Court Delivers Devastating Blow to Leading Feminist Attorney Barry Goldstein
January 5th, 2009 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & Families
Few family law cases are as heartbreaking as those involving Parental Alienation, where one parent has turned his or her children against the other parent, destroying the loving bonds the children and the target parent once enjoyed. Many of my readers have experienced it in various forms and to varying degrees.
Feminist groups, including the National Organization for Women, contend that Parental Alienation is a myth and a ruse used by abusive fathers to win control of their children in custody cases. To pick one example of many, Helen Grieco, until recently the Executive Director of California NOW, calls Parental Alienation Syndrome a "scam."
(I have never denied that there are fathers who have alienated their own children through their abuse or personality defects, and who attempt to shift the blame to their children’s mothers by falsely claiming PAS. Yet parental alienation is a common, well-documented phenomenon. For example, a longitudinal study published by the American Bar Association in 2003 followed 700 "high conflict" divorce cases over a 12 year period and found that elements of PAS were present in the vast majority of the cases studied.)
Feminist attorney Barry Goldstein, Esq. of New York has been one of the leading advocates for this position, and was the primary attorney in the highly-publicized Genia Shockome case in New York. Shockome, lost custody of her two children, now ages 13 and 11, to her ex-husband, Tim Shockome after a contentious custody battle in which Genia accused Tim of abuse. The Shockome case was widely reported, including this sympathetic article in Newsweek magazine, and Shockome was a popular feminist cause celebre a few years ago.
Goldstein (pictured in a suit & tie alongside Shockome) has worked with or been a member of many if not most of the organizations seeking to discredit Parental Alienation and the fatherhood movement. He has practiced law in New York for almost three decades, has authored a book on custody cases involving allegations of domestic violence, and is scheduled to speak at the annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference next week.
Last week Barry Goldstein, Esq. had his head handed to him.
The New York Appellate Division for the Second Judicial Department imposed a staggering five-year suspension of Goldstein in large part for his conduct in the Shockome case. The Court called numerous statements Goldstein made concerning the Shockome case "dishonest, false, or misleading." The Court also criticized Goldstein for misuse of funds in another case he handled.
Regarding the Shockome case, the Court criticized what it called the "pervasive nature of [Goldstein's] deceptive conduct"--conduct which it said included "false accusations" about the case and "noncompliance with multiple court orders." The Court wrote:
On behalf of his client [Genia Shockome], he prepared and filed with this Court a petition for writ of habeas corpus and a petition in a proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78. These materials contained sworn statements which were dishonest, false, or misleading.
To learn more, see Georgetown Law Center Ethics Counsel Michael S. Frisch's write-up here. To read the Court's decision itself, click here.
Goldstein's fall is a tremendous embarrassment to many of our opponents in the battle to achieve shared parenting, reform family law, and protect children's right to a relationship with both parents after divorce. These include: the New York state chapter of the National Organization for Women; Justice for Children; The Battered Mothers Custody Conference; Stop Family Violence; The Leadership Council; and others.
Of far less significance but still worth noting, the Court's ruling further vindicates my position on the Shockome case--a position for which I was publicly crucified by our feminist opponents. This vindication is nice but not necessary--while Genia's publicly-stated version of the case seemed superficially compelling, anybody taking a good look at the court records in the case as I did would come to similar conclusions.
One of Goldstein's statements that the New York Court cited in disciplining him is his public contention that in the Shockome case "Without an evidentiary hearing or any written explanation, Judge Amodeo took the children from the mother who has raised them and sent them to the abuser." This is false--Judge Amodeo actually bent over backwards to be fair to Shockome, who lost her children to her ex-husband only after repeatedly violating court orders. Moreover, there was no evidence that the ex-husband was an "abuser," and the Court specifically repudiated this accusation.
I discussed the details of the Shockome case at length in my co-authored Shockome Syndrome. As I've noted on several occasions, the major feminist cause celebre custody cases of the past few years have been scams--Genia Shockome, Sadia Loeliger, Bridget Marks, and others.
