'We had joint custody until I got a job as a firefighter...I never expected that would be used to take away custody'
May 8th, 2008 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & Families
"Nine years ago Chris Hobbs and his wife divorced. At the time the two had joint custody. Then, Chris got a job as a Huntsville Firefighter.
"'So when I became a firefighter in January of 2005, the last thing I would have expected that would be used as a basis of a lawsuit and then that would be used to take my child away from me,' said Hobbs. But that's what has happened in the end result as we stand right now.'
"His hours as a firefighter changed his schedule, but Chris never thought it changed his ability to be a parent. The courts didn't see it that way when his wife filed for primary custody.
"'I have standard visitation which isn't followable because of my job as a firefighter,' said Hobbs...
"Chris Hobbs says right now he gets to see his son maybe one to two times a week, or sometimes not at all."--WHNT TV, Huntsville, Alabama
Reader Chris Hobbs has been pushing to get more time with his 11-year-old son Blake, and has been doing well promoting his cause. The full article is Why is a Man Posting Signs Against a Local Judge? (5/7/08).
There's also a TV interview with Hobbs which can be found on www.whnt.com. One of the things I liked about Hobbs' interview is that he stressed that he wasn't doing this out of a personal grudge against the judge, he was doing it for his son.
Hobbs' website is http://www.whyjudgelittle.com/. He is pictured above with his son--with the judge in the middle.
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May 8th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
"Primary custody" or sole custody is about money and power. Primary custody gives the mom power to do with the child without consulting the father, yet the fathers pays.
"Standard visitation" is the time of "every other weekend" [four days per month] for the father and child.
In general America's government gives no rights to fathers. If more men knew the truth of family court, few men would find reason to marry.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I raise my fist in solidarity with this courageous man and father. If more fathers were as determined and resourceful as Chris Hobbs, the family court system would not treat hardworking fathers and their children this way.
Thank you for the inspiration, Chris Hobbs, and good luck to you and your son!
May 8th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I am serving my community . . . OVER MY DEAD BODY!
b
bernies blogs
May 8th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
And people wonder why children are taken by the non-custodial parent [I refuse to use the word "kidnapped when it involves a parent]
b
bernies blogs
May 8th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
These type of "women" are truly selfish. They would harm their children by denying them time with a good father to gain power and money. Truly sad.
May 8th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
My only problem with the story is it offers NOTHING. I'm curious to know if it was a simple matter of a vindictive mom using the job change against him? On what grounds did the court change the custody order to EOW? If they've been doing fine for years, why the change?
May 8th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
From the website info I'd guess the mom is vindictive because Chris didn't bend over and let her move the child hundreds of miles away with her new husband.
Plus now she steals almost $700/month in child support - legally.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Maybe he needs to quit his job and get welfare, live like a bum. Maybe we all should. Let the govt keep paying for its funny ideas and funny clowns.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Serve the community, lose your kid. Sounds like a real motivator.
I admire this dad's willingness to do SOMETHING to bring attention to this family and marriage-destroying disaster.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Miles-
Yeah I think you're right about that, but it's probably worse than that. It's likely that gaining sole custody is actually the first step in really moving away.
May 8th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
This man should send out an E-mail to all other firefighters, and warn them about what is happening to him.
Maybee even ask them to put up a collection jar in their firehouse to help him afford attorneys fee's.
It would help raise awareness, and one could also put Glenn Sacks website address on the jar for all the other firefighters to see.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
What a great way to reward a man whose job involves risking his life for his fellow humans. Gratitude for the sacrifices men make for society knows no bounds.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I've seen this happen in the EMT community as well. While the injustice (marching right along with the Misandry our society cherishes in the name of social progression) is displayed in no uncertain terms one thing to consider (and anyone who's pulled shift in the squad bay can appreciate this: firefighters, EMTs and p[olice officers across the land will tell you- your shift isn't over til the paperwork is done.
You can go on a 24 hr shift and do nothng for 23 hrs 59 minutes, but when the alarm goes off and you roll on a call... all bets are off as to when you'll get off shift. It could be 10 minutes or it could be 10 hrs depending on an array of variables that have NOTHING to do with your scheduled parenting time.
