Michigan judge detains children for refusing lunch with their father

A Michigan judge ordered three children 15, 10 and 9 years
old be sent to a juvenile detention facility until they were 18-
years-old after the trio refused to go to lunch with their
father.
Judge Lisa Gorcyca told the mother and children that the
case, stemming from a contentious divorce that began in
2009, was tied for the worst "parental alienation" case she
had ever seen. She blamed the mother for alienating the two
older boys and their younger sister from their father.
"Your children, you need to do a research program on
Charlie Manson and the cult that he has," the judge told the
mother, according to court transcripts.
During the hearing, the son attempted to explain to Gorcyca
why he didn’t want to spend time with his dad. “Because he
is violent and I saw him hit my mom,” the boy said in court
documents.
Gorcyca claimed the child had been brainwashed and held
all three in contempt of court and sent them to the
Children's Village, a detention facility, where they were to be
held until they turn 18-years-old.
“I felt like I was watching them being executed,” the
children’s mother said. “No matter how bad the divorce
gets, I think the court should not punish the kids for that.”
The children remained in custody Thursday, according to the
office of attorney Lisa Stern, who is representing the
mother.
“I have been doing family law for 20 years and I must
say this shocks the conscience,” Stern said. “I think
we have a court with the best interest of children in
mind. I think the judge was very concerned about the
reunification of this family, but went about it the
wrong way.”
The father's lawyer, Keri Middleditch, said the situation was
traumatic for everyone involved.
"It is unfortunate that the children are in shelter care
due to the actions of their mother," she said in a
statement on Thursday.
Middleditch said the mother "has continued to endorse the
children's behavior that she successfully instilled in them,
effectively alienating them from their father. The court took
severe action to attempt to remedy a heart-wrenching
situation, solely created" by the mother.
On Thursday, a lawyer in the judge's office, Amanda Murley,
said Gorcyca was "unable to comment" because of the
ongoing case.
Source: My Fox Detroit

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