The latest feminist cause celebre is the Holly Collins parental abduction case. The mother's version of events in this case is also problematic.
My findings on Shockome can be found here.
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January 5th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Yay!!
Hooray!!
Just had to say it.
What a scumbag. Five years is not enough. His name should be publicized all over for this. Thank you Glenn for exposing him. I wish you put his name in the title of the post. It needs to be publicized. That would make it more reachable to search engines.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
AWESOME
January 5th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Glenn, I almost wish to keep this under the rug - because the more you tout change in the status quo, the more the dying dinosaur of feminist "justice" will struggle to win back its strength. Although I hate to be so skeptical, I predict that they will make Goldstein the fall-guy, while still rescuing the Shockome case as their triumph. Besides, the "case" is out in the public - good luck getting it out of women's studies propaganda literature.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
i've heard afew feminists call the boy crisis a myth also....they like that word myth
January 5th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Pankaj,
Don't discount the effect of good publicity on making new converts. People who don't want to stick their neck out or form an opinion easily say "nah, nobody would lie about that..." and avoid the issue entirely. After publicity, it is publicly acceptable to say "I don't buy that story... the opposite must be true." The strength of feminism was based on arguments made twenty years ago... today's pundits have worn out the old cliches and have as much potential to embarrass themselves as reinforce themselves. The law is on their side, but the truth will come out.
Nobody wants to see examples like Mike Nifong, but the truth is that any prosecutor with a similar case will think about what happened to him before pulling the trigger. Other lawyers will read about Barry Goldstein, and the ones on the right side of the argument will be bolder, and the ones who admired his strategies will back off mindfully. The more publicity, the better.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Thanks for posting this Glenn.
It seems to me that this case just provides more proof that you have a keen knack for getting to the truth in these stories. Too bad the so-called "journalists" over at Newsweek, Time, and most of the other "main stream" news media don't seem to share this talent.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Certainly good news to be brought with you next time you're brought on a program to speak of PA.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Somehow there's got to be a connection, between this guy and bottom-dweller Mike Nifong.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Glenn, Great job. Need to see if any of the larger newspapers/magazines can print this and make this more public. Yes, the feminist will try everything in their power to get the story changed around in their favor; but it is a bit of an eye opener when the judges (even some of them are part of the problem) start to see through these lawyers.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Add this to the mountain of feminist lies foisted on the public. When are people going to realize that feminist organizations, NOW in particular, have no credibility because of their incessant dishonesty regarding gender, family and men's issues?
January 5th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Good news.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Glad to hear he got kicked to the curb. Too bad they didn't disbar him instead. But again, lawyers policing lawyers.
January 5th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I agree with Marc A. – 5 years is not enough. I wonder if Newsweek will run with this side of the story? Sorry, that was, of course, rhetorical - we know that won't happen. Good riddance Mr Goldstein, my only regret is that you won’t be punished for all the harm you have done (you jerk).
January 5th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
well you know that Now and other groups will be mad about this will start claiming that he was set up by the bad judges
January 5th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
This is one small step for bold academics, and one tiny blow against the juggernaut of hysterics.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Thank you Glenn for posting this story. For years Goldstein has been the power behind Marcia Pappas and the Battered Mothers Custody Conference. He is still scheduled to speak for them in a few days.
Goldstein also runs a grant driven teaching seminar for Judges and legislators.* I wonder if this will lead to his losing the grants and credibility he has gained with the courts. Someone needs to contact his past 'students' and inform them of the courts decisions.
Shockome is on youtube touting her case with the bmcc. A sign of the truly delusional is that they refuse to accept reality. This case won't go away because of the political connections these people have.
One more thing...saw you on M&J with Giraldo the other day. Great job.
http://www.barrygoldstein.net/workshop.pdf
http://www.barrygoldstein.net/ncadvconf
*Barry has provided workshops as part of judicial trainings in Rockland County,
New York and in Tennessee where the chief judge promised to incorporate the
information Mr. Goldstein presented into the custody court system. Last year he
presented three workshops for the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office. Barry Goldstein
has been selected to present at all five Battered Mothers’ Custody Conferences and three
times for the NCADV. He also makes presentations at higher educational institutions
such as Fairleigh Dickinson University and Bergen Community College
January 6th, 2009 at 6:30 am
"The Court called numerous statements Goldstein made concerning the Shockome case "dishonest, false, or misleading." "
That is interesting... because it seems to be the SOP of MANY feminists. Too bad the courts don't review all feminist claims.
