Conference quark::mennotes-v1

    Hi, George. Remember me, the masked rider from DCV 126?
    
    I'll try to read the article tonight, when I get home. Since my
    divorce is scheduled for December 16 in Norfolk County, the action
    could be heard before this judge.
    
    However, since my soon-to-be-ex and I have arrived at a "fair"
    (ha, ha) settlement, with luck, the judge's arcane formula for
    determining the financial split will not be a factor in my case.
    
    Just one thought, though. How does a guy earning $125/week afford
    a $450,000 house? I guess I'm not budgeting properly. :-)
    
      Alan

    I think this article belongs in womannotes.
    Hi, GOG, How's Kerry? That should confuse a lot of em :)

    Here it is.
    
    Hi, Kerry.  I don't read womennotes but anyone is free to extract it.
    Kerry is beautiful (no, not him :-})...you have seen her in a number of
    years, have ya?  Give a call, I'll fill ya in!
    
     


PROTESTERS DEMAND JUDGE'S IMPEACHMENT, SAY SHE'S BIASED IN 
DIVORCE CASES


Dedham - Two dozen men and women from Cape Code picketed yesterday 
morning outside Norfold Probate Court, demanding the impeachment
of Judge Shirley R. Lewis for what they contend is her bias against
men in divorce cases, actions to frustrate appeals of her decisions
and bias toward litigants represented by lawyers she favors.

	"She's a law unto herself," said Stephen B. Brown of
Brewster, who asserted that Lewis had ordered him to pay
his former wife $25,000 although he was making $125 a week
and had been married only 15 months.

	"I've dedicated my life to seeing that no one else has
to go before her and be subjected to what I've been subjected 
to," said Jesse E. Torres 3d of Falmouth, cochairman of the 
newly formed Committee to Impeach Judge Shirley R. Lewis.

	Torres maintained that Lewis effectively caused
foreclosure on the $450,000 house he and his former
wife had shared and unjustifiably kept him from seeing
his 10-year-old twin sons since Labor Day.

	Lewis, first justice of Barnstable Probate and
Family Court in Hyannis, has been assigned to sit in
Dedham while a retired Superior Court judge.  Eileen
P. Griffin, conducts an inquiry for the Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court into a long-standing conflict
between Lewis and the Barnstable register of probate,
Frederic P. Claussen.  That inquiry will be limited
to administrative matters, not her judicial 
performance.

	Lewis, named to the bench in 1977 by Gov.
Dukakis, declined to be interviewed yesterday.
	"She's everything a judge shouldn't be - 
biased, dangerous, undignified," Torres said. "She
keeps people from appealing by impounding records,
by making rulings but delaying her findings of fact
for months and by issuing temporary orders, which
can't be appealed, and then keeping them in effect
for more than four years in some cases."

	A five-member committee of the Barnstable County
Bar Association in October undertook a review of the 
situation that was described by Hyannis lawyer Alan
A. Green as the "very delicate situation in the Probate
Court."
	According to Torres, complaints by 40 persons with
grievances against Lewis have been sent to the bar 
association as well as to the state's Judicial Conduct
Commission, the Supreme Judicial Court and Chief Justice
Alfred L. Podolski of the Probate Court.

Legislative action needed
	Impeachement, tantamount to indictment, needs
approval of the Massachusetts House.  The state Senate would 
then hold a trial.  But the only method used to remove a
Massachusetts judge in this century has been a procedure
called address, in which the Legislature asks the governor
to remove a judge and he does so with the concurrence of the 
Executive Council.
	The Judicial Conduct Commission can only recommend
sanctions against a judge to the Supreme Judicial Court.
The SJC can discipline or disbar - but cannot remove - 
a judge.  Podolski can reprimand or reassign a judge in 
his court.
	"If I have a woman for a client, and we're scheduled
to go before Shirley, I know we've got it made," another 
Hyannis attorney has said."  But if my client is a man, 
and we get Shirley, I know we're croaked.  She gives
everything to the woman - the house, the kids, very high
support payments.  And there's nothing you can do about it."
	The anti-Lewis committee has run ads in 14 
newspapers on Cape Cod, soliciting complaints against the
judge.
	Another sign-carrying sidewalk demonstrator yesterday
was Frank Mello, a 67-year-old retired auto body repairman
from East Falmouth whose divorce after 38 years of marriage
was made final by Lewis in 1982.  "I got my bed and bureau,"
he said.  "My wife - she's working full time in an electronics
factory - got our three-bedroom house on 6.9 acres that's
worth probably $200,000.  And I pay $50 a week in alimony
and property tases on the house."

