Letter: Family Court consultant didn’t talk to litigants

Saturday, July 19, 1997 | 11:23 a.m.

I believe there is a direct correlation. For example, Temporary Restraining Orders which are meant to protect are only a piece of paper.

They do nothing to truly protect one in immediate danger from an estranged spouse; in fact they antagonize.

The recent upheaval in the news regarding Family Court problems openly displayed a few of the frustrations that some litigants have experienced. It appears that the courts are often unable to resolve cases amicably and expediently.

The emotions that people go through in a divorce often cause them to do foolish and sometimes crazy things. Often there are murders, child abuse and suicides relating to divorce situations.

In my experience in six years of litigation, the system seems to be sluggish and insensitive to the needs of the families both in Las Vegas and in Chicago.

If you want true feedback on how the courts are doing, it is much more complicated than a partial study of the system by one man commissioned by the court to research how quickly a divorce gets done.

If you want the truth, go to the customers: the litigants who put their trust in other people to resolve complicated issues. What you will discover is that the complaints are often valid and ignored.

In your article you write: "It doesn't take but a few publicized cases to destroy reality," said author Dan Wiley, a judicial consultant from Florida.

All it takes is one child to be hurt or silenced, one person's rights to be violated or disregarded as unimportant, and that is one too many. That is reality Mr. Wiley. The court has paid Wiley $75,000 to make sense of a court that no one had a handle on.

Has this man spoken with the unhappy litigants like myself? Not with me. Has he addressed post-decree divorce cases to see how those issues are resolved? Has he investigated how the Commission on Judicial Discipline handles complaints?

Do a complete job Mr. Wiley; before you make announcements, get all the facts.

Al DiCicco Director, Coalition for Family Court Reform