Complaint Review: Ionia County Friend Of The Court - Ionia Michigan

There is a pattern of domestic violence not being weighted,  even recognized as legitimately existing, at Friend of the Court (FOC) in Ionia, Michigan. 

I am not the only woman to experience this bias.  I spent April of 2012 in a domestic violence shelter (RAVE) where 3 women I met also lost custody of their children to their abusers.  We all left the marital home, and this was factored against us, tilting the scales of justice to award full custody of the children to whomever stayed in the home.  I listened while one young mother spent hours crying  before finally making the wrenching decision to take her 6 month old baby and move back to her abuser.  She was forced back home because Referee Wierckz was going to award full custody of her 6 month old baby to a man who controlled her life with violence.   The same referee, Jessica K. Wierckz, Friend of the Court & Circuit Court Referee, made all of these decisions. 

I fled the life I had built, my farm, my friends - because I was afraid of what would happen next. My husband got to court first.  He  made false allegations about me, which have since been conclusively disproved. The FOC believed him.  FOC took my children away from me

This decision has been upheld every step of the way, despite testimony during which my husband told palpable lies, one of which was that I am an atheist.  I am not an atheist, and  the fact that he would lie about God gives one an idea as to how low he will stoop to win. 

The court believed his a testimony about my religious belief, over my own testimony.  He was credited with the Moral Fitness factor for his religious upbringing of the children.   He was credited over me.   My husband has an OUI conviction (with 2 felony counts of fleeing and eluding and resisting arrest that he got lawyered down to misdemeanors), a substantiated DHS report of harming a child, got fired from a job for bullying his staff, and our childrens therapist testified  Dad seems easily irritated and frustrated to me like he could snap but he stays under control.

I thought I would go to court and get justice.  I am shocked and appalled, and my children are still in danger.  My husband still has full custody over one year later. It appears that the FOC is unwilling to contemplate a scenario where I am telling the truth:  If what I told the court is true, then the FOC put my children in harms way by removing them from my custody, and giving my husband full custody. 

Hearing testimony shows my husband to be a man so driven to control others that he is willing to back it up with physical violence, as well as the much less detectable controls that can be used on emotions and possessions.  This court is harming our entire community with decisions that put children in harms way.

I just wanted to say that my boyfriend has been going thru the Ionia friend of the court for years and we have seen the bias and other bs they are doing. I wish there was a way for people to contact one another about the Ionia friend of the court please contact me at [email protected] . Thank you..  

I too have had major issues with the Ionia county Friend of the court. First it was regarding unpaid medical that is owed me. I filed all the correct forms, sent copies of the bills and forms to the ex-husband. A bench warrant was issued by the judge and nothing else happened. They said they wound take it out of his checks when "he's done paying child support". What?? Well it has been three years since he has had to pay child support and still no money or notification that it will be taken from his checks. Secondly, I remarried and wanted to move out of state. I honestly thought that this would be no problem as the ex had not been involved in our childrens lives. I called the ex- explained the situation and he said he needed to think about it. I hired an attourney, filed the appropriate papers for the change of domicile. My ex- hired a lawyer and responded that my marriage was not real, that my now husband was just one more in a long line of "paramors". (My ex- had an affair and kept pictures of her in his vehicle, that ended our marriage.) I came to court prepaired. I had information about the school districts and the greater advantages they offered, a physical adress of where we were going to be living, letters from my inlaws stating the relationship the children had built with them, as well as letters from the childrens schools stating that their father had not once been to a parent / teacher conference, play, music program or sporting event. They further attested to the fact that I was the childrens parent and source of social, emotional and physical support. Did the court hear any of it? NO! They never gave an oppourtity to present it. Did they listen to the children and what they wanted? NO! I sat there having to defend my personal life. Did they ask him about his affair or his child that was created during that affair? NO! He admitted that he had been a non-existant father, that he had not been involved with his childeren's lives; but now that I wanted to move he wanted an opportunity to build a relationship with our youngest. My lawyer (Nick Maasad) only stood to make jokes with the ex's lawyer and state "Isn't it true the only reason you want the children not to move is because you are still in love with your ex-wife and they are a link to her?" WHAT??? As it turned out Susan Hoseth ruled in favor of my ex. Stating that even though he admitted to being a non-existent father, she felt that "a move of this magnatude could get in the way of any relationship they MIGHT develope." So in essence she was saying "you admittedly have been a horrible father Congratulations, they aren't moving with the only person who has been a constant in their lives." The ex- stated that he didn't care what happened to our then 15yr. old daughter as long as he had our youngest son. WHAT? And they let him get away with that! My lawyers only response was "It's not like your selling him to the devil." Since then my youngest has flown three times a year at my expense to visit me. The friend of the court only saw fit that he pay only 1/2 of the summer visitation, and now are not enforcing that either. My ex and his wife repeatedly are telling my son that he isn't moving anywhere untill he is 18 as "the judge" thought my ex was a better parent and "gave" him to them. And the friend of the court does nothing about this, they tell us that we have to find a way to communicate for the benefit of our son. How could they think that taking a boy away from his only souce of stablility since birth was good for the child? He barely knew the man. He is not being held responsible for upholding the court order in any manor? How is that benefiting anyone exept the criminal? I hope that kharma is just as hellish for Susan Hoseth Krieger as she campains to be Judge and not just the magistrate. How many more lives could she ruin then? Nick Maasad thinks of himself as a family man. His antics proved that he is only a money hungry fool. Don't use him unless you are out to burn money without results. Don't vote for Susan Hoseth Kreger unless it is to have her removed from the friend of the court entirely.