Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...it's off to Court I Go....

[Kitchen Diva]

I know that a ton of you are already keeping me and my family in your prayers regarding my sister's hearing today about my niece having been sexually abused by her dad.

I just wanted to start a new thread, so that when I have my update, you won't have to read through 2+ pages of the other thread I started asking for prayer about 2 things...

The main things that we need prayer for are That the spirits of fear, deciet, dishonesty, anger and anxiety would be bound- and that the Joy of the Lord would be loosed on the courtroom. For all who are testifying on my 4 year old niece's behalf (I'm one of them) prayers for wisdom, favor with the court, for the Holy Spirit to help us to know when to speak and what to say and for it to be said in the right manner. For no one to lose their cool and for our beating hearts and shaking hands to be at peace and be calm...

Thanks again guys- you will never know how much it means to me that all of you are here to support me in this!! I feel like I have my own little army!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Wow Kacey!

Check out the other thread...I was just praying for those EXACT THINGS for you!
It continues to amaze me how Jesus speaks to us so we know how to interceed for others!

Love,
Kelly

 

[chefann]

I just wanted to start a new thread, so that when I have my update, you won't have to read through 2+ pages of the other thread I started asking for prayer about 2 things...

That's what the "go to new posts" button is for next to each thread. It's the little blue square with an arrow in it. (You don't think we all start on page 1 of the Paige Update thread every day, do you?)

 

[PChefPEI]

Prayers your way, Kacey!
((((HUGS))))

 

[BethCooks4U]

Praying for you all today! Give it to God. He'll take care of everyone.

 

[chefmeg]

prayers coming your way, Kacey! God will take care of everything!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Praying for you throughout the day today Kacey!:love:

 

[janetupnorth]

I barely woke up today...horrid headache with our storms that passed through. But now a high pressure front is coming through so I'm gradually more functional. Now that I'm awake I'm thinking and praying for you and your family again."...The righteous cannot be uprooted." - Proverbs 12:3 - Stand firm today!

 

[dannyzmom]

You DO have your own little army here
I'll be thinking of you today!

 

[Humble Beginnings]

My prayers are with you and your family.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

May God be with you all today!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

sending prayers

 

[susanr613]

my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

 

[janetupnorth]

Everytime I see this I think of the 7 dwarfs...so...May the judge be Happy.
May the DA be Doc.
May the Defense Attorney be Dopey.
May the Defendant be Grumpy (so they see what a jerk he is).
May the Court Reporter NOT be Sneezy and mistype.
May you be Bashful but speak when needed.
May you niece be Sleepy during any bad stuff.
...and may your sister be Snow White and shown to be a fit mother.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Holy cow! I have to be there early- I guess I can't be in the court room because my sister and I are main witnesses. We are getting there early to be prepped...my tummy is a little nervous... So thanks for the prayers and keep them coming. The lawyer asked that we all pray that the judge not be under any evil influences during the hearing and that he will not be blinded by the lies of the enemy...

Thanks guys, I'm off to court. (eek!)

 

[Kitchen Diva]

That's what the "go to new posts" button is for next to each thread. It's the little blue square with an arrow in it. (You don't think we all start on page 1 of the Paige Update thread every day, do you?)

I wasn't even thinking about that, but you are right...sorry! :blushing:

 

[erinyourpclady]

Kac~ I will be thinking and praying for all of you today............

 

[pamperedpals]

Kacey, thinking and praying for you and your family today.

 

[wadesgirl]

This whole thing with your niece still gives me goosebumps. My heart goes out to her! At such a young tender age to have to go through this. I do wish the best of luck to you and your family and may the b*stard rot in hell. Oops, that wasn't nice was it

 

[pampered.chris]

Best of luck today Kacey!! Keep us posted when you can!!

 

[letscook04]

thinking and praying for you and your family.
{{{{{Hugs}}}}}

 

[Chef Michelle D]

I said many prayers for you today, I hope it went well. I don't know how the judge could sleep at night if he didn't side with your sister and your niece.

 

[chefmeg]

OK-it is 6pm EST....where is Kacey?????
I have been praying all day and I NEED to know that all is OK!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

It did NOT go well.Hi everyone, we are back. It did not go well. The judge would not grant the order for protection and although they agreed in chambers with my sister's lawyer and her husband's lawyer (her dh didn't show up) that me, my mom and sister could speak on my niece's behalf and it would not be considered here-say- the judge changed his mind about 3 minutes into the hearing and so
NOTHING that my niece told us was admissible.

We could only show them things she did that were disturbing. To make things even more interesting, they served her with divorce papers as well, and he's suing for full physical custody and child support. My sister now has to get an attorney in SD and take care of that... The judge was not able to find with the evidence we gave (which there was no evidence really because our evidence was what my niece told us over a 4 month period of time) that her father was the one that abused her if she even was abused- so he denied the petition for an order for protection.

So my brother-in-law has a Washington County Judge on his side- the MN Children's Hospital (who after a 10 minute interview with my niece determined she was never abused- when the standard is a 3 hour interview) is on his side, and he filed for divorce first, so he has that on his side as well.....

I would say that this would be our Goliath, don't you think?

The lawyer said I did really well in laying out the foundation for positive changes that occurred in my niece once they came to live with us, but in closing statements the opposing attorney tried to say that my husband was probably the one that abused her while she was here... pretty sad, huh?

It looks like my sister's lawyer did not study the here-say laws well enough- the other lawyer had his law book with him, and he was prepared...ours was trying to figure out how to word his questions so that we could get evidence across without saying "my niece said...."

All in all a frustrating ending, but it is what it is, and God is in control and I'm drained and I have a headache. Thanks for the prayers they worked! My sister's lawyer told my DH that he gathered right off the bat that the other lawyer knew not to press any issues with me or my mom because he only asked me 2 questions, and my mother one...

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I said many prayers for you today, I hope it went well. I don't know how the judge could sleep at night if he didn't side with your sister and your niece.

Well, here's to hoping he doesn't sleep well because he sided with my brother-in-law and would not let us bring forth any evidence...

 

[Kitchen Diva]

This whole thing with your niece still gives me goosebumps. My heart goes out to her! At such a young tender age to have to go through this. I do wish the best of luck to you and your family and may the b*stard rot in hell. Oops, that wasn't nice was it

well, no- but it did make me smile and giggle, so thanks!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Working today so haven't seen this thread ... I know it's a bit late, but prayers go out anyway ... and may an army of Angels suround you and yours!

 

[KellyTheChef]

What a bunch of crap!

I know that laws are put in place to PROTECT us but it ticks me off to no end when they end up messing over those they are supposed to be protecting.

God will still be victorious in this, Kacey! We will still continue to pray that God interceeds here and changes things in a MIGHTY WAY to protect your little precious niece!

 

[crystalscookingnow]

Oh, Kacey! My heart hurts for all of you! I'm so sorry that you're dealing with all of this crud. I will keep all of you in my prayers.

 

[chefmeg]

CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really want to say much worse than that......

I am really sorry for your niece....what a freakin' nightmare that child has already been through and now to think he wants full custody???????? AAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!
Keep the faith, girl. The legal system isn't always what we want, but God will take care of your niece...and he will take care of her father in his own special way!

 

[wadesgirl]

well, no- but it did make me smile and giggle, so thanks!

Glad I could make you laugh!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Yeah, like I said, I'm disapointed, but I'm not upset by this- I don't think it's fair, but I've seen enough Law and Order episodes where the good guys were not allowed to admit ANY evidence and they always won- and because I live my life vicariously through the TV- I know it will all work out.

I am sad that the other lawyer tried to say that the changes in my niece came into play after she moved here and that my husband was the one that more than likely abused her. Because I was a witness I was only allowed in the courtroom during my testimony.

We are just surprised that in chambers the judge said he'd allow it all- and in the end, he allowed nothing! NADA! I was able to show them that my niece mimicked having her hands and mouth bound up, and I was able to mimick her touching herself- but I wasn't allowed to say what she said when she was doing any of it... Every word that came out of my mouth the other side objected to, and the judge sustained it. I ALMOST asked; "Can I object to his objections?" And my mother almost said "I'm here and I said it, so that makes it here-say" LOL

 

[pamperedpals]

Kacey, I am so sorry. It really p*sses me off to see and hear about things like this. The legal system most of the time is a huge big joke! I don't believe in it anymore. (I am stating my opinion only, you can choose to agree or disagree with me. My DS (8 yrs) has been let down numerous times by them!)

However, your brother-in-law and other's will get theirs. Mark my words, what goes around comes around.

I will pray for you and your family that you have the strength to continue to support your niece through this ordeal.

BIG {{{{HUGS!!!!}}}}

 

[BethCooks4U]

I'm so sorry Kasey. I will keep praying.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Ahh---Kasey---what is wrong with these judges. If it were their child, you'd damn right bet they would have that *ss in jail.

Prayers keep coming your way!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Ahh---Kasey---what is wrong with these judges. If it were their child, you'd damn right bet they would have that *ss in jail.

Prayers keep coming your way!

Yeah, I know- it is disheartening. That's why my mood indicator says I'm amazed! I'm amazed that the judge said he'd allow what my niece told all of us to be admitted into evidence and then changed his mind 3 minutes into the hearing...

But it is over and there is nothing we can do. The good news is my niece is up here, her dad is in SD, he doesn't have a car, and he wouldn't dare try and take her away- he's too cowardly...he's being used by his mother and lawyer and more than likely doesn't even want custody- but has to ask for everything in a divorce petition even if it isn't something he wants because if he changes his mind and didn't ask for it initially, he won't get it.

I'm tired- my head hurts and I need some food. It's days like this that I wish I had a personal chef to make me a nice comfort meal! LOL

And, it's getting cool out! It's down to 70 outside...

The good news is I get my niece this Saturday and Sunday, so I'll get my munchkin fix over the long weekend!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

What a bunch of crap!

I know that laws are put in place to PROTECT us but it ticks me off to no end when they end up messing over those they are supposed to be protecting.God will still be victorious in this, Kacey! We will still continue to pray that God interceeds here and changes things in a MIGHTY WAY to protect your little precious niece!

I felt the same way. It was tough to watch my dad and hubby sit there and just watch our liberties be taken away and there was nothing we could do about it.

 

[peichef]

KaceyI might have missed something in an earlier post, but why didn't the judge talk to your niece privately in chambers, with just the 2 lawyers present?? Is it all over? Nothing more to be done / no way to reverse the ruling?

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Kacey

I might have missed something in an earlier post, but why didn't the judge talk to your niece privately in chambers, with just the 2 lawyers present?? Is it all over? Nothing more to be done / no way to reverse the ruling?

because my niece is 4 years old and they are not a reliable witness. Also she wouldn't talk to the advocate at Children's Hospital (although they gave up after 10 minutes of the standard 3 hour interview- yes we appealed that decision and lost) and she won't talk to her therapist. She has only mentioned to him that Daddy plays jail with her, but hasn't said anything else.

The only people she's told things to are me and my sister- she mentioned tiny things to my folks, but most of the things she did were acting out what her dad did to her on them... or trying to act them out on my parents. But she TOLD me everything!

And yes, it's over- they don't feel my niece is in danger of being with her father, so no protection order will ever be granted and now we proceed with finding her a new lawyer in SD and dealing with the divorce and custody battle...

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Kacey

I might have missed something in an earlier post, but why didn't the judge talk to your niece privately in chambers, with just the 2 lawyers present?? Is it all over? Nothing more to be done / no way to reverse the ruling?

Also, Charity- she was not allowed to be there in the court room- heck her own dad didn't show up... just sent the lawyer.

 

[Chef Michelle D]

Kacey, I am so sorry that it did not go well. You have been an amazing sister and aunt to them and I just hope your sister gets a good lawyer for the divorce. Try and rest tonight and I enjoy your time with your beautiful niece.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Kacey, I am so sorry that it did not go well. You have been an amazing sister and aunt to them and I just hope your sister gets a good lawyer for the divorce. Try and rest tonight and I enjoy your time with your beautiful niece.

Yeah, I'm sorry too- I do hope she gets a great divorce attorney and that someone else can foot the bill! My sister can only afford free attorney's at this point. It's her husband that can afford to have attorney's in two states...

 

[merego]

Oh my goodmness, this is awful and makes me sick... your poor niece, this is very upsetting news. I need to re-group.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Oh my goodmness, this is awful and makes me sick... your poor niece, this is very upsetting news. I need to re-group.

Hey, I missed you! How are you doing? Other than needing to re-group, and I hear ya on that one!!!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Unbelievable!

I would call a crisis center for abused children, explain the situation and ask if they have a reccomendation for a good lawyer who would take the case pro-bono!

 

[susanr613]

kacey my heart is hurting for you and esp your niece. i have nothing more to say...too shocked and sickened.

this is one battle in a war that you will eventually win.

 

[janetupnorth]

A sad day today, but hopefully things will get better and hopefully something will happen with your niece to open her up to the right people or that her dad will slip and say something wrong and get caught. Abuse disgusts me...in all forms...

 

[raebates]

I don't know why things are going the way they are. I do know that you are doing what you need to do. My prayers will continue for your sister and niece.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Unbelievable!

I would call a crisis center for abused children, explain the situation and ask if they have a reccomendation for a good lawyer who would take the case pro-bono!

Been there, done that- no one will take the case...

 

[Kitchen Diva]

A sad day today, but hopefully things will get better and hopefully something will happen with your niece to open her up to the right people or that her dad will slip and say something wrong and get caught.

Abuse disgusts me...in all forms...

I am praying the same things. The other day she drew a picture of a spider with a "pee-pee" and she would NOT show it to my sister, but she brought it to my mom and told her it was a picture of a daddy spider that hurts people with his tushy. The did allow that picture to be evidence but not what my mother wrote on the picture that described what Lily said it was.

I don't know why things are going the way they are. I do know that you are doing what you need to do. My prayers will continue for your sister and niece.

We have no idea, either. My niece's therapist had been telling us for weeks that she was abused- no doubt...then when he was told he'd have to testify (which the first day we met with him we explained that he would have to some day) he backed down and started saying "if" she was even abused.

I agree that this is just one battle that we had to take one for the team so to speak but the war will be won!