Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Problems with Stan Griffis
I have been a resident of Gainesville, Florida for five years now. I love this town and have been happy living here.
I been going through a divorce for two years now and for the past year and a half Judge Griffis has sat smugly on the bench. It is obvious by his actions, he dislikes women. I don't understand this because he is married with three daughters. Being one sided is fine, but when it so blatant no matter what the situation is, it is sick.
The court should be unbiased. He is not. The court should rule fairly. He does not. Due process, I don't think he understands the definition. He has allowed woman and children to be left with uncertainty as to where they will live, survive, and what will be left in the end. He is afraid to make a decision for fear he might upset the one he supports.
He is arrogant, inmature, unqualified and will not recuse himself when he knows full well that he is in over his head.
Some of the things in have gone through are: Actually I make this easy, here is a letter
I have sent to the Judicial Qualifications Committee, JQC: Mind you I have complained twice to them although they don't think these are valid reasons. I know the more they hear his name the more they may start to think twice about this judge. So don't hesitate to send a complaint. I have also sent this letter to Judge Smith, 8th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge, he also doesn't seem to feel he should do anything.
Case Number 01-2006-DR-003145
March 18th, 2008
Judge Frederick Smith,
I am hereby putting you on notice that you have knowledge of the below behavior of Judge Stan Griffis. It is my intent and right to include you in future litigation as a result of your inability to sufficiently and competently direct, supervise, Judges in your charge.
After Judge Griffis forced the case to trial on October 22nd, 2007 and his last words were “I think I have a good idea where this case is going” following the week long trial; here it is March 18th, 2008, almost five (5) months later, and NOTHING has been decided. In the meantime, my house is being foreclosed, my personal property destroyed, insurances lapsed and worst of all the children, four of them ages 7-17, are living in a dysfunctional environment. Are we talking about qualification or ethical violations yet?
Is the fact there is a custody battle and Judge Griffis would not allow for a custody evaluation not just once but numerous time because “it would take to long”, during the first rush to trial which was going to take place in June. Fortunately, the Appellate Court intervened at this stage to review Judge Griffis’ Behavior. When we asked again for the upcoming trial in October Judge Griffis again denied an evaluation as well as an Attorney Ad Litem. Yet we sit and wait five (5) months later for him to make his ruling. When has a custody issue/dispute and evaluation ever been ignored due to a time constraints set by a Judge, who has full power to change the hearing date, AND ignore the well being of the children, NOT A QUESTION OF QUALIFICATIONS OR ETHICS!!?
Is the fact that Judge Griffis allowed my husband to sell my truck out from under me, our boat, golf cart, torment me and destroy my personal property, and while Judge Griffis, found him in criminal contempt for his some of these behaviors, there was no consequences for any of his actions. As a result of Judge Griffis’ failure to act, my husband continues this type of behavior. Is this not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that Judge Griffis threw out two (2) restraining orders against my husband after he assaulted me and one of my children, not a question of qualifications or ethics? And from my understanding Judge Griffis has been removed and is no longer allowed to hear Domestic Violence cases because of his egregious and outrageous decisions. THIS IS AFTER ONLY ONE YEAR! The third I chose not to try for because I knew it would be a waist of time. Fortunately, the state attorney did not see it as Judge Griffis did and filed charges against Peter, and placed him on probation for a year.
Is it the fact that Judge Griffis has changed my temporary order for support without even reviewing my husbands financial situation, but stand in his chambers and think for about two minutes and change my support from $18,000 a month, originally ordered by Judge Mosely, to $2500 a month, a difference of $15,500, because my husband said” I have no money”. With only that being Judge Griffis’ basis for his decision, not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that Judge Griffis has allowed my husband to pay his lawyers in full but will not order my husband to pay my lawyers or forensic account, not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that Judge Griffis hastily ordered this case to trial without first allowing me any review of my husband’s financial activities and the resources to do so, not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that Judge Griffis allows my husband to drive our children around with a suspended license and to openly smoke cannabis in our house (all admitted to in court), not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that I filed a Writ of Prohibition against Judge Griffis because of his offensive mocking behavior towards me openly in hearings, not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that we asked Judge Griffis numerous times to recuse himself and him denying our motions without any explanation, not a question of qualifications or ethics?
Is the fact that Judge Griffis ordered me and my husband to “share” a home in which we rotate in and out of the house every other week an illustration of his perversion. Have you ever heard of such a thing? This has been happening for 15 months. When it started, Judge Griffis actually allowed my husband to be in the house during my week. The children are absolutely dysfunctional and confused. Despite outlining physical and mental abuses that the children have been exposed to, Judge Griffis continues to frolic in this manner.