The tragedy here is not merely that the courts twisted the rules around to give the mother full custody... but that the mother chose to take advantage of this peculiarity in public service proffessions secure in the knowledge that the court would cater to her maliciousness.
Gunner Retired
May 9th, 2008 at 8:58 am
The family courts rewards parents that spend less time providing bread for their children.
However, if a father loses his job and has more time available to spend with his children....
I hope Mr. Hobbs succeeds in getting half physical custody.
May 9th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Thank you al for the comments and willingness to speak out.
First, Thank Glenn for doing all he does for our children.
Please note I did not even ask Glenn to post this story.
I simply sent him an email asking him to take a look at the local news story on my public awareness campaign.
Obviously Glenn did so and felt led to post it on his site for all to see just another injustice being done to my son, my family and many many others around us.
I did my best to remain factual and neutral when I created my website, all the while being emotionally ripped apart and thrown for loop after loop knowing that the very thing I sought - ability to provide for my son and set a good example on how he is suppose to help others - is being used against me by my ex-wife Dora Heisey, her lawyers Bill Burgess and Rebekah Howard and then enabled by Judge Loyd H. Little, Jr.
I name names because it matters. All parties responsible for this need to be known.
Do not shy away from the truth - ever.
This is a real story, with real people, real faces, a real 11 year old son.
I am human and have made mistakes along the parenting path and know we all fall short many times.
However, becoming a firefighter, as I said, never entered my mind that it would be used against me.
Since April 1999 I have been fighting for a simple request - to be a dad to my son, share him half the time with his mom, and provide him as much love, discipline, fun and all the family, friends and loved ones who care about him.
I have been fighting for 9 years the very woman who gave birth to him and has used the legal system 4 times in a span of 6 years (3 lawsuits and one move-away attempt) to try to take my son's dad and family from him. She has succeeded only through a mistake by Judge Little.
Judge Little had 4 chances to do the right and failed each time.
Don't you wish you had 4 chances to get right some of the toughest decisions you have ever faced in your life?
And the judges are immune from being sued for their mistakes.
Don't you wish you had immunity when you messed up??
Please review my website for the details.
I credit the Alabama Family Rights Association (www.ALFRA.org) for having succeeded in getting the "Move Away" bill passed several years ago which in prevented my ex-wife from up and moving our son in 2004 to Georgia where her husband currently and has lived for the past 5 years. Let it be known as well that my ex-wife has a 16 month old son and is due to have another son on May 22.
3 sons - What will her son's endure at the hands of future women in their lives?? Her example sets the tone of what is to come to her own children.
Thank you local News Channel 19 WHNT for having the courage to run the story. In our small town, where everyone knows everyone, it is rare that the local news will run such a story. They did a great job.
Do not fear to speak up for your rights, your childrens rights, even against the judges or lawyers when you know you are on the right side. They will threaten you. They will scare you. They will try to cast fear into you.
The major tool they use against us is fear and intimidation.
Supporters of Judge Little have already tried to have me silenced and I believe fired from my job as a firefighter.
God has blessed me with this burden to use the resources He has given me to help bring more awareness to our children's rights. I trust He will bring something great out of all this turmoil.
Stay patient, stay positive, do not be scared to speak the truth and believe and trust in Him and all will be well.
Right is right and always has been and always will.
Say a prayer for all you know enduring some suffering, even strangers, and more so for those such as my ex-wife who are misguided in their attempts to control and manipulate the children, parents, and legal system for their gain.
Thank you all,
Chris Hobbs
May 9th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I lost my job last year ... .. instead of seeing my children more I have a contempt of court hearing .. failure to pay child support .. oh yeah I nearly forgot I have had a modification to change child support since may of last year .. how many hearings have I had ... none .. when is my hearing ...maybe sept .. but the contempt case has to be heard first .... I have a new job .. pays way less .. but who cares right .. all that counts is the money ....
Give me your money for me to buy !
May 9th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Bless you Chris, and good luck. And I second that remark: they use fear as often as possible to intimidate, and it is a challenge not to give in.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Wow, what a no-win situation. On the one-hand, you have a fatherly sense of responsibility guiding you to support your child. You've also got a corrupt child support industry DEMANDING that you support your child OR ELSE.
