someone needs legal help!

[EmilyFair]

i am not around a lot, so i hope this isnt already in the threads, but i got this email from a list i belong to, so i thought i would post it so we can send energy to her, and support if the feeling is right, and anyone is able...

it really is a tragic story

I need your help…this (Feb. 6-8, 2004) is my ex-husbands weekend to have my oldest son…his was to bring him back on Sunday…I woke up this morning (Sunday) to a knock at my door…when I opened it up, there was a man standing there with papers…he asked me my name a told me I was being served…I took the papers in the house and almost passed out when I read them…my son would not be coming home to me today…he was gone…I dropped to the floor and began to ball…the following passage was included in my papers …

The Respondent proclaims herself to be a practicing "Witch" in the truest sense of the
word. The Respondent, known by other witches as "Inanna", is a member of a local
"coven", which is a group of people who proclaim themselves to be witches and who
practice witch-craft. These people, individually and collectively, purport to conjure up hexes, cast spells and place "curses" on others. As a Witch, the Respondent specifically proclaims herself to be into the practices of Paganism, The Occult and the Paranormal. As part of her relationship with witch-craft, the Respondent also owns and operates a "Pagan and Metaphysical" shop called The Crescent Moon located in Dothan, Alabama. This is the Respondent's sole means of income. Respondent's lifestyle in relation to witch-craft is detrimental to Stephen's well-being and not in his best interest.

For this reason they took me son from me…without the courts talking to me about it first, they gave my ex custody…they snatched him away from me…and now I am in for a big battle to get him back…what am I to do?...i have to get an expensive lawyer (for which I can’t afford) or loose my son…I have scraped up everything I can to sell…I am emptying out my home…but unfortunately, not much of it is worth much…he is even suing me for his court costs…I am soooo scared…I am still crying…I am sad, scared, upset, and angry…I need help…anything will help…advise is greatly needed…I cant loose my son…I cant…and now I am being threated by DHR, that I am going to loose my other two as well…they are my life…I will be lost for sure with out them…I don’t know what to do…I feel so scared…please help!!!!

If you have any advise and /or suggestions, please e-mail me at…child_of_athena@yahoo.com …..please help me…I cant even seem to think straight…I am sooo scared right now…thank you…blessings!

)O( Inanna )O(



thankmy family, for reading...inlight &* love~em

[WandererInGray]

She needs to go here.... http://www.aren.org/ for assistance.

Unfortunately it is Alabama, but if she makes a big enough stink about it, she may be able to get the suit thrown out. I would need to see some additional proof of this before I could really do anything. *shrugs and smiles sadly* Not that there's a whole lot I could help with, but we are in the area.

Have her contact the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center as well, they may be able to offer assistance.

[EmilyFair]

awww thanks for your offer

i forwarded the thread to her, and hope it helps

amazing how thing still are this day in america

in love and light ~em

[13thChylde]

She has my prayers and hopes for the best possible outcome for her son and herself. This is one of my greatest fears, to have something like this happen to me if I ever leave my husband.

She should also contact any women's centers nearby, they can offer some free legal advice.

[Hoot]

(((EmilyFair)))

Sending love for you and your friend, and energy for strength and calm. May she gather her wits, resolve and will to endure and prevail.

You may wish to reconsider placing your friend's information on a public-access website while this is going on, and may want to delete at least her last name the address. (Have you ever been to south Alabama? It's definitely not Washington, DC.)

SPLC will not be a good match for your friend, unfortunately. While they're a great organization, they do not get involved in family cases:

http://www.splcenter.org/legal/assist/ind.jsp

They may, however, be able to recommend assistance - but I wouldn't get my hopes up about that since they're pretty clear on their website about limited resources and avoiding this type of case.

She needs to see a lawyer as soon as she can. She's right - their services aren't cheap, but they can often work out some sort of payment plan, and once they understand the reasons behind this custody suit, may even be able to offer their work pro bono, or perhaps get an organization involved to help pay for her defense. A quick search of Martindale-Hubbell brings up the following who specialize in custody matters in her area:

http://www.lawyers.com/find_a_lawyer/search/results.php?newsearch=Y&searchtype=Q&termtype=1&site=111&prevpageid=00000&personalaop=748-868&city=dothan&county=houston&state=1&country=1

I recommend that she contacts someone as soon as possible, and am interested in hearing what is happening.

She will be in my prayers.

[Witchzee1]

I just can't believe that in the 21st century we are still living in the dark ages! http://mysticwicks.com/images/smilies2/gros_yeux_tristes.gif

Sending hugs and supporting energy her way.

[Jenne]

:sadeyes: Why? Ugh! This so disgusts and saddens me!

*helping and healing energies for this poor woman!*

[EmilyFair]

thanks hoot for the advice!!

i have edited my original post to remove her name and address

the post is exactly how she had sent it out, but in her current state of emotion, she may not have been thinking of the ramifications of putting her name and address in.

you are right, and yes, i have been to south alabama, some of my family lives there and i know very well how it is (whew!)

thanks to everyone for the energy and prayers sent

love you , ~em

[dragonkin]

Sending energy.

[Hoot]

(((Inanna & EmilyFair)))

I am happy to help where and when I can, and hope good legal advice and support is available to you soon. If this is a custody case in which religious reasons are given with no other cause, then Inanna deserves what support we can give. And I hope that help is overwhelmingly given and carries her through.

