When the System Goes Wrong, Where Do You Go?
By Stephen L. Johnson:

"In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law ... That would lead to anarchy. An individual who breaks a law that his conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Written in a Birmingham, AL Jail, April 16, 1963

LINK

This author's feelings on justice could not have been more accurately or eloquently stated than in these words by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. It is out of my deep respect for the law tempered and motivated by my conscience to act on what I see as unjust. For if our conscience and our desire for justice does not exceed our fear of tyranny and motivate us to action, then we shall forever live in tyranny.

When Jesus was on earth, he said in the "New Testament of the Holy Bible", "Suffer the little children to come unto me." When he was here, he loved the children and taught his followers "such is the kingdom of heaven", but where is his teaching today? Did they fall on deaf ears? Is he and his actions no part of his "followers"?

These great men's insight on the needy has helped mold civilization's understanding of its responsibility towards our responsibility towards the children and poor. Certainly these men were not criticizing the poor people themselves! They were simply trying to awaken the heart within us to the injustices done to the children and the poor defenseless ones. The only evil here is society's inappropriate response to these injustices. Who is man or woman enough to step up to bat for these little ones?

In comparison to these great men, this author cease to exist, but he is honored to share a similar conscience that reveals to him, what is unjust. Can anyone with even a smidgeon conscience not question why a wealthy, civilized and compassionate nation can be so horrendously unjust to its own children, poor and defenseless? A lack of response would be bad enough but our nation has taken an inappropriate even negative response to the needy. Where are the "caring" judges, so called "Child Advocates", DFACS workers and so called Child Protective Services?

Furthermore, how can we as a country proclaiming "freedom and justice for all" look down our high-and-mighty noses at injustices in third world countries when we permit injustice grow so profusely in our own back yard? This author is simply suggesting that parts of our "justice" system could use some major rebuilding; our defenseless are crying out to you for changes.

This author comes to you from his heart not from the eyes of an attorney. One does not need to be a licensed attorney to see injustice. Was Jesus, or Dr. Martin Luther King an attorney? In fact, are any of us precluded from recognizing and acting on injustices?

The injustices that follow are around us. They are injustices happening in your own communities. More specifically, they are injustices in Zebulon, Georgia where this author lives. They are happening to our children in the Georgia and much of the nation's Juvenile Justice System.

Unelected Juvenile Justices
We elect the State Superior Court Judges for our circuit and we elect our District Attorneys; we elect our Magistrate and probate Judges. Why then are the Juvenile Judges and the Juvenile Solicitor not elected? How can we in a democratic society allow the most important aspect of our lives (justice for our children) be out of our voting control? Are not our children as important as Probate or the Magistrate?

This loss of voting right applies to us all, rich and poor. Remember, sometimes a vote is the only voice of the poor and impoverished. This combined with the fact that the poor and impoverished cannot buy quality representation have no justice, dictates that there is no justice for them. Put simply, zero right to vote plus zero representation equals zero justice (or communism). For many of the poor people in America, communism would actually be a step forward.

This by no means is advocating communism. We should never allow communism, not even when that communism is disguised under the name "Child Advocate," "Democracy," "DFACS," or "Child Protection Services".

It is frightening that some of us have been sitting back playing arm-chair quarterback while parts of our government have mutated into an undeniable form of communism.

This makes it even more important that our children and the poor have quality legal representation.

Consider a part of our Government that:

*Secretive in nature  not open access by the public
*Run by non-elected officials
*Guilty until proven innocent
*911 calls even as victims can be considered "run-ins with the police"
*You may be jailed for not reporting possible family members
*You may be jailed for not reporting suspicions of your pastor
*Warrants are not necessary for search and seizure
*Non-cooperation with them could result in the loss of your family
*They can override any religious beliefs or "freedoms"
*Your disabilities can be held against you
*Your juvenile record CAN be held against you
*Your level of poverty can be held against you
*Morally, they appear to be accountable to no one
*Financially, they appear to be accountable to no one
*Job requirements are to function like a robot ... no heart
*Unscrupulous family wreckers from the Department of Family and Children Services, with the aid of the Juvenile Court system and Juvenile Solicitor combine to make an unstoppable monster that by all definitions is a communistic community. Some Judges, Juvenile Solicitors and other authorities are so obsessed with punishment that they should not be allowed around any children. Only a demon could be so obsessed.

The emotional state of some of these officials can be compared to a severe mental illness. They seem unable to control themselves from taking out their daily bias and anger on the citizenry they are supposed to be serving. If parents gave the sadistic punishment that some judges do, they would be jailed for life.

