal Child Abductions Remain Unaccountable

A child abduction that deprives a parent of a right to custody or visitation is a crime in California.

Watchdogs Charge Preferential Treatment Provided To Judge Pro Tem Divorce Attorneys

After more than two years, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Thadd Blizzard and judge pro tem divorce lawyer Richard Sokol have yet to be held accountable for their role in an out-of-state, criminal child abduction by Sokol's client, April Berger. Read our 2014 investigative report, which includes a court reporter transcript memorializing the allegations. 

After more than five years, Judge Matthew Gary and divorce attorney Timothy Zeff have not been held accountable for their role in the out-of-state, criminal child abduction of Megan Ferris. Zeff is the partner of judge pro tem attorney Scott Buchanan. Read our two reports: 

• Illegal Child Custody Order, Judge Approved Child Abduction Among Issues in Landmark Appeal.
• Judge Matthew Gary Orders Indigent, Disabled Parent to Pay Attorney Fee Sanctions Based on "Body Language."

Government whistleblowers allege that the judge-authorized criminal abductions are additional evidence of racketeering by a "cartel" of judges and local family law attorneys who also work as part-time judges in the same court. 

Sacramento Superior Court Controversy: Judge Matthew Gary Orders Indigent, Disabled Parent To Pay Attorney Fee Sanctions Based on "Body Language"

Judge Matthew Gary assessed draconian attorney fee sanctions against a disabled, indigent family court parent without an attorney based on her "body language," according to court records from the case. 

The appellate brief excerpt embedded at the bottom of this post recounts one instance of Judge Matthew Gary's misconduct in the Susan Ferris case, in connection with an illegal attorney fee sanctions order. The appeal in the case is pending at the controversial 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. 

The embedded document package also includes the court reporter transcript from a hearing in the case recording that Gary ordered Ferris to pay $2,500 to the opposing attorney, Timothy Zeff, based on Ferris' "body language." Zeff's partner, Scott Buchanan, is a part-time judge in the same court. 

Court records indicate that the judge pro tem conflict of interest was not disclosed as required by state law. The conflict disclosure violation has occurred in hundreds of other cases involving temporary judge lawyers.

To continue reading, click Read more >> below: 

Sacramento Superior Court Controversy: Illegal Child Custody Order, Judge Approved Child Abduction Among Issues in Landmark Appeal

Judge Matthew Gary's authorization of a criminal child abduction by the client of attorney Timothy Zeff is one of several judicial misconduct issues raised in the Susan Ferris appeal. Zeff is the law partner of temporary judge divorce attorney Scott Buchanan. Court whistleblowers allege that judge pro tem attorneys receive preferential treatment that amounts to racketeering.  

Friday Document Dump

The opening brief filed in an appeal from orders issued by Judge Matthew Gary and embedded at the bottom of this post documents misconduct by the controversial judge in the Susan Ferris case. Court records show that Ferris - who is indigent, disabled and did not have a lawyer - was illegally stripped of her parental rights, subjected to draconian financial sanctions that made her homeless, and denied her constitutional rights to due process, access to the courts and equal protection.

For our complete coverage of the trial court proceedings which resulted in this landmark appeal, click here. For Sacramento Bee coverage of the case, click here. For complete coverage of Judge Matthew J. Gary, click here. To view an exclusive SFCN video of Ferris describing her ordeal in her own words, click here.

Judge Matthew Gary Misconduct, Collusion with Attorney, Accessory After the Fact to Criminal Child Abductio... by California Judicial Branch News Network

Hon. Matthew J. Gary Misconduct: Susan Ferris Case and Appeal Front Page News at Sacramento Bee

Judge Matthew Gary Abuse of Disabled, Unrepresented Mom Results in Landmark Appeal to Establish Constitutional Right to Counsel in Civil Cases 

The Sacramento Bee today published a front page story about the pending appeal in the Sacramento Family Court Susan Ferris case. Sacramento Family Court News has been covering the case for more than a year and has published several articles, including an exclusive video interview with Susan Ferris. Ferris is represented on appeal by a team of lawyers led by prominent San Francisco attorney James Brosnahan of the international law firm Morrison & Foerster.   

"This is at the point where a lot of us think it's a disgrace," Brosnahan said. "You can't take someone's child and that person doesn't have an attorney when you do it...It's an outrage," Brosnahan explained to Sacramento Bee reporter Brad Branan.  