The primary residence that has been destroyed by Judge Griffis is now in foreclosure. The family vehicle has been repossessed. Judge Griffis and Judge Mosely ordered my husband to continue paying these bills. Knowing that there are NO consequences for being in contempt in Judge Griffis’ court, my husband has continued to violate every Order put forth.
The latest antics have come to me filing two motions, in the last month, in which Judge Griffis would not allow his assistant set a hearing date for the first one. And for the Emergency Motion filed a week later he scheduled a status conference, to find out were the parties are at. So we could go in and say there is an emergency and OK let’s set a hearing. A huge waste of time and money. Why not set it when the motion was file. Or better yet, how about a status conference to find out where Judge Griffis is at. Why leave me and our children waiting to find out if we will ever have a vehicle or a home again.
Is there a time limit on making a decision on a case? Will I have a decision before 2009. Is there protocol? Or is he at liberty to continue abusing his power as a Judge and our family.
Is the fact that this is only a few examples of what I have endured over the last 16 months not a question of qualifications as a judge and ethics as a judge? Do qualifications or ethics not come into question in any of these behaviors I have illustrated?
The 8th Judicial Circuit should be embarrassed by this kind of behavior and you should be embarrassed for allowing all this to happen. You’ve known about this case and you’ve talked with other people about this case. Do you have any children? Is Judge Griffins being paid off by my husband? Is he corrupt? Or is he just an inept, immature, incompetent, unskilled Judge who is afraid to make a decision?
Frustrated,
Christine Schaller Dautel
cc:
Judicial Qualifications Committee
Florida Bar
Gainesville Sun
Stan Griffis
Between March and June there has been other things that would shock you and Judge Griffis just shrugged his shoulders and did nothing.
Mind you since this letter was sent I have finally received his final decision, eight months later. I have not been awarded attorneys fees, lost my house, car, he has allowed my x-husband to decide how things will be split and basically apologised to my X for his troubles.
Regrettably my only recourse is to file an appeal. I am also making my case public to show you that you are not the only one and no one deserves this treatment. The courts should be there to protect you, not victimize you. Judge Griffis is a supporter of abuse, encourages this action by not punishing the abuser, better yet he condones their actions. In his little mind, you deserved it.
I have never before experienced such discrimination against women. This is the worst kind of abuser there can be, because he is not accountable for his actions.
We need to make him accountable.
On Friday, July 11, at 12 noon, I will be in front of the civil court house making my cause known. If you would please join me and other victims of this judge to rally support for due process, fairness, and to help expose this Judge for who he is.
Let me know your feelings on this matter.
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26 comments:
Dear Christine,
I feel for what you are facing with these less than qualified judges who believe they are untouchable and can get away with abuse cruelty and damaging children's lives The apalling behavior of these judges have become an epidemic in our country and we all must continue to voice these horrific actions and bring it to the view of every citizen in our country, We also tried to recuse, asked for a re-hearing asked for a stay and it was all denied by Judge Bernard S. Shapiro the made the horrific ruling in my case, Bernard "Bernie" S. Shapiro who abused his power in my case and played with my son's life ignoring the detrimental damage that he was bringing upon my son, this judge is a monster and everyone must know, even though the courts have become a cash register and our children are paying the price, we must continue to speak out and voice these horrific stories so to make everyone aware of what really goes on in our courts. please sign the following petition and pass it along:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/custody-change-of-16-year-old-boy-in-family-court,
Thank you we must not give up unitl justice is served and our children are protected from the abuse of heartless judges who only sit on the bench for self gain.
Children should be seen, heard, believed and protected!!!
Inept and corrupt, obviously. He overturned a prior judge's ruling of alimony and child support on one statement by your husband? Unheard of, illogical and almost unbelievable. Your only hope is your appeal, however, the District of Appeals Court for Northern Florida is unreliable at best. Your case sounds like Judge Griffis doesn't bother to follow the law because he is all knowing. Interesting, only 37 years old and is now in a position to make such life changing decisions for you and your family. You would think he would follow the law for his own protection. He is a renegade with little life experience or knowledge to back his decisions. Family law was formulated for good reason: to protect the children. Judge Griffis is doing the opposite basing decision purely on emotion,and his limited wisdom(or lack thereof). You should by the way, have some comments from Jillian Ballantyne, you list her as co-author of the blog but there is nothing about her case at all. To further your cause, the more comments you get the better. It is most importanat that you include as many first hand experiences as possible. Also, have you looked into displaced homemaker programs in the community and support groups? This might be of great help to you.
