You wouldn't lose your children because you criticized a plumber would you?

This past weekend I received emails from two mental health professionals who read my web content. For convenience I will refer to them as Jack and Jill. Jack's memo was relatively short. His message read:

"Hi Dan, thanks for sharing your story. I actually do hear horror stories from some of my clients who are going thru divorces and child custody issues so I know it exists and is heartbreaking. Look forward to your updates."

Jill took a different approach. Some of the things in Jill's message(s) read:

I don't think the approach of your website is the right way to go. I am a child psychologist and I know that fathers often get screwed in custody arrangements. I also think you were probably screwed. and treated unfairly. I do not think your website comes across the way you intend. When I read your website, I could feel your anger, which is justified. I felt a lot of bitterness in your statements and it seemed to me like you were feeling victimized. I don't think that's the tenor you want on a website trying to get your kids back.
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Dan as attorney: You don't know who's in "bed" with whom else in family court. You have to play the game and not come across as having a chip on your shoulder and a bone to pick. The whole section reads as anger and sarcasm.

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Cross examination- I'm not sure what the purpose of posting this is... the whole section on Dr. Connor sounds like a waste of your energy and like you are going after him-- psychologists generally don't question other psychologists since they weren't in the room at the time of the evaluation. You're more likely to get a diagnosis than support from posting this information.,

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This really needs to be about how you are going to prove to the courts that your girls seeing you is in their best interest, not about how the procedure wasn't fair to you. That's what those reading your site will use to as additional "proof" the diagnosis of narcissism, fair or unfair.

Jack just offered a few word of support and wished me luck. Jill provided me with a lot of information in an effort to help me see my girls. Both messages were heartfelt, sincere, and honest, but Jill’s message is based on, as she stated, having “to play the game.”

This is the thinking that needs to be changed if there is ever any chance of reforming the family courts. I don’t want to play games with my children’s lives. I shouldn’t have to “play ball.” I’m not contending for a lucrative government building contract, I’m trying to be a father. She said that the section regarding Dr. Connor is a waste of my time and it sounds like I am going after him. She expressed concerns about my website making me appear paranoid, angry, and/or narcissistic because it could hurt me in court. The sad thing is, all of her concerns are very valid.

Let me give you a scenario. Let’s say that you had a drain line back up into your basement. You call a national drain cleaning service to fix the problem. While at your house, the workers were rude, tracked dirt across your upstairs carpet, and that was after they were four hours late for the scheduled time. When you got the bill for the services, they charged you twice of what they said they were going to charge. A few weeks later the drain backed up again. When you called about the “satisfaction guaranteed” clause of the contract, they said that they were not going to honor it. You decided to post you thoughts on the internet to tell people what happened when you used that particular company. You write things like:

“Those lousy sons of bi#$hes tracked dirt all over my house. They made me so mad I wanted to beat them senseless. The dirty pieces of S*@T would not honor their contract and left me in a worse situation even though they over charged me. Every time I see the stains in my carpet, it makes me want to punch them in the face.”

If you showed that to a social worker, psychologist, and/or judge, they would say, “There’s no way I would ever use that drain service.” But what if the story went like this:

“That lousy son of a bi#$h, Dr. Custody Evaluator, lied in his report. He made me so mad I wanted to beat him/her senseless. The dirty piece of S*@T would not honor his/her contract and left me in a worse situation even though he/she took my money. Every time I think about the evaluation report that contained ‘numerous errors and oversights’, it makes me want to punch Dr. Custody Evaluator in the face.”

Rather than say, “There’s no way I would use Dr. Custody Evaluator”, the social worker, psychologist, and/or judge may begin to think that the person who wrote the review is a danger to their own children because there is a lot of aggression. Dr. Custody Evaluator has been doing this for years so the person who wrote the spiteful web post must suffer from some sort of reality distortion. Feelings of wanting to “punch” or “beat” Dr. Custody Evaluator raise some real concerns about the person possibly posing a danger to his/her own children. I think this person is in need of anger management, an extensive psychological examination, and possible medication to help deal with the observed behavior before the parent can exercise any parenting time with his/her children.

No one has ever lost the ability to see their own children because they wrote an angry review of a plumbing company. Why should someone’s parenting abilities be questioned if they write an angry review of a custody evaluator? That’s what happened to me; except I have never written about any thoughts of causing physical harm to anyone.

