Newsroom Shootings: Reporter Deaths Linked to Domestic Violence Via Facebook- How Risky are Your Posts?

A Newsroom Massacre at the Capital Newspaper caused President Trump to call a truce on the media following another shooting that killed five members of the press, including a community reporter that had been investigating family court issues. 

Journalists were surprised to learn that shooting arose from a relationship that appears to have begun on Facebook before it quickly went south, bringing  involvement of the courts and media. 

The deaths of journalists is now bringing more attention to domestic violence and how it is being mismanaged  by the courts and mainstream media. Most courts and law enforcement agencies  don't even require the surrendering of guns when restraining orders are issued. 

More surprising  is that you can actually be subject to a Domestic Violence Restraining Order simply by  posting photos of your kids, or your opinion about your former spouse online. Yep, no gun. No Knife. Only your online posts can legally label you dangerous in our modern family courts, justifying the court issuing a domestic violence restraining order that can keep parents from children for little reason at all. 

Even if your ex lied, cheated,  stole, committed crimes  or beat you up during your marriage, post about it online during your  divorce and you may go to jail.

Proud of your kid's baseball team or school concert? Post it online and it is subject to Fair Use in the public domain and may find its way into a court file of an ex spouse trying to take away your custodial rights.  Take photos at a protest and be prepared to be trolled on your Facebook page for doing so.

Ex spouses are increasingly using Facebook and other social media instead of facts during contested divorce and custody cases, and judges appear to be allowing this conduct, as modern family courtrooms have become giant bullying yards where local lawyers control the field. 

Ex spouses and their divorce lawyers are now using Facebook to spy on other lawyers, kids and former spouses. Facebook posts have been used to demonstrate a violation of custody orders. Worse,  parents are being set up on Facebook for  false child abuse and domestic violence claims. 

If a photo on a Facebook post  is not subject to copyright, which most photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are not, anyone can use it, post it and disseminate it all over the internet. Starting to secretly date? Your ex may stalk you through your  postings to try to pay less in child or spousal support, Or worse, such posts can trigger jealously outbreaks that can incite domestic violence.

Q has seen a troubling increase in the number of people reporting how judges appear to be allowing Facebook abuse in family court cases: 

In Orange County several mothers are being prosecuted for posting on Facebook after they lost custody and visitation with their own children and reached out to Facebook groups for help and support. 

In Sacramento several fathers have been harrassed by feminist groups, like WEAVE ,  while using Facebook to reach out for support from online men's and Father's Rights Groups. 

In Contra Costa, family law  attorneys  Stacey Stevens, Dominic Porrino and Ronald Peck have  been reportedly collecting Facebook information on community activists, while they appear to be actively engaging in protecting clients allegedly engaging in child abuse and pedophialla. 

In Santa Clara County,  mothers who lost custody of their children in the late 1990s cling to Facebook with the hope of seeing photos of children and grandchildren they were separated from based on rulings from the counties controversial judges James Stewart, Mary Ann Grilli and Judge  Leslie Nichols. 


Violence Connected to  Family Court Dates Back to 1990s

In 1998 a father who lost his family based on the rulings of Judge Nichols attempted  to enter the courthouse with the intent to kill Judge Leslie Nichols , who had taken the man's children during unfair hearings that began to cause public picketing and protests.

Nichols, who reportedly had his former court clerk appointed to the Grand Jury, disbanded the Santa Clara County Grand Jury  during this time, after his former clerk tipped him off that the Grand Jury was investigating and inquiring about the county's family courts and family law attorneys. 

Judge  Lucas Incites Violence Via Facebook in Family Court in 2018

Santa Clara County Presiding Judge  Patricia Lucas has reportedly been working with the court's General Counsel, Lisa Herrick, to troll Facebook,  and other social media, in an effort to retaliate against  and silence reporters, and activists,  leading up to the recall of Judge Aaron Persky. 

Judge Lucas, activist lawyer La Doris Cordell  and Lisa Herrick  are believed to have used Facebook and social media to incite lawyers and dangerous members of the community to fight activists and court critics including Stanford University professor  Michelle Dauber, and  local activists Scott " The Protestor" Largent, who has been fighting the courts to see his three year old daughter for the past two years. 

Lucas, along with other judges and lawyers , were stunned after Judge Persky was recalled by local voters in a historic 60%  approval that sent Persky packing and stripped of his pension. 

FACEBOOK USED FOR REUNITING FAMILIES 
 We have seen countless examples of how Facebook has been used to reunite old lovers, friends and families.   

The Families Belong Together Movement has attracted unprecedented donations and community support, and Facebook is being used to organize protests, reunite families and join communities.

When courts intervene with what is clearly a right to protected speech , and  the right to associate, even as Friends on Facebook, they are out of line, as are the judges who get involved in such issues. 

WATCH YOUR POSTS ON FACEBOOK 

For years family courts have worked overtime to minimize press coverage critical of judges and certain lawyers. Now  social media is changing the game by  putting protests  on the map, and by connecting people who have the power to vote and the passion to clean up family courts, making some judges very nervous. 

Sure, Facebook can be dangerous, so rethink the rules: 

• Don't say anything on Facebook you wouldn't want said in court 
• Don't post photos of your kids, your home address or where you go on vacation
• Don't talk to strangers, especially online and on Facebook

Please email us your stories about Facebook and your Divorce Case.