I pray for divine intervention and for a positive outcome for your family.
Finally, I would like to leave you with a quote. “Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love. ” ~Mildred B. Vermont
Peace,
Hi Christine.
I know it's been over a year since your troubles with Judge Stanley Griffis III. Sadly, I am writing to let you know that he's now the Circuit Family Judge in Levy County and he's doing exactly the same thing here that he was doing in Alachua County. He's allowed my Ex husband to get away with pretty much the same as your Ex, and has no interest whatsoever in how women and children will fare.
In my case, the primary issue is my Ex husband getting unsupervised visitation of a child he behaved sufficiently "inappropriately" with at her school, that 5 teachers reported their concerns over what they had witnessed, to DCF. However, since our daughter isn't talking, they could only go so far with the case. The fact that I went into court with proof of a number of questionable online relationships my Ex (age 35) was having with girls online (ages 14 to 17) was "irrelevant." I also had phone records that weren't acknowledged either, where one 14 year old girl called my Ex 17 times in one day on his cell phone. The fact that my Ex was also initially living in a one bedroom apartment after we separated, and was sharing his bed with our daughter before found out about it and withheld further visitation (before the Judge mandated it via court Order), never mattered either.
So, a man who is showing significant signs of grooming his daughter for incest, is allowed to see our 9 year old, UNSUPERVISED, for 82 nights out of the year. All thanks to Judge Stanley Griffis III.
Oh, just as an insult, I am also (finally)getting just over HALF the child support I am owed via the Florida Child Support Guidelines, and just a couple months worth of arrerage for the YEAR we went without any support whatsoever. Why? Ex didn't bother showing up for court when we had the post trial hearing where I challenged the fact that Ex's Attorney was under-reporting his earnings by about $450 a month. Judge Griffis yelled at ME for "wasting (his) time". When my Ex's Atty flat out LIED about my income, the Judge turned to me and stated "I don't want to hear any more objections! I am now late picking up my kids. Work it out by Friday at noon!"
Oh and the final punchline: Judge Griffis knowingly signed off on the final documents my Ex's attorney emailed to the court, containing a number of revisions I HAD NEVER READ, SEEN OR APPROVED OF!
So much for Due Process, as "Required" by the Constitution.
I'm likely not going to appeal because this year I have watched:
The restraining order against my Ex get thrown out of court,
Having my requests for psychiatric evaluations and a Guardian Ad Litum thrown out of court,
Having the DCF and police reports gone unacknowledged in court,
PLUS, I watched my Ex get away with tax fraud in 2009 for filing Married Joint behind my back against my specific (and numerous documented protests)and, of course keeping the return,
Providing the court with a FALSE address and getting away with it,
Evading a summons and getting away with it,
Lying about his income and getting away with it,
And then not even bothering to show up in court, where I was yelled at because he wasn't there...
I'm NOT putting myself in a position to end back up in that "man's" (and I use the term very loosely here) court.
Leslie Griffin
Williston, FL
Judge Griffis is the most arrogant, inmature, unqualified individual I have ever met. My ex walked out of my daughter's life when she was around 2 years old. He moved 6 hours away back to his parents house and would communicate with her once every 6 months and came down to see her once in a one year time period. With that said I filed for paternity and timesharing for which Judge Griffis gave him all rights and access to the baby. Gave him the right to file her on this taxes, and allowed him to have her for the whole summer mind you not even taking into consideration that the baby barely knew him. The baby cries and begs me to please not let her go with her father, cries herself to sleep when she knows its time to leave with him and tells me I'm a bad Mom for allowing her to go. Judge Griffis needs to be removed from the bench. The Court should be unbiased and he is certainly NOT!
I have a trial in front of him in December, I've invited the media.
I have a trial in front of him in December, I've invited the media.
What is the date in December? RebeccalsAnOnegtype
My wife and I have been fighting for our step kids the last three years. Her Ex husband lives 3 hours away and from the time they were born was only around them a total of a year before my wife decided to divorce him because he was beating her. To make a really long story short. Her ex husband is a batman villain with a serious criminal background. He is on DUI number 4 and has hurt the children both physically and even worse mentally and with no remorse. He is 35 and still lives with his mommy who enables him.