This is what has to change in the system. The Indiana Appellate Court ruled

“Thus, although a court may modify a parenting time order when the modification would serve the best interests of the child or children, a parent’s visitation rights shall not be restricted unless the court finds that the parenting time might endanger the child’s physical health or significantly impair the child’s emotional development. Id. (citing Ind. Code § 31-17-4-2). Even though the statute uses the word “might,” this Court has previously interpreted the language to mean that a court may not restrict parenting time unless that parenting time “would” endanger the child’s physical health or emotional development.”

Show me the studies that link negative consumer reviews to child abuse. There aren’t any; so why are so many people in the family court system trained to think this way? It’s because there is a giant snowball barreling down the mountain that doesn’t have any checks and balances. The snowball will run over anyone that stands in its path. The system is trapped in a box with its own methodology and science that it bewilders people on the outside. The first step in reforming the family court system is forcing the system out of its box.

Who Cares About Health Care Reform or Taxes?

I rarely talk about politics in my web postings because I don't want it to interfere with the message I'm trying to convey about the problems with the family court system but something is really bothering me.

The new health care laws have people fighting mad about the fear of losing their constitutional rights. Attorneys General from several states are filing suits against the national government. People are joining militias "just in case"; whatever "just in case" may be. There are tea parties being held to help rally for change in government because the government spends too much of our money. Media outlets are telling people that they are losing the freedoms that our forefathers fought and died for. Many claim their actions are for the good of the children. You always hear that our children are going to suffer the consequences of what the government is doing today. Here is a news flash; the government took my children away.

Ripley County Circuit Judge Carl H. Taul is a democrat. He lied about why he could not, would not, and/or did not order the release of the case file from the child custody evaluation performed by Dr. Edward J. Connor. Republican Dearborn County Circuit Judge James D. Humphrey took away my ability to see my children because he "was most concerned about [my] irrational behavior and attacks on Dr. Connor." Dr. Edward J Connor admitted that his report contained "numerous errors and oversights." Dr. Connor lied about the reasons as to why he could or could not release his case file for the evaluation report. Dr. Connor stated he would not release the case file to me because I was representing myself. I did not punch Dr. Connor or call him at home, I filed a complaint with the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology and I posted information on websites with supporting evidence in an effort to tell my story so I could help other people steer clear of Dr. Edward J. Connor. I was punished for exercising my constitutional right to represent myself and my right to freedom of speech. Two little girls are now without a father because a democratic judge and a republican judge felt it was in the judges' best interest to protect Dr. Edward J Connor. Where are the protestors? Screw taxes and government health care, the government just took my children because I exercised my 1st Amendment Rights.

People like to say that the world is going to end because Bush or Obama was/is in control. Try to think of life without the ability to see your children or your grandchildren. Who cares about Nancy Pelosi or John Boehner. Who cares what Sarah Palin has to say. Minnesota representative Michele Bachman was calling for the media to investigate "anti-American" sentiment in the U.S. Congress. "Our children... Our children... Our children... blah blah blah..." I fail to see how my 4 and 6 year old daughters' future tax brackets or job security will hold a candle to the damage done by not having a father.

I'm not here to offer perspective on the pluses or minuses of health care reform. I don't care if Pelosi's smile is a little on the taut side and I don't want to know the model number of Boehner's tanning bed. Is there anti-American sentiment in Congress? Of course there is. How many children are abused each year because the government denies them the ability to see a parent? Denying a child of a parent is one of the most un-American, unconstitutional, and unholy crimes the government could ever commit. Everyday, both Democrat and Republican leaders turn their backs to this type of child abuse. Unfortunately this type of child abuse doesn't make for good ratings on MSNBC or FOXNEWS so we will have to settle for protesting something else.

Feel free to join the Facebook group "Help Dan Brewington see his girls." The group has members from around the world and I can guarantee that this movement is truly in the best interests of the children. Thank you.

Public Records Request to the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the Board,

Please provide me with the following information:

1. All written correspondence with Dr. Edward J. Connor Psy. D. by any member of the Board and/or the Office of the Attorney General concerning the complaint(s) filed by Daniel Brewington. Please provide any documentation of any verbal communication the Board and/or the Office of the Attorney General have had with Dr. Connor regarding said complaint(s).

2. A list of the names and addresses of any persons involved in reviewing initiating complaint(s), filed by Dan Brewington.

3. The Kentucky Statue or Regulation stating that a child custody evaluation case file prepared by a psychologist is not considered a health record and is not subject to inspection by the psychologist’s patient/client.