So, he gets an honorable job to do that and, wham, he gets treated like a worse father and basically gets the message that, "you shouldn't have that good job that supports your child".
I have never been divorced; I cannot imagine the frustration you guys go through with this insanity.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:28 am
We Must discuss the destruction of the feminist backed based V.A.W.A bill. This bill was authorized first
by Bill Clinton, and then reauthorized by George Bush. We had feminist walk the halls of congress, demanding
that they inact laws that protect women against violence. But we already had laws in place against violence.
But the feminist wanted more, Control over Men and Fathers. Claiming that Men are the abusers, and women
are the victims. This bill Must be done away with, and we Must demand that it be removed at once.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Keep up the fight Chris. Like you I am a firefighter, I currently live in PA. I was divorced back in 2001 in Hawaii and initially had joint custody. Mother fought using my schedule as a firefighter and I lost. The courts had an A, B, C custody option as well as the courts allow for modifided visitation schedules as long as both parties agree. If both parties do not agree, a GAL is appointed. In your case as well as my case, it was mother who filed for full custody, a very selfish and vindictive move. It shows her unwillingness to enter into a joint custody schedule, but the court will not side with you. In my personal experience and opinion, GAL's do not place the child and their best interest as a factor in their reports. In my experience with GAL's, the GAL was looking for more reasons as to why "mother" should have primary custody with the child and is not an advocate for Joint custody. In 2005 after building my case around parental alienation, and many, many custody hearings in front of a great Female judge in Hawaii. Judge Kuriyama, appolagised for the previous ruling of the previous Judge, and said that the courts were wrong in their previous rulings. I was awarded full physical and legal custody. I had to go find and pick up my boys in Texas. With the help of a great Private Investigator and a Local Attorney I got my boys back home. I have had my boys back with me since 2005. I do not advocate reverse alienation and "tit for tat". Although their mom did not do what was right, I believe the boys need their mother. I have allowed continued contact with their mother from the day we left the court house in Texas. In my opinion this is a way fathers who have custody can show that we are loving parents who do place our children above what we feel inside and do what is right.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
For all of you that have only read the story, but truly do not actually know Chris, let me tell you, he is a awesome person ,as is his mother also. I met Chris about 5 years ago at a Alabama football game. I knew right away that something was missing in his life. You could look in his face and just see it. Our judges, lawyers, and the court system care about themselves and money ONLY. I shouldn't say all of them, but I can say MOST OF THEM. It's a shame that parents can't raise their own children equally here in the great USA. What are we coming to people? We are supposed to be a country that is free, but our freedom is being taken away day by day. Judges have way to much power and we as citizens should and can make a difference if we all stick together. How in the world can a judge tell a parent which one is the best suited to take care of the child in a courtroom for 1 or even at the most, 2 days. There is no possible way. I think unless PROVEN FOR A FACT that the other parent is unfit to raise the child then both parents should have the right to raise them equally. Who should pay child support? Well, if both of the parents are sharing equally then the answer to that one is the parent who has them. When the child is with the mother, then the mother support them, when the child is with the dad, let the dad support them. My goodness people, it's not that hard to figure out. Let's face it, in reality, a mom or dad normally wouldn't spend let's say $800 a month on 1 child, no way, unless they are just simply spoiling there child beyond reason. Then why pay so much when it comes to child support then? So the mom or dad, which ever it be paying, can live off the child support??????It's ridiculous.........
March 4th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I am curious what happened to his last court case, can't seem to find info.
March 7th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
click here or go here for update on recent trial:
www.WhyJudgeLittle.blogspot.com
September 19th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
i no how you feel about judge little, because my mom just went through a custody battle mith my dad for custody of me and my sister. all my father wanted was the 500 dollars per kid that he gets from social security, and thats all his lawyers talked about was money. me and my sister have been emotionally, and mentall abused for 10 years, and he has physically abused my other siblings. he won custody because my mom is gay, and my lawyer was black, and not in the "cool" club with the other lawyer.