Parents are forced to stay silent. Some have question these officials behavior, authority, or even request indigent counsel have found themselves labeled as a "trouble maker", found in contempt of court, or your child's sentence increased for their actions. This does not sound like democracy ... does it?

Much of the appointed counsel are simply there to plea you guilty, get it over and get the money before ever listening to evidence to the contrary. In many indigent cases, there is only the presumption of guilt. This author seriously doubts that there would be an indigent counsel in the Georgia Juvenile Justice system lest they sit like vultures glaring down and picking at the almost lifeless carcass of the defenseless. After all, without money, the life-breath and force of our society, the poor are weak and defenseless.

Examples of Injustice in Rural Georgia, USA:
There have been cases of selective prosecution, cases where the Juvenile Solicitor suggested in Court that the juvenile should not have representation, cases where the punishment would be greater if it "cost the county more" money.

There has even been a case where the juvenile was punished for the parent, being poor, requested indigent counsel.

There have also been cases where the representation was unethical with a total lack of commitment to their "client" and are unwilling to appeal although they admit the decision was unjust. This appointed counsel stated, "It would cost the county too much and I'm not going to waste the money".

That raises the question; Does all appointed counsel consider JUSTICE a waste of government's money? If this is true; then is the entire legal system also a waste of the tax-payers money?

Sadly, in some horrific cases, innocent children face their own "Nightmare on Elm Street" by having a conglomeration of many of these injustices all piled together. One such case was Pike County Juvenile Court Case #0300048:

There was selective prosecution as only two of the six juveniles involved were charged.
Predetermination by the judge as it was clear that the Judge already had his mind made up and was ready to get on with sentencing.
The parent of the juvenile requested appointed representation:
The unethical Juvenile Solicitor discouraged the juvenile from having public defender by word and deed because it would "cost the county more", "That would make the sentence greater."
The Judge was clearly upset that the cases could not now be heard together as he previously wished.
When Indigent Defense counsel was finally given, they unprepared  a paralegal gathered bits of information, but indigent Defense counsel did not arrive until the case was half heard.
According to the counsel, the burden of proof was not met.
No more than one witness could be heard.
The parent asked the appointed counsel to appeal.
Counsel refused saying that it was none of the parent's business? ? ?
Then he said it would cost the county too much (about $800). Counsel also went on to say, "You have to understand, I have to live and work here."
Again, the parent asked the counsel to appeal this time in writing.
Again, the parent asked the counsel to appeal for the third time.
Due to the parents state of poverty, the child was punished DOUBLE (the parent request for counsel).
A year later the child has carried out the doubled punishment, worked off the extra probation and by law (O. G. C. A. § 15-11- 2) no longer deemed a "delinquent".
Today? Still no appeal.
Is this an isolated case with only that judge? Hardly!
The next example case is about some loving grandparents that had practically raised their grandchildren. The grandparents passed three home evaluations that were good enough to award them with court-appointed visitation with their grandchildren. One would think that a system, of checks and balances would be good to make sure the children's care would be assured.

One of their grandchildren was being neglected by the father, as the grandparents were constantly treating and removing lice and nits from the child's hair. Out of desperation and after repeated request for the father to do something, the grandparents took the child to the health department to see if anything else could be done.

The grandparent's legal obligation in-turn triggered the Department of Family and Children Services getting involved and that in-turn resulted in the father (that had no interest in the child nor support for five years) to contemptuously ignore the Judges orders and terminated the grandparent's "court ordered visitation".

Both grandparents were disabled and on a fixed income. Having already ate up three thousand dollars in legal expenses to no avail, the grandmother called a Juvenile Judge to ask his advice.

The Judge seemed nice enough and advised that they could file a complaint for contempt themselves. He went on to give step-by-step instructions over the phone of how to file a Complaint for Contempt in his court. He also instructed her to get with the Juvenile clerk named "Misty" to get an example case.

The grandmother tried to do as the Judge instructed, but she made a small error in formality about which the judge had not told her. He had not told them that they needed to give thirty days notice to the apposing counsel.

The Judge apparently went berserk on that formality, then out of bias and anger:

Ordered that the grandparents never call his office again asking for help.
This "elected" and citizen paid Clerk of Superior Court stood up asked that the grandmother be restrained from asking anything of her citizen paid clerks. (This county is far behind many other counties that have forms for the poor.)
The children were stripped of any contact with the family and stability they knew not even allowed even supervised visits.
The grandparents were ordered to never represent themselves or, "play attorney" - be attorney pro se) again, although they were only following his advice.
As if losing visitation was not enough punishment, the Judge then ordered them to pay opposing counsel $225, $90 for the Guardian and $74 witness fee when they could not even afford their own attorney.
All complains against the father was dropped including perjury, contempt and neglect.
Remember now that all this triggered by loving grandparents responsibly reporting LICE to DFACS. I guess the lesson learned is to NEVER get DFACS involved.