    I read the article. It IS frightening! 
    
    Two things bother me. One, a minor point, is that she appears to
    be descriminating based on sex. I hope all groups concerned with
    equality voice their disapproval.
    
    The major thing that bothers me is that, according to the Globe,
    it requires legislative action to do anything about this. The chances
    of her being removed from the bench are remote. 
    
    I'd like to see Mass. voters have the means to remove inept, biased,
    or just incompetent judges when the situation warrants it. 
    
    How did California remove justice Bird? 

    Re: .5  Rose Bird was defeated when she ran for re-election.
    

    I will be glad to extract .4 and post it womannotes.

    RE: .2
    
    George, when I got home last night and read the article, I found
    the answer about the $450,000 house question we both had.
    
    The guy who had to pay his wife of 15 months $25,000 and who was
    only earning $125/week is Stephen B. Brown of Brewster.
    
    The guy who lost his $450,000 house as a result of his "settlement"
    is  Jesse E. Torres III of Falmouth.
    
    I'm presuming Mr. Torres earned more than $125/week.
    
    RE: Re-Electing Judges
    
    Unlike some (many) states, in Massachusetts, judges are appointed
    for life. The concept is, that by making judgeships permanent, 
    judges will not have to worry about the fact that if they make
    unpopular rulings, they will lose their jobs at the hands of the
    electorate. I believe we do have mandatory retirement for them at
    the age of 75.
    
    That's the concept. The reality is that Massachusetts citizens have 
    a sizable percentage of judges who are totally inept, alcoholic, lazy, 
    or any combination of the three. Too bad we don't have judge control
    shelters (like animal shelters) to put them out of their (and our)
    misery.
    
      Alan

    You know, I was amazed at how this topic was entered in "the" files.
    In mennotes it was entered/introduced with a somewhat unbiased and
    openminded attitude.  Yet in womannotes it was entered/introduced
    with a (in my opinion) one sided attitude.  Anyone else notice this?
    
    Mind you, this is not the exact words for I have not asked the authors
    permission nor could I remember it word for word.  She stated that
    she was somewhat disturbed that the media published it "possibly"
    because she was a woman.  I find this ironic.  When a man is put
    into the spotlight due to his "actions" it is typical, and when
    it is a woman........
    
    Mind you manners people, I just want to REALLY find out why this
    is.  Why is it such a shock when a woman is the one doing the
    discrimination and the man getting the short end.  Please, I do
    not want to hear things like "its long time coming" or "he probably
    deserved it", because there is NO reason for this shit in our society.
     ON EITHER SEX!  All I want to know is why was it introduced into
    womannotes like it was something unimportant yet in here it was
    80% acurate (almost all the info at hand).  Please, lets try to
    talk like professional PEOPLE and not animals.  (note people meaning,
    together and without flames)
                                        Lets try,
                                                    @L

    Excuse me please.....but if you go to womannotes and read how
    the article was introduced...one woman asked a question about
    the judge, I answered it based on the information that I had
    available to me at the time and the third note was taken by
    subsequent noters to be a put down. That misunderstanding has
    since been cleared up. You may notice if you go back and read
    the entire note that the people who actually addressed the issue
    found the judge's behavior unacceptable.
    
    Bonnie J
    

    Hi all, comment on this, I also have had bad experiences in divorce
    court in Cambridge.  I honestly believe that we are a 20th century
    society living by 17th century rules.  The judges that I have thus
    far encounted come from times long past, when women raised children
    and men provided and didnt play a big part in child raising.  With
    the exception of one time family services I found to be as biased
    and backwards as some of the judges.  I dont remember the womens
    name, but for the first time, my feelings about family services
    were shifted, I honestly felt this women understood how much of
    a part I play in y son's lives, that father can be just as important
    as mother in child rearing.  My lawyer say's and I agree that divorce
    court in massachusetts is heavily biased toward the women.  I've
    seen it and experienced it, but I know I can make a difference by
    writing to legislators and supporting fathers who have felt the
    the injustice of divorce court.
    
    Just thought I'd share 
    
    Jim
    

    I know this is old, but I'm curious.  Does anyone know what
    ever happened to Judge Lewis?