I'm asking that as many people possible sign and share this petition to get our story (one that is happening to many other children and parents every day) out in the world so there is light shed on this corrupt system and change can begin.

We call on you to join us in demanding immediate reform of the Jackson County, MS Chancery Court’s harmful "winner takes all" mentality in child custody cases.

When parents are unable to agree on their child(ren)'s care and visitation schedules, the court has a solemn duty to act as a neutral mediator, always prioritizing the best interests of the child(ren). Both loving parents deserve equal opportunities to foster a relationship with their children. Measures such as 50/50 parenting plans and mandatory co-parenting classes should be the standard rulings by chancery court judges. Unfortunately, the current system is designed to perpetuate "custody battles," forcing parents to spend exorbitant amounts of money and time, which only benefits the court and legal professionals involved.

This unjust approach often results in Parental Alienation (PA) - a detrimental practice that hinders effective co-parenting and contradicts the true best interests of children. Biased rulings and unethical practices by some (specific) attorneys contribute to this pervasive issue in Jackson (and Harrison) County, MS Chancery Court. As a result, children are deprived of their biological parents' fundamental right to love and care, supported by the 14th Amendment. This system encourages a vicious cycle of increased expenditure, pushing parents to relentlessly fight for their children while draining their financial resources.

The American Psychological Association recognizes the negative impacts of PA on children, including deteriorating relationships with parents, emotional distress, and long-term psychological harm. The Chancery Court's responsibility should be the well-being of the children, fostering an environment where both parents can actively participate in their upbringing.

This petition aims to reform the practices within the Chancery Court that support PA by promoting effective co-parenting as the primary goal. We seek to discourage the current standard practices that insist parents turn against one another. We call on policy makers and local authorities to scrutinize these practices, implement stringent measures to deter unethical behavior by attorneys, and ensure judges deliver unbiased rulings. Our ultimate goal is to unwaveringly prioritize the 'best interest of the child(ren).'

 

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What is my interest in this?

The boy in the picture is of my 5 year old son, Jupiter, at a tee ball game where my parents, my daughter (Jupiter's half-sister), and I had to watch him through that fence that you see separating us, while his paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins supported him from the infield, outfield, and dugout. His father was incarcerated at the time.

 

Where are we now?

I'm going to share what has most recently transpired to give a clearer perspective of the implications and gravity of this situation before explaining how we got to this point. 

Jupiter's paternal grandmother has temporary custody of him, at this time. At the last 3 hearings (from March-May, 2024) the judge has explicitly insisted that Jupiter's father, who (mind bogglingly, which I'll explain later) won custody of him in Oct, 2023, was not to be allowed to live back in the home with them, nor was he supposed to be allowed to spend more time with Jupiter than I was allotted, and his girlfriend was not to be around our son, at all.

Prior to being granted the temporary order, living in her home and with Jupiter were his father, his father's girlfriend, the girlfriend's daughter, and the daughter's boyfriend. They were all heavily involved in drugs and criminal activity, which this woman was, in essence, facilitating. 

When I was being allowed every other weekend visitation with Jupiter, I was made to leave him with the daughter when my time ended. I say "made" because I did consult Biloxi PD, insisting I didn't want to leave our son with these people I did not know, but was told that the custodial parent could choose whatever alternative party for our son to go with, and if I didn't comply, I could be (and surely would be, considering the ongoing dialog of our case) held in contempt of court. 

You may have read in or seen on the local news where on June 13, 2024 a couple brought their 5 month old infant into Biloxi's Merit hospital deceased and were subsequently arrested on felonious child abuse charges when hospital staff reported to police they'd discovered "several signs of abuse". A week later, after the autopsy determined "blunt force trauma" had caused the baby's death, the mother, Summer Rose Hill, was charged with capital murder. 

This is the daughter I was made to leave our son in the care of. These are the people Jupiter had been taught were "his family", while he insisted my daughter (his sister) and parents were not. 

The last order allowed my mother to supervise my visits (at the request of the current custodial grandmother), and we had him for Father's Day (3 days after the child's murder). He did not see his own father because his father chose to be with the girlfriend. 

The following Saturday, the grandmother told me the father had asked if the girlfriend could move back in (they were living out of motels and the truck my son's father's father bought him with the intent of him using it to get a job when he was released on bond from jail and attended, but did not complete, a rehab program). She insisted she had told him, "None of you are moving back in with me, ever again." 

However, he and the girlfriend were allowed to move back in. I have pictures of his truck at all times of the day and night over the next 3 weeks and a picture of he and his girlfriend coming out of the house and getting into his truck the day before I went back to the courthouse and presented this new information to the judge. 

The judge said the (worthless, and entirely supportive of the other party) GAL would "investigate the situation further".

The grandmother canceled my visit for the following day and contacted me Sunday to inform me that she had moved away. 

 

How did we get here?

There is obviously more to the story, but if you have made it this far, and I will share it in the near future (along with any updates on our case). Clearly this current situation is untenable, though, and there are other mothers who have been dealt hands nearly identical to mine without warrant. 

I graduate in October with a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Childhood and Adolescent Development and start a Master's program in January. I have made it my life's mission and centered my future career goals around helping parents and children dealing with PA, corrupt court systems, and guiding reform that focuses on effective co-parenting.

Please consider supporting this cause by signing this petition, not only for Jupiter, but to pave a better way for families that will otherwise face this in the future.

#justiceforjupiter