Misconduct Charges Against Plymouth Cty Family Court Judge Michael Livingstone

Following was Originally posted by "The BT", Plymouth Ma on Saturday 10 10 2009:

Judge Livingstone was our judge in 2004. I think he did the right thing and told us to start communicating and we did. He didn't make a judgment one way or the other, he just saw two people in pain who had been married for over twenty years, who obviously needed counseling and we got it and are still married. No, the marriage may never be perfect, but the family is certainly better off to this day.
I've read some pretty sad divorce cases and stories over the years where instead of communicating to the future ex, each spouse chooses to throw expensive flaming darts at each other through their lawyers, and who wins? The lawyers do, and the couples and their children always lose. Unless someone is being abusive, most divorces are needless and just based on selfishness. Move back into the bedroom and talk. Get help.
If I have to I hear "I've been living in his shadow long enough, and it's MY time to shine" one more time from another forty something who thinks she has it too tough, I think I'm going to puke. I've heard that crap from many customers over the years and every one of them complains how the judge is so unreasonable. Just because your girlfriend got the house doesn't mean you will Sunshine.
Most of those ladies aren't remarried and the ones who are seem more miserable than before. If you've had nothing but bad relationships and keep getting divorced, there is a common denominator, it's YOU. Here's your sign. Get help.

With due respect BT, your story doesn't make sense.

Judge's don't counsel couples.

If you were before the Judge, one of you had filed for divorce, you both probably contacted attorneys, went through the negotiating phases and made it to court about 2 years later either to have your agreement "blessed" by the court, or to argue more perhaps through to trial.

Perhaps the Judge is/was a personal friend of yours who, as a friend, did his best to encourage you to avoid divorce? Please share more.

You do make some cultural points that are worthy of consideration.
1. Is it truly better to remain in an unhealthy relationship perhaps fraught with neglect, angry battles, name calling, passive aggressiveness, unfulfilling in the bedroom, all in the name of preserving mutual financial assets that you will fight over eternally anyway?
2. Is it wiser, smarter, healthier to perpetuate patterns of abuse through said neglect etc. and allow that to be the role models you pass on to next generations?
3. Don’t you want your children, your neighbors children, to have better options? Hope for a more fulfilling relationship in their adulthood?

Most marriages start out as partnerships. Keeping them that way is the though part. Congratulations to those who do!

You are in fact correct. Culturally it is still better, for women especially, to remain married for no other reason than to perpetuate the myth that a married woman (and her children) are happier or somehow better off in an abusive, oppressive, repressive, disrespectful, unequal relationship than free to be herself seeking a truly loving companion again.

Most of my dearest friends are in long, 20+, year marriages. However, those who’ve made the gut wrenching decisions to move on, deserve equal respect for their courage in seeking what’s truly best for their families, the health and well being of all – including their long time friends.

Just a few suggestions for the weary.
1. Lawyers get paid to litigate. The more they litigate, the more money they make. Therefore, if you hire an attorney, be sure to manage their costs (billing to you) by telling them what you authorize and what you DON'T authorize. Be careful not to rant & rave to them about your situation, opinions, etc. A therapist is much less expensive and do you more good.
2. The P&F Court system, i.e. judges, lawyers, GAL's, masters, court personnel, etc., is designed to take as much of your assets and estate as they can. It is designed to MAXIMIZE the funds the State receives as incentives and reimbursements from the Federal Gov't under such programs as Social Security, welfare, AFDC, etc, etc. The State brought in more than $50M in 2008 under child support enforcement alone. It's just more money to fund our gov't bureaucracy. Read SS Act of 1974, Title IV-D as one source.
3. The Courts are designed to promote conflict thus prolonging litigation to maximize $$. They operate to destroy families rather than preserve them.
4. "Best interest of the children" are hollow words as so many things Judges say in court. It's NOT about CHILDREN, It's ALL about MONEY.
5. Judges are corrupt right up through the Administrative offices, Board of BAR Overseers, Commission on Judicial Conduct, Appeals Court, State Supreme Court, etc. Don't trust a one of them. They aree all lawyers protecting each other and the stream of money coming in from the Federal Government.
6. Learn as much as you can, seek assistance and go Pro Se (represent yourself) as much as possible. You can represent yourself fine in most actions before the court.
7. Get involved with certain Family/Father's Rights organizations. People there can be of great assistance to you in terms of information and guidance.
FathersandFamilies.org
FatherhoodCoalition.org (not only for men, also for women)
MassAlimonyReform.org
Call 617-SAD-DADS
Good Luck.

You make a lot of good points. However, you miss the main point....Parents are usually of both genders, and the primary stated purpose of our laws including child support guidelines, custody, visitation etc., is providing for the children.

We encourage public debate about the injustices of family court proceedings and attorneys who lose all site of the true best interest of children.

We do not promote further divisiveness due to gender. Fathers groups are often made up of angry men fueling the fires in family court. Angry men, angry women - the anger is what attorneys thrive on. Attorneys welcome your fight - it's costly to you and the family divided, but they win. The more anger, the more profit for the attorneys and court system in processing your motions and pleadings etc.

Your divisiveness prolongs the agony, increases financial loses, and leaves everyone in a mess - except the attorneys and our courts.
- Jane

Removed from Cohasset again. Shhhh big brother lives there. ;)

My name is also Elayne, I do not think he is the only family court judge who should not be on the bench. A female judge in Norfolk County ruins families and financially destroys women. This judge gave a known abuser custody of two little girls, he abbused them, me , alochol & drugs and I can't even see my kids!! What is wrong with the system, I have tried for over a year and because I have no money these "attorneys" won't help, I should have allowed him to keep beating me, then I would still be there to protect my kids. You can never undo what these unethic, immoral pigs, ORDER on families, I just wish these Judges could sit infront of the public and have there lives destroyed. They should not sit on a bench above us!! How do you have them removed from the bench.

Elaine S wrote:

I have been working for close to 2 years to undue the damage that the dishonorable Michael Livingstone has done to me and my family. He has banned my fiance from "being in the presence of my children", because of the jealous ex husband's unsubstansiaTED CLAIMS that my fiance is a child molester. Satan himself, could not have written a more evil NISI decision. Judge Livingstone ( I call him Winklestein) put in writing that a correspondance I recived from my fiance, has an image of a penis embedded in it. No one sees it but him and of course my certifiable psychotic ex husband. Judge Winkie said he was appalled and disgusted and if it wasn't for my being with my fiance, I'd be an exemplarary mother. Find out exhusband did not take required parenting classes. ex has history of mental illness. To date the court has not allowed me to clear my fiance's name, They misplace paper work, etc. I've heard all the excuses. Saw Judge Reilly today and he will allow father unsupervised visitation even though DSS has charged father with neglect and all my 4 children hate their father.

Removed from Cohasset again. No room for that right called freedom of speech in Cohasset. 1st amendment be darned - right? You go big bro!