Click here to read the full article at the Bee. For a list of SFCN articles about the case, including our exclusive Susan Ferris interview, click here.   

Click to visit Sacramento Family Court News on: Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Scribd, Vimeo, and Twitter. For additional reporting on the people and issues in this post, click the corresponding labels below the graphic:

Judge Matthew Gary Misconduct Victim Describes Emotional Trauma of Illegal "No Contact" Child Custody Order

Family Court Victim Describes Trauma of Illegal Child Custody Order and Mistreatment of Unrepresented Parents by Judge and Court Employees

News Analysis and Opinion by PelicanBriefed

In this exclusive, Sacramento Family Court News interview, indigent, disabled family court victim Susan Ferris describes in her own words the trauma of being separated from her daughter because of an illegal "no contact" child custody order issued against her by controversial, volatile, Judge Matthew Gary. Ferris also explains the frustration of having to represent herself because she can't afford an attorney, going up against an experienced family law attorney in court, and having her attempt to file an appeal blocked by court employees. 

The interview was recorded between Thanksgiving and Christmas, on December 16, 2012. In the right foreground of the video is the Christmas village Ferris and her daughter Megan together would set up each holiday season. Ferris describes the excruciating hardship of having to go through the holidays without her daughter. Megan and her mom were torn apart by six words scrawled on a yellow minute order: "No contact w/child in any manner." Click here to view the order.

To continue reading, click Read more >> below...    

Judge Matthew J. Gary Misconduct: Victim of Illegal Order Issued for Divorce Attorney Timothy Zeff Homeless But Surviving

Judge Matthew Gary Order for Partner of Judge Pro Tem Attorney Scott Buchanan Results in Homelessness for Disabled Mom 

Larscheid, Buchanan & Zeff family law attorney Timothy Zeff requested and was granted an unlawful $920 child support order by Judge Matthew J. Gary. Zeff's partner, Scott Buchanan, is a family court judge pro tem. The order financially devastated 52-year-old disabled, single parent Susan Ferris. Evicted from her Sacramento home and now homeless, she sleeps on the couch of a Bay Area friend.  

SACRAMENTO FAMILY COURT NEWS SPECIAL REPORT 

The disturbing aftermath of an unconscionable $920 child support order issued by Judge Matthew J. Gary shows one of the ramifications, and the inexorable human cost of what court watchdogs contend is unchecked family court corruption and cronyism. The April, 2012 order gutted the monthly disability income of disabled, unrepresented, financially disadvantaged family court litigant Susan Ferris from $1,256 to $336. Gary previously issued an equally unlawful order prohibiting the 52-year-old single parent from having any contact with her daughter, Megan. 

The April support order financially devastated Ferris, leaving her with far less income than she needed for food, utilities, and rent. After several months under the order and behind on her rent, Ferris was evicted from her East Sacramento home and became homeless. The same court order records that her ex-husband, David Ferris, earns $8,089 per month. Click here to view Gary's minute order, obtained and posted online exclusively by Sacramento Family Court News. As a result of the order, Susan Ferris' credit has been thrashed, the repo man came for her car, and the eviction will now be part of her renter's report, making it virtually impossible for her to rent a home in the future.

To continue reading, click Read more>> below: 

Sacramento Superior Court Misconduct: Hon. Matthew J. Gary Order for Divorce Attorney Timothy Zeff - Notice of Appeal Illegally Unfiled - Complete Original Document

Court Clerk Blocks Appeal of Judge Matthew Gary Order Issued for Judge Pro Tem Scott Buchanan Partner Timothy Zeff 

Wednesday Document Dump

In our initial report documenting that Sacramento Family Court appeals unit clerks were unlawfully rejecting appeals by unrepresented, indigent or financially disadvantaged litigants, we redacted the name of the party whose case was used as an example of the illegal practice. The litigant asked that we redact her name because she feared she would be subject to retaliation for the disclosure by Judge Matthew Gary or court employees. 

For the benefit of other indigent, pro per litigants, she has since requested that we tell her full story, and publish her name. The document below is the complete notice of appeal filed by Susan Ferris, a disabled, unrepresented 52-year-old single parent. Ferris also was subjected to an unlawful "no contact" child custody order issued by Judge Gary for divorce attorney Timothy Zeff, the partner of Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section lawyer and family court judge pro tem Scott Buchanan. 

To continue reading, and to view the notice of appeal document, click Read more >> below: