Los Angeles, CA–A letter from a grandma:
My son had a relationship that resulted in a child a week after his 17th birthday. The mother of the child was 16.
The baby girl was cared for in our home and my son’s extended family more than half the time. The child is neglected by the mother.
The relationship ended about two weeks after my son’s 18th birthday. My son fought her for custody in late March of this year. Within two weeks she filed a restraining order against my son. Of course it was granted.
She then denied my son and his family–who had cared for the little girl her whole life–all access to the child.
My son called his ex and begged for her to tell him the baby was OK. She responded by calling the police and having him arrested for violating his restraining order. He spent the night in jail and had to be bonded out.
At the first custody hearing the judge granted my son temporary visitation for 1 1/2 hours twice a week at the local McDonalds with the maternal grandmother present. The grandmother voiced complaints to my son about the visitation.
Advised by his attorney, my son pled no contest to the charge of violating the protection order because my son admitted to him that he indeed called her.
My son was convicted on the violation. He received one-year probation and mandatory domestic violence classes at his own expense ($40 per week for 3- 10 weeks sessions + $12 parking every week when he goes=$1,560).
About a week after his sentencing my son and I went to the local McDonalds for visitation. The maternal grandmother was not there. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, two police cruisers pull up behind us and arrested my son for violating the protection order. The mother of his child and the maternal grandmother drove by laughing as he was being arrested.
He went to jail for 2-days (it was a Saturday). His father and I bonded him out on Monday by putting up our house, his bond was high because being a second offense this charge is a felony.
He was then indicted by the grand jury based on her word that he called her and left her a voicemail. My son has denied this claim. His phone records indicate that he did not call her and I know he was in bed sleeping at his grandmother’s at the time she claimed the call came in (2:00 am).
He is now facing a felony trial. His hearing for plea is a month from now.
She had her legal aid attorney contact my son’s attorney for a meeting to come to an agreement on custody next week. My son turned 18 this year and his life is ruined. He will never be able to get decent employment due to his record she has forced on him.
I am scared for my son.