The Court Battle - Day 1

Well we finally got our day in court, which turned out to be four days. 

The proceedings began in much the same way as the last two years of attempts to bring this in front of the courts has began.  Her side pleading the courts for a continuance.  This time it was because her and her lawyer had a falling out just a week prior and she needed more time to get a new lawyer.  However, her ex-lawyer suddenly showed up minutes before our case was called.  He pleaded for a continuance but were denied and so we proceeded.   At that point he presented himself as a friend of the court but not her counsel.  A few other cases were called before ours started and when we returned he was now her counsel again.  This is indicative of the bizarre games being played through this whole process.

The opening statements where made and my lawyer called my ex to the stand.  I won't bore you with the details but for a better part of the first day she was on the stand and continuously dodged questions or answered them in a way that was not a direct answer to the question.   The demeanor of the Judge through this process was one of disinterest, seeming to stare off into the back of the courtroom with no real attention to the proceedings. 

As the questions continued it became very evident to the positioning she was taking of trying to accuse me of being an untrusting and unattentive father.  Even to say she had presented me with various opportunities to see my daughter at controlled events, choreographed by her or the home schooling community.  I have attended some of these in the past and the contact I get with my daughter is limited and uncomfortable because her mother controls the whole event.  I chose not to go to these events because of that and after there was so much time between my last contact with my daughter I felt it would be even more uncomfortable. 

The fact is I was at my ex's house every time I was suppose to get visitation over those 11 months but she chose to put my daughter in the car and drive her away so I would not even get to see her let alone pick her up.  It's this kind of double standard accusation that is just sick.  In fact it came out in the hearing that they were home one time I had come for my visitation but my ex made my 8 year old daughter hide out with her and wait until I went away.  Now there is a good, honest, core value parenting plan just ripe with all kinds of good wholesome life lessons. 

My Apartment - Notice the trees, it's like living in a treehouse

As the day came to a close and through the constant chant from her about the unsafe environment I live in the Judge decided to send out a social case worker to check it out.   I live in a two bedroom two bath apartment in the middle of Sandy Springs, Georgia.  If you don't know where that is it is one of the nicest areas of Atlanta and my apartment is surrounded by trees and woods and stays extremely quiet.  Except when the neighbors kids are playing outside. 

The day ended with the two lawyers and the case worker coming to my apartment and looking around and literally talking about basketball and hanging out in the apartment, breeze way and parking lot.  I am happy to report there were no illegal or unsafe activities to report and that was the finding reported to the court.