Reading this story reminds me of another case
recently (Baby Veronica) where the courts made a ruling that was another attempt at pursuing the
social engineering theories that often pass as ‘best interest of the child’
custody rulings. I will link one of
them, although I am sure there are hundreds of others. Although on the surface these two cases appear
different, in fact, they have one thing in common: Courts over-analysis of the facts of a previous
ruling and the subsequent social-engineering changes following from that.
First of all I should clarify my own opinion of courts
ruling on custody of children: Less is
more. BTW, this is the thinking behind
custody not being overturned, no matter the change in circumstances of the
non-custodial parent. In other words if a
child is already in a custodial arrangement where they are happy, healthy and safe,
there is absolutely no reason to look at changing it I repeat: “no matter the change in circumstances of the
non-custodial parent”.
Custody (and this includes temporary custody) should
only be allowed to be revised through the courts if a change in circumstances
takes place in the ‘custodial’ home that actually might have some impact on a
child’s life…
This means that if you are, for instance: using drugs when your child is young or living
in a car when your child is young and custody of said child must be given to
someone else due to these or similar situations, you don’t get a do-over if you
straighten up your act later in life. It’s
great that you straightened up; however, it should not mean that a child is
uprooted from a happy, stable home to be returned to you, in the hope, that you
will continue being able to care for them:
that you won’t be recalled into the army or lose a job and wind up in a
car again, etc.
Again, I think ‘custody’ (even temporary) needs to
begin being looked at as more or less a permanent arrangement unless you have a
‘change in circumstances’ in the actual custodial caretaker’s life. You should not be allowed to petition the
court to change it unless you have proof of a substantial change in
circumstances in the ‘custodial’ home.
We have to begin reigning in this whole ‘custody’
business that has sprung up over the last 20 odd years or so. I guarantee you that ‘back in the day’ someone
living in a car, whether or not they used drugs, would never have had a prayer of
getting a court to hear a petition to overturn another custody arrangement
their child was living in, even a temporary one. Court over-involvement in these issues has
led to these abductions we are always hearing about…
Richard
Wayne Landers Jr., Indiana Boy Abducted In 1994, Found In Minnesota
By KEN KUSMER 01/10/13 10:04 PM ET EST 
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana woman
whose young son was abducted 19 years ago was screaming and "jumping up
and down" after learning he was living in Minnesota under a different
name, her husband said Thursday shortly after police announced they had found
him.
Richard Wayne Landers Jr. was just 5 years old when he and his
paternal grandparents, who were upset over custody arrangements, disappeared
from Wolcottville, a town about 30 miles north of Fort Wayne.
Indiana State Police said the now 24-year-old Landers was found
in Long Prairie, Minn., thanks in part to his Social Security number. His
grandparents were living under aliases in a nearby town and confirmed his
identity, investigators said.
Police declined to say whether the grandparents would face
charges, citing the ongoing investigation.
Landers' mother, Lisa Harter, was "jumping up and down for
joy" when investigators told her a few days ago that her son had been
found, her husband Richard Harter told The Associated Press in a telephone
interview.
He said his wife is "the happiest woman on earth."
Harter said he and his wife were working with an attorney and
hoped to reunite with his stepson soon. Police said Landers is married and
expecting his first child.
Harter declined further comment and referred questions about the
case to his attorney, who didn't immediately return phone messages Thursday.
Investigators declined to release the names under which Landers and his
grandparents had been living.
Police said the boy's paternal grandparents, Richard E. and Ruth
A. Landers, abducted him in July 1994 because they were "upset over
pending court proceedings" regarding his placement.
Police spokesman Sgt. Ron Galaviz said it appears the boy's father was never in
the picture. Lisa and Richard Harter had married a year earlier.
Authorities believe the grandparents took the boy from their
home in Wolcottville and fled. They were charged at the time with misdemeanor
interference with custody, which was bumped up to a felony in 1999. But the
charge was dismissed in 2008 after the case went cold.
Investigators reopened the case in September when Richard Harter
turned over the boy's Social Security card to an Indiana State Police
detective.
That turned up a man with the same Social Security number and
date of birth living in Long Prairie, Minn., about 100 miles northwest of
Minneapolis. A driver's license photo for the man appeared to resemble Landers,
police said.
Indiana State Police then contacted Minnesota law enforcement
agencies, which began investigating along with the FBI and the Social Security
Administration.
The grandparents were found living in nearby Browerville, Minn.
"By all accounts, it didn't appear he suffered from any
abuse, either physical or mental," Galaviz said.
