Thanks for posting this fantastic article! Its good to see 2 folks from Hartford representing the district speak out on DV and Family Court. Reform is clearly needed and I hope change does occur but the CT Judiciary has been resistant to change for a very very long time unfortunately. Will continue to watch the progress of the issue in Hartford and see if any changes are made.
I do though keep going back to the entire process of judicial review for Family Court Judges who get 8 year appointments with essentially rubber stamped renewals so far as I can tell.
If you recall there was the issue where FD tried to get Judge Heller removed from the case by contacting her husband to represent him in the matter. Judge Heller made a comment during this exchange that she wasn't going anywhere in the case because she had just gotten notice that she had been approved/renewed for another 8 year term. The way this was said also made it appear that she was saying she was 'untouchable' by FD or anyone for that matter for 8 years. This struck me as being a somewhat unprofessional remark for a Judge to make in open court and on the record but this is just IMO.
IMO 8 year terms are way too long for Family Court judges as I believe strongly that there needs to be annual public reviews of judges where the public can participate and share their experiences vs the behind closed door proceedings that IMO seem like nothing more than rubber stamping. I don't want to speak on behalf of the DV groups in CT but my guess is that most of them if they spent time with the Dulos case file in Family Court would assess Judge Heller a generous grade of "F" for her handling of DV issues present in the case as over and over it is seen that these concerns expressed by JD/her atty were dismissed an not taken seriously by the court.
I know we have atty's on the thread that would disagree strongly with any criticism of Judge Heller and I respect their POV as being folks that are operating in the cesspit of Family Court and all its challenging issues on a daily basis. In my mind the Dulos file was large enough and the evidence of DV was clear enough that proactive judicial action was required long before the case reached the 2 year mark. I also think that senior level judicial review of the Dulos case file/handling by Family Court would be appropriate as another pair of eyes on the facts of the case might move the case in another direction vs. what we had seen from Judge Heller who so far as I can see hasn't been very aware of DV related issues or at all concerned about JD personal safety even after it was brought to her attention multiple times in court.
MOO
IMO Judge Heller had an extremely well-funded litigious sociopath/malignant narcissist on her hands, one who delighted in "gaming the system." For an example of how such individuals manipulate their due process rights to a fair hearing, look no further than Ted Bundy. He played the judicial system up until the day he was executed. Such people relish the fight, and see themselves as intellectually and morally superior to mere judges. They are also the perpetual victims of an "unfair system" stacked against them, at least in their sick minds.
I believe Judge Heller was letting FD know in no uncertain terms that she saw through his charade. No one would ever believe his ridiculous claim that he was unaware she was the wife of the attorney he tried to hire. Conflicting judges and lawyers out like this is an old, sleazy trick which is well-known in the legal community. Reputable litigants and their lawyers know better. The judge knew exactly what FD was trying to do, and she making clear that she wasn't going anywhere. FD was NOT going to run her off the case.
She must have done something right for him to pull the stunt he did, one stunt among many. He had to have known that his recusal scheme was really going to tick her off, but proceeded with it anyway. She was holding him accountable for his conduct, something that must have come as a shock to him.
Is the family law system broken? Many people believe it is. Even in DV court, it is not at all unusual for the victim to be "asked" to agree to a mutual injunction against both parties, even though such an agreement precludes the victim from possessing a firearm. Non-custodial parents routinely disobey their financial obligations, fail to pick up and return children as agreed upon, or decide not to pick the child up at all, often with few consequences. Judges do the best they can with what they have. This is not meant as an excuse, but it is the reality in most states.
FD pulled a LOT of stunts in the divorce case, and fully played everyone, his lawyers included (who, by the way, are bailing on his all of cases, like rats jumping off a sinking ship). Judge Heller was in a position of trying to balance FD's claimed rights, the rights of JD, and the rights of the children. Although I have not read the voluminous pleadings filed in the dissolution, it does seem that the judge was at least trying to hold FD accountable for his many, many efforts to subvert the process. He was doing everything he could to get his way, fairness be damned.
Sadly, FD's wealth buffered him against the consequences of his actions, and allowed him to display just enough of a veneer of respectability to convince others of his good intentions. He was demanding his rights as a parent, without any intention of respecting the rights of JD or her children. While JD was doing everything in her power to comply with the judge's orders, FD was cheating, lying, and concealing the truth at every available opportunity.