The "Nightmare in Pike" Was Still Not Over
In still another example case, a young pregnant mother of three got in with the wrong crowd. She had been abandoned by her husband in a cold mobile home with three children. She had them taken away. The court ordered a large list of things for her to do, which is understandable.

This determined and pregnant mother pulled herself together:

She got away from her bad friends and moved to the next county.
She got off drugs and has been clean for almost a year.
She is holding two jobs (waitress and a house keeper).
She borrowed to buy a used small car that needed work (it's now reliable).
She rented a small house large (and expensive) enough for her and her kids.
She passed her part of home evaluation, but the landlord (a State-approved foster Mother) refused to move some junk causing the young mother to fail.
She paid for and passed her psychological evaluation.
She paid for and completed parenting classes.
This young mother had actually done what DFACS and the court tried to make impossible. Since she was appointed representation, the judge:

Took the child that she had previously been pregnant with while she was still at the Hospital.
Refused to listen or look at any of the evidence contrary to his preformed opinion.
Denied her and her parents any contact with all of her children.
Concluded that she had done NOTHING to get back her children.
Ordered her to not come back for at least six months.
Ordered her out of poverty such that she could supply her own expensive attorney. (part of the legal monopoly)
DFACS Inconsistent Across County Lines:
Ironically the Meriwether County Juvenile Court where she moved to: provided her representation; overturned the Pike Judge on the youngest child due t the Pike County Judge being out of line (the then unborn child was not even part of the Pike County case); and deemed her to be suitable.

Here you have a good mother (according to Meriwether DFACS) had a good home and environment to keep the youngest child ... but she was unfit in the eyes of Pike Juvenile Courts to even talk to her other children over the telephone. Her children are not even allowed to see each other nor grandparents that provided the only stability.

Destruction of the Family Unit:
After the Judge allowed the ripping of the children out of a stable environment and disemboweling the family unit, he allowed the children scattered; two of the children are in Spalding County Georgia, one is with the mother in Meriwether County Georgia, the six year old girl was being neglected and abused in Douglass County Georgia, by a step-mom that literally hates the child that was conceived by her husband out of wed-lock, but has now been abandoned by the father.

Splitting apart and denying these children their basic connections to the families that raised them and the stability that had been established is the pentacle of indecency and depth of morally and totally reprehensible.

All the examples above were interrelated. Juvenile System's bias was passed on from one case to the other.

The grandparents, on their limited income scraped together $1500 dollars to retain a local attorney. Since the attorney was also a "child advocate", they assumed he was one of the best and would have the best interest of his clients and the children. He promised the grandparents not to exceed the $1500. When their money ran out, he basically abandoned them, sent them a bill for another $1500 and then had the audacity to sit idly by while his client's rights were violated and their grandchildren split up.

When the grandparents requested him to defend their civil rights issue or appoint an attorney to handle it, he sent word that he required the unpaid balance of almost $1500 was paid along with ANOTHER $1500 retainer making it a grand total of $4500 to concern himself with their violated Civil Rights.

A complaint has been drawn up to the Georgia Bar Association against the grandparent's attorney for lack of dedication to his clients, conflict of interest (since he also appoint the attorneys), and fees arbitration.

A complaint is being drawn up to the State Judicial Qualifications Committee against the Juvenile Judges involved.

A complaint has been drawn up to the Georgia Bar Association against the "Special Assistant to prosecutor for lack of support for pro se cases, denial of basic human rights and conflict of interest.

A complaint is being drawn up to the Georgia Bar Association against the opposing counsel for lack of ethics, conflict of Interest (being the City of Zebulon, Georgia's attorney) against which a citizen had brought a case. Conflict of interest is not something new with this group of attorneys; they have also tried to represent Pike County knowing full well that a conflict would likely arise between the city they represent and the county of which Zebulon is the county seat.

Remember, all of this started when the grandparents being required by law to turned in neglect and lice into DFACS. After obeying the law, the grandparents were: falsely accused of housing a "delinquent", they were denied any visitation with their grandchildren although they were not even subpoenaed to court, present, nor represented at the hearing, falsely accused of having inappropriate housing.

Is there any tool in DFACS tool chest that can accurately measure the love in a grandparent's heart? They simply pissed a judge off by trying to represent themselves ... he took out his anger on the children.

