Children's Rights Council of Alabama
Dr. Richard C. Weiss, State President
514 Heritage Court South
Auburn, AL 36830
334-826-1832
September 21, 1999
Ms. Peggy D. Walker, Director
Research and Planning
Administrative Office of Courts
300 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104-3741
Dear Ms. Walker:
Thank you for your letter of September 16, 1999 acknowledging receipt of my comments and suggestions to Judge Ford. I understand that copies of my letter were sent to members of the Committee.
Letters of protest, including mine, were mailed to Judge Ford by representatives of prominent state-wide and national organizations of non-custodial parents which include the Children's Rights Council (CRC), the National Congress of Fathers and Children (NCFC), and the Alabama Family Rights Association (AFRA). There were a total of eight representatives of these groups who traveled from across Alabama to attend and participate at the September 10th meeting of the Alabama Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Access and Visitation.
An earlier telephone request by one of us---Mr. James Blackston---to be included on the meeting agenda was ignored. Judge Ford adamantly refused to allow participation by any of us visiting non-custodial non-committee members. We were relegated to the back of the room. A glaring exception, however, was made by Judge Ford to allow other non-committee members---one being Mr. Bob Maddox who reported on GAL programs and another being a delegate from Family Services Center in Huntsville who reported on supervised visitation.
We are grievously concerned and appalled by the perceived misconduct and misrepresentation by the Access and Visitation Committee chaired by Judge Ford (detailed in our letters of protest). Notably, we are alleging gross misappropriation of federal funds, which is a serious federal infraction.
We as an informed group of divorced non-custodial fathers, indeed as representatives of the major intended target group of the federal grant program itself, are strongly requesting that the Access and Visitation Committee consider implementing the following recommendations immediately (please also refer to Mr. Blackston's letter which outlines these):
1. A moratorium is imposed on all Committee functions, including scheduling meetings, awarding new grants, providing
grant money installments, electing subcommittee members, etc until a satisfactory compromise settlement is negotiated
by the AOC with representatives of CRC, NCFC, and AFRA.
2. The present Access and Visitation Committee is abolished and a new committee is established.
3. Judge Ford is asked to recuse himself as chair of the Committee.
4. Representatives of Child Support Enforcement and Domestic Violence groups are disallowed membership on the Committee and disallowed any participation, in accordance with federal grant policy.
5. Representatives of CRC, NCFC, AFRA and at least one other non-affiliated non-custodial parent are elected to the new Committee.
6. The operating budget and dated itemization of all expenditures and credits paid by or received by the Committee in all applicable grant years is made public now and at the end of each fiscal year.
7. Visiting non-custodial non-committee members and others involved in the grant program (this excludes DHR and DV personnel) are allowed to participate at future Access and Visitation meetings. Each meeting will include in its agenda an open forum where such persons can provide appropriate input and/or feedback.
8. A significant percentage of federal grant money each year will be specifically allocated to programs that address access and visitation issues affecting divorced non-custodial parents, and particularly divorced fathers.
9. Any special subcommittees, and particularly those addressing custody, will include members of CRC, NCFC, and AFRA.
10. An annual report of the Access and Visitation Committee, including budget, numbers and types of grants funded, progress and results (including raw data where available) will be compiled and made publicly available, including submission to CRC, NCFC, and American Congress of Fathers (ACF).
Thank you for the opportunity to address my concerns to you. I pray that the Committee will seriously consider our recommendations and help initiate constructive dialogue.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Richard C. Weiss
President, Children's Research Council of Alabama
Cc: Hon. Aubrey Ford
Mr. Frank Gregory
Hon. David Ross
Hon. Perry Hooper
Rep. Steve McMillan
Rep. Bill Fuller
David Levy, Esq.
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