Difficult custody issue

[Tilted]

Judge in divorce case: Dad can take daughter to church :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State

Of note, the mother apparently has sole custody, not joint custody (though the father obviously has visitation).

Here is the Cook County (IL) Circuit Court's ruling which lifts the temporary restraining order which had enjoined the father from 'exposing (the daughter) to any religion other than the Jewish religion during the proceedings of this case'.

 

[Cowgirl]

Wouldn't it be nice if the parents were both mature and reasonable and could teach the daughter two different belief systems and let her pick which one (or none) that she wanted?

 

[Vince]

“Joseph, at times, seems to choose what is in the best interest of Joseph, rather than what is in the best interests of Ela,” the judge wrote.

She noted that he “chose” not to have visitation with his daughter for six months and also “not to get a job to help support Ela.”

The judge also was critical of Reyes’ efforts to publicize his case, which included bringing along a TV news crew when he took the girl to church in defiance of a court order.

“Joseph chose to make three-year-old Ela the center of his own media event, as seen on every local news channel, print media and national news channels during his visitation,” Goldfarb wrote. “Joseph chose to dispense three-year-old Ela’s picture to the media.”

It would also be nice if the father wasn't such an azz####.

 

[vraiblonde]

Joseph Reyes had the child baptized at a south suburban Catholic church in November and sent photos of the event to the girl’s mother, escalating their divorce battle.

 

[Tilted]

Double

From the judges' ruling:

The question before the court is whether there was a clear affirmative showing of harm or potential harm to Ela. Joseph knew the baptism would upset Rebecca. Rebecca had asked Joseph for a recent picture of he and Ela so that Ela could have a picture "of her and her daddy" to put on the wall, like the other children at her school, Gan Shalom, a Jewish pre-school. In response, Joseph sent the picture of the baptism attached to an email that stated, "You asked for pictures with me and Ela..." There is no question this hurt Rebecca and, the baptism picture offered Joseph a tempting opportunity to do just that.

 

[Tilted]

It would also be nice if the father wasn't such an azz####.

No doubt - more from the judge's ruling:

Joseph chose to make three-year-old Ela the center of his own media event, as seen on every local news channel, print media and national news channels during his visitation. Joseph chose to dispense three-year-old Ela's picture to the media. Her picture appeared on television and web sites until Rebecca vigorously sought to have the pictures pixilated. Joseph chose to leave crushed glass and urine in the carpeting of the home that his daughter was returning to because he was angry that he was ordered to move out. Joseph chose to violate a court order and be held in contempt of court for failing to pay for the damage he caused to the marital home. Joseph chose not to have any visitation at all with his daughter for six months. Joseph chose not to get a job to help support Ela.

 

[libby]

I didn't read your article, I assume it's the same story I read about a week ago. If Dad agreed at the marriage to raise the kids Jewish, I think he has no right to switch gears now. The mother might not have married him if she knew she's have to give up passing her faith on to her children.
The Catholic Church does not agree to marry interfaith couples unless the non-Catholic agrees to raise the children Catholic.

 

[Zguy28]

The guy seems like a Class-A jerk.

 

[This_person]

The guy seems like a Class-A jerk.

Agreed.

I don't understand the title to the thread - if the parents and court are in the midst of working out some type of agreement* that is appropriate and respectful to both parent's wishes on how to raise their child (even if the parent's aren't respectful), why is this difficult? Smack the parent not acting respectfully and thus teaching the child to be disrespectful to both religion and law, and then complete your negotiations.





*Note: Whenever parents are in front of the court, it is my personal opinion the court does whatever it can to make both parents as pissed off as possible, so that the parents will then figure something out on their own - like they should have in the first place.