Glad to see this hearing is scheduled for Dec 7th. Ms. Raim is putting herself out there. As easily predicted, Jeremy's high profile lawyer is already taking shots at her in the press. They may be deserved, they may not. We don't know. But, Ms. Raim and her attorney surely expected it, as we all did, and it's only going to get worse. Jeremy obviously doesn't want to give up custody and his team is undoubtedly going to bring up anything they know and can find against Ms. Raim. Still, she is moving forward. I am glad.
Ms. Raim may be unfit and inappropriate for unsupervised custody. But, so may Jeremy if it is proven that Debbi has a history of neglecting or otherwise endangering the children through regular over-consumption of alcohol (or something else). If that's the case and something happened to Lisa on the one night he was not at home to care for the children, it is scary to think that she would be left to care for children alone again at any time. She made it very clear that she drinks regularly, she's entitled to her adult time, and she refuses to consider the possibility that her inability to respond with full focus and wits may have contributed to whatever happened to Lisa. Debbi may well have a history of this type of behavior and seeing nothing wrong with it, but she may not. We don't know. A judge working on behalf of the safety and well-being of the 8 year old has an obligation to find out if Debbi is to continue living in the home with Jeremy's son. The judge will need to consider all such factors to make a decision about where the little boy belongs. With Jeremy, with Ms. Raim, somewhere else... This is good for the boy, and that's what I care about. I will support whatever decision the judge makes because he/she isn't operating on anyone's agenda; just the best interest of an innocent child.
I am very curious as to whether Debbi and Jeremy will answer questions about Debbi's general behaviour, and specifically the night of Oct 3rd. Some tough questions will undoubtedly be posed regarding that night in family court, imo. If the parents refuse to answer, I agree with attorney Kim Picazio who appeared on Levi Page a few weeks back; it will be a hit against Jeremy retaining custody. The judge needs to find out what went down the night and if either or both of parents' actions endangered the children. If he/she can't make that determination because the parents take the 5th, he/she will err on the side of caution, imo.
Imo, this is the most significant development in the investigation of Lisa's disappearance since the parents stopped fully cooperating to LE's satisfaction. There is more than just this innocent boy's custody at stake here. There is the potential for officials to learn more about Lisa's environment and her level of care that fateful night. These factors are linked. If Jeremy loses custody because of actions by Debbi or refusal of the parents to answer relevant questions, I think Debbi may have trouble retaining custody of her son, whether Sean Bradley files a motion or not. This hearing could be a catalyst for a full CPS investigation.
Again, I trust the judge to act in the best interest of the child and believe it is a good thing that measures are being taken to ensure that Jeremy's son is not in danger. I am worried about the remaining childrens' saftey. I hope that worry can be put to rest. Imo, it's a justified concern that bears looking into based on what happened to Lisa and Debbi's admission and responses regarding her behaviour and responsibility (or lack thereof) on the night of Oct 3rd. If she and Jeremy convince the judge that she is fit and the boy is safe in her care, that's great. The boy will remain with Jeremy. It will also be a victory that his lawyers will use to demonstrate that Debbi is a good mom... If Jeremy loses custody, I expect his lawyers to be beating the victim drum far and wide, but measures will be taken to ensure the boy's well-being elsewhere (hopefully with an Irwin family member if Ms. Raim is not fit). Much is riding on this hearing.
All JMO, MOO...