4. Any prior complaints filed against Dr. Connor and Dr. Connor’s subsequent responses.

5. A copy of the complaint dated 3/16/09, filed by Daniel Brewington that was received by Mr. Brengelman’s office by mail. Mr. Brengelman stated during the April 13, 2009 Board meeting that he failed to provide the Board with the mailed copy of the complaint.

6. Board minutes involving complaint agency case no. 08-15.

Given the volume of the public records request, please be aware that this information is essential in protecting the public from further harm from Dr. Connor. The only correspondence that I am aware that the Board has had with Dr. Connor is in a letter to Dr. Connor dated 12/9/08 and Dr. Connor’s subsequent responses, dated 12/22/08 and 1/16/09. The complaints deal largely with Dr. Connor’s refusal to provide me with a copy of the case file from the child custody evaluation conducted by Dr. Connor. The Board is aware that Dr. Connor stated in the April 16, 2008, addendum to the custody evaluation, “Mr. Brewington is correct in stating that our contract indicates we would provide the file to the representing attorney, however, given the circumstances, we believe that a Court order is necessary to release the file to Mr. Brewington given that he is representing himself pro se.” The Court never issued a protective order preventing Dr. Connor from releasing the file and I am unaware of any law limiting a client’s access to an evaluation performed by a psychologist because the client does not have an attorney. The only way Dr. Connor could legally obstruct my access to the evaluation case file is with a protective order from the Court or if there is an existing law stating that a psychologist can arbitrarily decide to obstruct a client’s access to an evaluation case file/health record. Considering that the Court didn’t issue a protective order prohibiting the release of the case file, would the Board please direct me to the Kentucky Statute stating that a psychologist’s file from a child custody evaluation is not considered a health record and is not available for inspection by the client? Dr. Connor testified in court that it was debatable as to whether a case file, from a child custody evaluation, was a health record and subject to inspection. Clarification from the Board on this issue is essential in protecting the rights of parents and children. Clarification from the Board could possibly eliminate the need for court interpretation of the matter.

As the Board is in possession of Dr. Connor’s letters, reports, and responses to the Board containing false and conflicting statements, please provide me with copies of any other complaints filed against Dr. Connor and Dr. Connor’s subsequent responses. Understanding that protecting the privacy of individuals in complaints filed with the Board is a major concern, I would assume that the Board would separate the excepted material protected by privacy and make the non-excepted material available for examination. With that being said, the release of public records of a personal nature would not constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy given that Dr. Connor appears to have deceived the Board on many of the issues raised in initiating complaint 08-15. The release of public records concerning previous complaints against Dr. Connor would only serve to protect the health and safety of the public.

Please send me a copy of my March 16, 2009 initiating complaint against Dr. Edward J. Connor Psy. D. During the April 13, 2009 Board meeting, members of the Board and Mr. Brengelman discussed that they didn’t have the opportunity to address the complaint because the Board hadn’t received a mailed copy. During the public address portion of the Board meeting, Mr. Brengelman stated that he did receive a copy of the complaint by mail but failed to forward the mailed complaint to the Board. I am requesting a copy of the complaint to verify when it was received by the Board and/or Mr. Brengelman’s office.

I expect that the Board would promptly respond to the public records request in accordance with KRS 61.880. If the agency and the Office of the Attorney General deny the request for public records, I will be appealing the matter in the Circuit Court. Given the Office of the Attorney General (Kentucky) and (Jack) Conway’s indirect connection to Dr. Connor, I would name Mr. Conway and the Office of the Attorney General any action filed in the Circuit Court regarding the release of public records. Mr. Conway’s intervention into the trial of Marco Chapman, where Dr. Connor’s evaluation played a role in determining the competency of Mr. Chapman, would warrant an explanation for denying a request for public records involving Dr. Connor.

Please feel free to contact me at 513-xxx-xxxx with any questions. I would also be willing to schedule a meeting to discuss the matter.

Daniel P. Brewington

[Marco Chapman was executed by the State of Kentucky on November 21, 2008. Dr. Connor performed an evaluation of Marco Chapman but claimed he had a hard time understanding me because of I had ADD. Somehow, the powers that be in Kentucky don't find it troubling that a psychologist can understand a death row inmate but not a father in a custody evaluation. If you are new to the story you can check out www.dadsfamilycourtexperience.com]