Interestingly that same DFACS agent (Social Wrecker - Amanda Yates) had approved that same home THREE times earlier that same year when it was less completed.

Pike DFACS Neglect Causes a Child's Death
Pike County DFACS and Juvenile system WASTED time harassing these loving grandparents instead of doing their real job. While they were out chasing ghost, a child in an unrelated case under Pike County Juvenile and DFACS jurisdiction and responsibility died. DFACS had closed the case saying there was no problem. Pike County DFACS and Juvenile System are guilty of this child's death due to their blind and irresponsible focus on the wrong issues. Maybe some grandparent pissed a judge off in that case too.

Supervisor of the Year for 2004
Strangely, Susan Boggs, the Supervisor of Pike County DFACS who is guilty of these charges somehow got appointed Georgia Supervisor of the Year for 2004. Apparently the Governor and State Department forgot about a Federal Investigation of 1997 finding abuse and neglect in Spaulding Juvenile Center that was under her charge. This has caused quite a laugh from surrounding DFACS workers that know her past.

Violation of International Basic Human Rights:
Conviction without a trial or representation or right to face their accuser is a violation under the United Nations Basic Human Rights.

Further, these courts have denied these children and their parents Basic Human Rights which we, as a "free country" have expected from third world countries since 1948. As outlined in the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted on the 10th day of December, 1948:

Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 16. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

(Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948)

The children of the world appeals to you, the reader, "Please help!" for they are helpless. The seriousness of these injustices demands global attention. Civic-minded organization outside of the Griffin Judicial Circuit and Pike County Juvenile Justice must do something.

A formal complaint to the International Human Rights Watch is being filed. They have done nothing so far. Please add your voice to these injustices. Please write letters detailing your cases.

Summation:

Am I, the writer afraid of what this action means for my family and me? The answer is, "Hell yes!" I am not ashamed to say that I am very much afraid. In fact, my family and I have already become targets of this system's tyranny. I do not know how much this "Free Speech" will end up costing me, but I agree with Dr. King that my conscience allows me to do nothing less than I have done.

Is it not ironic, that America, "land of the free" has more of its citizens, young and old locked behind bars than ANY OTHER COUNTRY? Ninety percent of those were below the poverty level. The working middle-class taxpayers are in "bondage" paying for both, the support of the criminal, his children and other children in foster care. They are carrying the heavy burden supporting the communistic structure DFACS and the legal system that are feeding off our young. We bombed Iraq to bring them this freedom?

Will the vultures in our Legal system take responsibility for the "baby" they have hatched and is out of control? It is not likely. It will probably just be swept under the rug as the homeless are swept from the city streets. Out of sight - out of mind.

How can we sit here looking down our high-and-mighty noses at the injustices in other countries? We can come up with all sorts of excuses, but it all comes down to what was so eloquently stated again by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he said:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

This reality places huge demands on justice-loving organizations like The Martin Luther King Center Civil Rights Center, The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Justice, The Southern Poverty Law Center and many others to look seriously at our legal system, to make sure that something is done soon lest these vultures turn their eyes towards you.

We beg, please help us awaken the nation's conscience to the basic human rights to which we hold other governments. Help us make sure that no poor soul is left unrepresented. If government can not defend the defenseless, it has no right to take their freedom. Even an animal is treated better.

We appeal to your conscience, your sense of respect, your compassion and value of justice to do something & ANYTHING that you can do to help.

IMMEDIATE NEED:

Demand that all of Pike County cases for the last five years be reviewed with actual and punitive damages be awarded to the victims.

Volunteer legal services and advice when needed.

Work to establish a "Bill of rights for the DEFENSELESS" in America for our nation's poor, mentally ill and children.

Write to congress urging changes requiring elected juvenile positions.

Urge congress to require legal representation for all juveniles. So-called advocates are not doing their job.

Urge a nation-wide initiative to rebuild the juvenile justice system.

REQUIRE Juvenile Justice Accountability with fines and sentences for violating anyone's civil rights.

Set up a nation-wide toll-free number and web access allowing any who's juvenile or poverty rights have been violated to contact a support group.

Establish and fund a Nation-wide colorblind "Poverty Rights" initiative.

Bless you for having the heart to listen and fortitude to act,

Stephen L. Johnson

Sources:

"Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boston: Beacon Press, 1967

"King James Version of the Holy Bible"

"Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations on the 10 day of December 1948 "

and, when we are put into jail, we give up our rights to healthcare at the door:

Anthony Jose Gonzales entered the Sacramento Main Jail last year with 10 fingers. He left with nine