Judge Griffis allowed for my wives ex husband to lie in court and when we went to provide evidence that proves he lied. We were denied the right to talk. We were appointed a parent coordinator after two different judges before Griffis to my wives ex husbands visitations away(Due to his mother feeding our highly allergic 3 yr old a cak that contained peanuts, our 4 yr old was attached by the ex husbands pit bull and our 5 yr old daughter had been verbally abused and witnessed her mom being beat by her ex husband) . She did an evaluation, Shortly after the evaluation we paid her in full (Since the ex refused to pay). After one botched attempt at doing a exchange the coordinator decided it was time to go back to the regular visitations as if nothing had ever happened. The coordinator Ruth Angran never talked to or evaluated anyone after her initial evaluation except the ex husband and his mother. So we stopped taking them to the drop off in fear of him hurting the kids again to to negligence. He did nothing for a year , then Griffis cycled into Levy county and we were served the papers to appear in court. The parent coordinator straight lied in court and we had e-mails to prove she was lying and he ignored the proof. The ex husband has to blow to start his car and our kids now every other weekend has to spend 3 hours in a car one way on Friday and 3 hours on Sunday and their ages now are 5,7,8. We pick them up and they are always starving because he rarely feeds them lunch. They never get baths or take their medicine and our 5 year old with the peanut alergy has to take medicine nightly and put location on his skin to keep from breaking out. We do not get home until 9:30 on a school night with elementary age kids.
We are willing to help, sign a petition, send any form of paper work to prove that Judge Griffis is unjust and ignores serious factors which always seem to favor the fathers side.
What is the date in December? RebeccalsAnOnegtype
My wife and I have been fighting for our step kids the last three years. Her Ex husband lives 3 hours away and from the time they were born was only around them a total of a year before my wife decided to divorce him because he was beating her. To make a really long story short. Her ex husband is a batman villain with a serious criminal background. He is on DUI number 4 and has hurt the children both physically and even worse mentally and with no remorse. He is 35 and still lives with his mommy who enables him.
Judge Griffis allowed for my wives ex husband to lie in court and when we went to provide evidence that proves he lied. We were denied the right to talk. We were appointed a parent coordinator after two different judges before Griffis to my wives ex husbands visitations away(Due to his mother feeding our highly allergic 3 yr old a cak that contained peanuts, our 4 yr old was attached by the ex husbands pit bull and our 5 yr old daughter had been verbally abused and witnessed her mom being beat by her ex husband) . She did an evaluation, Shortly after the evaluation we paid her in full (Since the ex refused to pay). After one botched attempt at doing a exchange the coordinator decided it was time to go back to the regular visitations as if nothing had ever happened. The coordinator Ruth Angran never talked to or evaluated anyone after her initial evaluation except the ex husband and his mother. So we stopped taking them to the drop off in fear of him hurting the kids again to to negligence. He did nothing for a year , then Griffis cycled into Levy county and we were served the papers to appear in court. The parent coordinator straight lied in court and we had e-mails to prove she was lying and he ignored the proof. The ex husband has to blow to start his car and our kids now every other weekend has to spend 3 hours in a car one way on Friday and 3 hours on Sunday and their ages now are 5,7,8. We pick them up and they are always starving because he rarely feeds them lunch. They never get baths or take their medicine and our 5 year old with the peanut alergy has to take medicine nightly and put location on his skin to keep from breaking out. We do not get home until 9:30 on a school night with elementary age kids.
We are willing to help, sign a petition, send any form of paper work to prove that Judge Griffis is unjust and ignores serious factors which always seem to favor the fathers side.
Judge Griffis' biased behavior does not only favor the woman. My husband has experienced the same abominable behavior at Judge Griffis' hand having denied a child's therapist to testify, denied the evidence to prove the other parties' lies, denied the court appointed evaluator to testify concerning the abuse of the child, would not find the mother in contempt even though she broke the court order over 100 times, did not give the child breathing medication, left the child in the care of a known abuser, drinking and driving, etc. In our case, Judge Griffis decided that my husband was only trying to control the mother, yelled at him, said the child didn't need therapy, etc. He has again put my child in danger physically and emotionally and told us "it will be like this as long as I am judge". Where is the voice of the child? We had two expert witnesses that were not allowed to testify on the child's behalf because the judge said he would not "allow them come in here and testify against the mother". Please let us know if there is any petition or legal action to remove him from the bench that we can help with.
These slanderous comments are very upsetting to read. Judge Griffin was not my judge; however, I can tell you that what I know of him he is fair and just, wise, has good integrity and has great morals. He is a father who gives his all to his kids no matter what the cost is to him. And he is a friend who will give advise and help regardless of what he gets out of it. No party is ever going to be completely satisfied in custody issues, but I believe Judge Griffin does what is best for the children in each situation. Just being a voice from a different point of view. All the best to all families going through these custody issues.
ANYONE who would like to help me with action to remove him from the bench, please contact me ASAP. He has got to be stopped.