Wanderer, I want to thank you for bringing up www.aren.org/ (Alternative Religions Educational Network). I've visited their site in the past, (but not in a while or extensively), and this looks like a good group to me, and one to which I'd like to contribute my time, so I'll be getting in touch with them to find out more.

Emily, I didn't mean to take you to task at all, but it just seemed a wiser course to follow. The woman who originally challenged (the currently suspended) Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Roy Moore's right to place his religious organization's monument to the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the building that houses the Alabama Supreme Court in Montgomery is from south Alabama, and has faced unending grief for filing her suit - having her car and home vandalized, receiving harrassing and threatening phone calls and letters to the point that she had to move. So I feel it's better to protect Inanna's identity if possible, to avoid any further complications that may hurt her or her family.

This stays in my prayers.

[Nissala]

I live in alabama, actually not far from Dothan. Did she originally have custody of her son? If so, then her ex must have acrooked lawyer, because unless she is proven "unfit" and the child is not properly taken care of they cannot do this, especially without having a hearing of some sort. I would definatly fight it! May the goddess watch over her and justice prevail..

[Gareth]

My question is, have you contacted the ACLU?

[EmilyFair]

gareth...

actually, no. i recieved inanna's story from another list i belong to, and thought posting it here would give her (inanna) some advice to follow - which it certainly has!!

this is a beautifully wonderful place for people to get and give energy and advice.

i dont know inanna personally, but after reading about her request for help, and posting it here, i have written to her with a link to this thread, so she can come here and read all the excellent advice we have given her. i hope she grows from the energy sent, and is able to get out of the mess that has befallen her.

i have not heard from her. when i do, i will be sure to let every one know

thanks again to everyone for being so generous with your hearts and minds

love you, ~em

[Valkie]

I pray for the best out come. Another thing that your friend may want to do (she might be able to get free legal advice and rep this way) is turn this into a civil rights suit. This is a challange to the freedom of religion is I ever did see one, considering that the major complaint is that she is a witch.

It's an idea.

Valerie

[Teshuva3D]

Yes it sounds like a potential civil rights suit to me too...there is no mention of the mom being accused of neglecting her children...only a criticism of her religion...are/were the kids dirty??unfed??left unattended and unsupervised??? if no then her CONSTITUTIONAL rights and the rights of her children ARE DEFINITELY being violated!!
May Justice,Strength,and Truth Prevail!!
Tesh

[Hoot]

(((Inanna))) love and strength. I am praying for justice.

[Goddess Rhiannon]

Please go to the following website.....yes, it it set on MA laws....but look around.

Laurie Cabot....created this site many years ago. It is known as the Witches's League For Public Awareness. On this site you will find listings to statewide pagan attorney's who are more than willing to help you...in your quest for Justice.

For any of you who don't know Laurie....she is a wonderful person, who ls known as the Witch of Salam. Her two Daughters are also very gifted. Please look her up.....she has the biggest heart going. She has defended the honor of Witches for many years. I hope this helps you.

http://www.celticcrow.com/community/nmasslaw.html

[Goddess Rhiannon]

I just wanted to share this with you all. MA is not the only state...which has these laws......

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Law

By WLPA Staff

This is an example of how state law supports and protects the rights guaranteed to individuals by the United States Constitution and Federal Law.**

Ch. 265 §37. Interfering with Any Right or Privilege Secured by Constitution or Laws of Commonwealth.
No person, whether or not acting under color of law, shall by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with, or attempt to injure. intimidate or interfere with, or oppress or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the constitution or laws of the commonwealth or by the constitution or laws of the United States. Any person convicted of violat-ing this provision shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year or both; and if bodily injury results, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both. (Added by L. I979, chap. 801 (2), eff. 2/14/80)

Ch.265 §39. Intimidation
Whoever commits an assault or a battery upon a person or dam-ages the real or personal property of another for the purpose of intimida-tion because of said person's race, color, religion, or national origin shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or not more than three times the value of the property destroyed or damaged, which-ever is greater, or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years, or both. (Added by L. 1983. chap. 165 (1). eff. 9/8/83)

Ch. 266 *§127A. Injury to Religious, Educational, etc., Institutions.
Any person who willfully, intentionally and without right, or wantonly and without cause, destroys, defaces, mars, or injures a church, synagogue or other building, structure or place used for the purpose of burial or memorializing the dead. or a school, educational facility or com-munity center or the grounds adjacent to and the owned or leased by any of the foregoing or any personal property contained in any of the forego-ing shall be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or not more than three times the value of the property so destroyed, defaced, marred or injured, whichever is greater, or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years, or both; provided. however, that if the damage to or loss of such property exceeds five thou-sand dollars, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than three times the value of the property so destroyed. defaced, marred or injured or by imprisonment in a state prison for not more than five years. or both.

* (Added by L. 1983, chap. 165, eff. 9/8/83.)




**Information provided for the W.L.P.A. by Captain Paul Murphy
Salem Police Department, Salem. Massachusetts



CONCLUSION:


Witchcraft is a legally recognized religion in the United States and Witches are entitled to every right and protection for freedom of religion, including freedom from harassment and prejudice as every other recognized religion in the United States.


The United States Constitution, under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. supports the right of all peoples in the United States to practice their own belief system and to enjoy this in each their own manner.


Lawyers and Law Enforcement Agencies have the obligation to protect the rights of all people in their religious endeavors, no matter what they may be, without bias or prejudice.


Witches desire only to retain their right of religious privacy and to practice their Craft as they see fit within the parameters of the law.




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