It Could Happen To You… South Carolina’s Family Court Cartel

Every individual who is forced to go through Family Court felt it would never happen to them. The Family Court “Cartel” is among one of the most secretive industries in the United States and in South Carolina. So, what exactly is Family Court and how does it work? How does it aid in the destruction of families and children for profit?

To begin the name Family Court is used as a marketing tool to make individuals feel as if the focus of this court is to aid families in their time of need. But in fact this courts actual name is “Domestic Relations Court”, and is nothing about families, but is in fact a court of equity. This means it is a court of property!

For this reason children in this court are considered property with little to no rights or say so. Often more children are comparable to cattle or a piece of furniture in this court, and in many instances are treated as such. It is true that the domestic relations courts slogan is “best interest of the child”, but this often falls short of the truth.

Parents who fight in the domestic relations courts soon discover that their rights are stripped away by questionably qualified judges. Now this does not mean that all domestic relations court judges are this way, but sadly most have proven the latter.

The secrecy behind these courts is kept by threats of incarceration by these judges. Several parents who have chosen to fight against this industry have been held in contempt and made to pay fines or serve jail time. One has to remember that the domestic relations courts are civil courts and that no crimes have been committed by any parties in these courts. Yet families who come to these courts are treated worse than serial killers by the industries judges.

Within this system of industry there are “Elite” Attorneys who are in actuality simple actors in a broken system. These attorneys do not practice law, but instead practice the art of fictional story telling. In past articles The Daily Counter News has shown how these attorneys use allegations instead of facts to prove their points, and charge large sums for this talent.

In one story we informed our readers of an individual who was found not guilty of any criminal domestic violence by a general sessions court, but his wife was granted a divorce on the bases of physical cruelty. In fact it was shown to the general sessions court that the wife in that case was the aggressor. She was never charged!

This parent was the victim of not only the abuse from his wife, but the victim of family court that left him homeless and without any money, and even stated he had to pay his wife’s attorney fees afterwards. Then as the husband began to fight for his children, by exposing the wrongdoings and lack of law, was incarcerated for doing so under the guise of “Contempt of Court”.

Most of us have a reasonable understanding of the law. That if a higher court finds you not guilty of something then a lower court can not continue the same charge.

Except in the realm of Domestic Relations Court! This Court for the most part makes up its own rules and practices as it goes. In many instances the actors in this court system ignore factual based evidence, but rely solely on the stories told by the attorneys. In some cases even the attorneys and judges have aided in instructing individuals on how to fabricate evidence to use in order to award custody or more property.

Individuals who have sought simple divorces from this cartel have been force to endure long drawn out battles due to attorneys and judges who profit from this. Children are used as pawns or tools to gain footholds in many of these domestic relations cases, leaving them emotionally, mentally and sometimes even physically scarred for life.

These children are ripped away from loving and caring parents on simple allegations fabricated many times by an angry spouse or significant other and aided by these actors of law. In many cases a parent is removed from their children in order to begin the practice of parental alienation.

Parental Alienation begins in the domestic relations courts and is defined as: Parental alienation is a process through which a child becomes estranged from one parent as the result of psychological manipulation. This manipulation is usually done by the other parent, and in many cases is aided by the attorneys and judges by limiting contact with the other parent, or asking leading questions of the child to form fictitious events in the child’s mind.

Sadly, many of these children grow up suffering from emotional and mental issues, which often lead to more severe issues later in their lives.

Under SC law one can only get divorced for 5 reasons:

• Adultery (which in South Carolina is still a criminal offense)
• Desertion for one year
• Physical Cruelty (which most cases are presented as in court)
• Habitual drunkenness; provided, that this ground shall be construed to include habitual drunkenness caused by the use of any narcotic drug
• On the application of either party if and when the husband and wife have lived separate and apart without cohabitation for a period of one year

Under SECTION 20-3-40. Married person deemed of age. Any married person shall, for the purpose of maintaining or defending an action for divorce and the settlement of property rights arising thereunder, be deemed of age.

This law shows the main function of the domestic relations court, which is property.

Most recently some Children Right’s Activists have begun arguing that many of the State’s Family Court’s Rules violate State and Federal Constitutional Protections for parents.

Does a Court have the right to state that one parent is better than the other and limit a parents time with their own child? Sadly, this is what many parents discover as they fight for their children in this mockery of courts and laws. And what is even sadder is that we see a generation of children being denied the love of both parents by a financially driven court system.

Currently, there are 2 proposed bills at the State House that are attempting to change this broken system for children by proposing Shared Parenting/Equal Parenting. This would protect a child’s right to maintaining both loving and fit parents in their lives equally during and after a divorce. These bills are sponsored by House Representatives Cezar McKnight and Stewart Jones.

A 3rd Bill which was just recently filed in November of 2021 is proposing that Family Courts decisions be made by a panel of jurors. This is a U.S. Constitutional Protection that the Family Courts currently deny and is a major change sought in many states currently, taking the power of families out of judges hands and placing it with the community of parents and grandparents. This Bill is sponsored by House Representative Linda Bennett.

Many Citizens and Politicians in the State of South Carolina have stated they feel it is time for change in these outdated financially driven courts. That it is time to protect our families and especially our children and their futures.