Is there any way I can contact you?
Are any of you still willing to do something? Or has something changed? What's the status?
Is there a way I can contact you?
This a comment to mom of 3 regarding Judge Stanley H.Griffis III. He recently disrupted a home of an 8 year old child my grandson. He gave custody of the child to a drug addict four time loser in Department of Correction inState of Florida. He has drug charges. Domestic violence convicted of his current girlfriend. Child abuse on the girlfriend s child and the child removed from the home how can you defend that kind of person. Maybe you have personal relationship with him. So how can an eight year old defend himself in a new place he has no job no do and just recently made to move into home by DCF. Suitable place to place a child. Also maybe you should have done a little more research as there is an Executive Order from formerJeb Bush stating in order allegations of burglary and theft case 05-211 Executive Order and State Attorney from 5th Circuit investigated. So how can a person of his character sit on the bench and destroy people s lives.
Uhhh. You should talk to his ex wife about her divorce from him. And continuing issues with him years after divorce.
What is his fake address he gave to the Trenton school system for his kids to attend their versus his actual Williston home address??
Integrity lying on government documents??
And he does all kids no matter what the cost?
Then why did he pull his kids out of Oak Hall private school while his new wife gets a brand new car and quits her job to pay for her college?
Just saying his 5 kids tuition for Oak Hall (while his ex wife paid for half already) is now going to tuition for new wife and shiny fancy new wheels.
This is all verifiable.
No integrity.
This is the worst case of judicial abuse of power that I have ever heard of. So much for a fair and unbiased judicial system. What scales of justice? I almost think it would be better to just take your kids and leave the state.
Well y'all should hear what re-elected Stanley Griffis is up to now.
Even though he lives in Williston in Levy County, last year he LIED on his kids's school enrollment application for Gilchrist County that he lived in Gilchrist county unilaterally enrolling them in Trenton FL schools without his kids' mom's permission or agreement.
THIS was in violation of their parenting agreement which states they will follow Oak Hall school calendar, but if they end up going to a public school then that public school will be in the county the father resides in, which is Levy County. He rented a PO Box to use as his family's Trenton address. His new wife Tania's daughter attends Trenton schools as well even though she and her daughter live in Williston.
His ex-wife said he said he won't let his kids attend school in either Williston or Gainesville (where the ex-wife lives) because "it's too dangerous and there is a high rate of rapes in those schools." In reality, both Williston and Gainesville schools have a much higher minority population than Trenton does so.... racial bias??
His poor kids suffer an hour plus daily commute to and from school, often not getting home until 9 pm or later on school nights. And they have to leave for school around 6 or 6:30 am to get to Trenton in time.
The mother of his kids went to pick them up on her Friday at 8 pm when he said he'd have them home at his house. He didn't return until 11:15 pm with her kids and didn't even feed them dinner. They were starving and exhausted.
Yesterday the mother of his kids offered to send 4 of them to Oak Hall and PAY THEIR ENTIRE TUITION HERSELF and he refused because he's worried about the cost of lunches there? Versus the cost of gas driving them to and from Trenton every day from either Williston when they are with Justice Griffis or Gainesville when they are with their mom? Their mom is spending about $1000 per month on gasoline and babysitter expenses ferrying them to and from Trenton schools against her will.
So this re-elected Justice Griffis not only liked on government documents last year about his address to enroll them in Gilchrist county schools, but he's IN CONTEMPT OF COURT by violating his parenting plan specifying that if they are to attend public school, then it would be in Levy County.
The kids also told their mom that he told them to LIE to people at school and say they live in Trenton FL.
Is he that far above the law?? What kind of example is he setting for his kids? Shouldn't he be disbarred??
The reason he makes his biased rulings consistently against the mother makes perfect sense after reading your comments Anonymous. He consistently rules against the mother no matter how bad the father is because of his bitterness toward his ex-wife. He allows the fathers to do the same thing he himself does and all others (women) be damned. I know his ex-wife is so relieved to be out from under his thumb. I feel bad for his children because he's using them as pawns to get even with his ex-wife. I wish someone could tell us what we need to do to have him disbarred.
Is anyone still investigating this? He is in Bradford county and same situations. We have got to push this and get this man off the bench. Our family is now order to sit around EVERY WEEKEND waiting to see if a phone call will come from the other parent, who is a known drug addict, to see if she wants to excersise her time sharing. So no family vacations or plans because we have to be here every weekend. This was ordered instead of an agreed upon parenting plan that was created and signed during mediation.
He has resigned.
I'm going to get the trap he did dropped on march 2
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