Banned in Boston

A reader forwarded this:

IT IS OFFICIAL: JUDGE BANS FATHER'S BOOK ON CORRUPTION IN FAMILY COURT

On March 22, 2006, Essex Probate and Family Court Justice Mary McCauley Manzi, made it clear that First Amendment rights do not apply in her courtroom when she banned Kevin Thompson's tell-all book titled "Exposing the Corruption in the Massachusetts Family Courts."

What makes this particular ruling so outrageous is that Manzi is prominently criticized in the book for her judicial misconduct in Thompson's case. Therefore, a clear conflict of interest existed that should have excluded Manzi from having jurisdiction.

This issue has caused a stir among civil rights and fathers' rights groups in the state who have tired of the illegal treatment that they receive in family court where constitutional law is routinely ignored. Dr. Ned Holstein, founder of the parental advocacy group Fathers and Families, argued, "Manzi should have recused herself from ruling on a book in which she's criticized. I think the Family Court has lost all sight of the Constitution in this matter and in many others."

Aware of the media interest in the story, Manzi refused to release her ruling by phone to Thompson, who received his notice by mail on Friday, March 24, 2006. The order permanently restrains Thompson from disseminating any information related to his custody case and impounds the custody case itself until the year 2021.

Manzi's rationale for this action is that "impoundment is necessary to protect the best interests including the privacy interests of the parties' minor child." She wrote further, "no harm will be caused to the community interest by impounding this file."

When reached for comment, Thompson asked, "what privacy interests of my son have been compromised and whose interests are being protected other than the personal interests of Judge Manzi, Judge Digangi, and the three judges in appeals court who don't want their crimes to be exposed?"

Thompson commented further, "No community interest is harmed other than the community's right to scrutinize the judiciary, hold it accountable, and prevent from happening the concealed crimes committed against fathers and children every day in family court for profit."

When asked whether he would adhere to the order, Thompson commented, "I made it clear at the hearing that Judge Manzi did not have the jurisdiction to ban my book. Any order issued from such a hearing would be illegal and therefore, null and void. Since I respect the law, I have no intentions of adhering to an illegal order issued by a judge with her own agenda."

Thompson is scheduled for court on April 19, 2006, to respond to the Mother's request for attorney fees incurred to ban Thompson's book. Manzi has requested financial statements from both parents before she rules on this motion. Thompson commented, "what could possibly be the relevance of financial statements in the determination of whether or not to extort the mother's attorney fees from me? This is how the family courts bully fathers into silence - jail them for ignoring illegal orders or financially ruin them by making them pay for attorneys who they did not hire. Everything that I am doing right now is for my son. I will not be shut up."

This is remarkable. I agree with Thompson that the judge had no jurisdiction to ban the book. I have a copy, and if the book disappears from Lulu.com, then I will post it here. Here are Thompson's comments.