The feminist writers style manual probably has mislead, distort, and distract as chapters 1, 2, and 3.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Wonder what Geraldo will say on his next Debate about this. I'm pretty sure he will get PWN'd.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Seems to me that Goldstein did the exact same thing, using outright false and misleading accusations against the father in court, that most attorneys use. False accusations against the father are almost a given in every custody dispute from what I've seen.
Family Court judges make rulings on children's lives based on those lies all the time, and never bother to ask the father his side to learn the truth. That's how so many unfit mothers retain sole custody and continuously get away with contempt of court orders.
Attorneys lie all the time in order to win. My ex DIL was told what to say by her attorney and it was all pure fiction, but still effective with the judge, who based all his decisions solely on what the mother said and never allowed any information from anybody else. What's new about that?
January 6th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Imagine Barry Goldstein going to the Battered Mothers Custody Conference in Albany this weekend !! And what is he going to say for himself? For the sake of me and my daughter, both victims of another heinous lawyer Randy Burton who founded the Justice for Children, I hope Randy Burton has to sit right next to this thief of truth! Amazing to me that these people with thier groups, e.g. Justice for Children, Stop Family Volence, The Leadership Council, etc enjoy tax free status via the FED under 501c3!
January 6th, 2009 at 9:45 am
"Just me Says:
January 5th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
well you know that Now and other groups will be mad about this will start claiming that he was set up by the bad judges"
that has already started.
January 6th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Guys like Goldstein are the enemies of truth. When lies prevail, all of society must suffer.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:15 am
IT's great that a court finally shined a key light on a major problem, but Goldstein walked way with a slap on the wrist. Why isn't the prosecuting attorney doing his/her job and filing charges such as contempt, perjury, and so on? The list should be a long one, after all as an officer of the court he should have known better!!!!!!!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Deleted--will be made into a separate blog post.--moderator
January 6th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Even if you live in a fancy house but work in an ethical sewer you don't have anything of value.
Legal kidnapping is as unethical as kidnapping itself. You probably won't go to jail for it, but you won't rest well either knowing the heineous crime you've committed against your child(ren) and the former love of your life.
Support the Presumption of Equal Parenting and guarantee every child 2 fit and loving parents.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
It would have been better had Goldstein been "Nifonged". dis-Barred and disgraced. I went out on the NET and started looking for mention of the suspension and theres very little press right now. Some Rad-Fem blogs but none of the main media attention the case recieve.
I am afraid though that all that may come of this is making him a martyr to her cause. "Oh my gosh, her attorney was suspended!! They must really want her to lose...this case is fixed" or something like that.
Which is why if he would have been disbarred it would have been better because theres no explaining it away.
But Ill still say WOOT!!!! anyway.
TOMD
January 6th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
All children and fathers own a debt of thanks to Glenn Sachs.
No one says it better - clearer - with an even temperament (that can appeal to all sane persons). By examining public cases, he brings forth the flaws - in all their forms - that harm virtually all children.
The ability to put what happens to children and fathers into clear convincing publicly acceptable prose is key. It is still of roll of the dice for all ----- today. I think it is and has improved - note: and improvement is a lessening of everything Glenn writes about.
Thanks from myself and all my friends,
NYSteve
January 6th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
CW says,
"False accusations against the father are almost a given in every custody dispute from what I've seen. Family Court judges make rulings on children's lives based on those lies all the time, and never bother to ask the father his side to learn the truth. "
The standard procedure is for such fathers falsely accused (usually of child abuse or DV) is to be locked up in jail with no trial, no evidence, and in many cases no formal charge being made (see Baskerville). Kafkaesque indeed.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
It's good to see the feminists lose.