( Dunn Vs. Kendrick 0C1612260 12/17/20) Mark. B Cohen granted my children’s father Primary Legal Custody and gave me shared Physical custody. At the time we had joint Physical and Legal Custody, and my children’s father had already been withholding the kids almost a month before our hearing. 

 

Our hearing was 12/17/20 he’d been withholding the children since 11/23/20. I have not spoken to or seen our children to date. I made Judge Cohen aware of this at the start of our hearing and he ignored it. 

 

My children’s CUA worker testified in court that he was appointed because my children’s father was restricted from seeing our children for 90 days after physically abusing our Autistic son. His father sent him to school covered in bruises during his weekly visit. My son was afraid to go with him. He testified that my son's father was ordered by CPS and CUA to take a parenting class to learn how to properly care for a child with Autism and never did. CUA also testified that they’d been working with my children for over a year due to the abuse, that I was a great parent, and that there were no safety threats in my home. He went on to say that not until my children were being withheld did he ever hear of any abuse allegations, against me or their step father. He said he seen them 2 weeks in a row while they were being withheld. The first week they all spoke of abuse and the second only my son, but these allegations were already unfounded but for some reason the kids were bringing them up. I presented evidence of Drug Charges and Disorderly Conduct. I also presented text messages from my daughter stating her father was verbally abusing her, called her weak, threatened to kill me, punished her because she wanted to speak to me during the weekly visits, took her cell phone, and told her he wouldn't groom her hair, and told our children I don’t love them. Judge Cohen looked at this evidence and told me it was too old. 

 

The evidence was less than a year old. Most of it was from October that year. A little over 2 months before our hearing. My children’s father threw around a bunch of allegations, he didn’t present any evidence during the trial other than one teacher who he claimed was going to testify my oldest daughter didn't attend school during the weeks she was with me. This teacher testified that my daughter was more attentive in class during the weeks she was with her father. When asked to present attendance records he said he could not. We have 4 children only one teacher testified and he didn’t not support my his claims.

 

 I have no criminal record whatsoever, I have no founded reports of abuse. I’m a disabled veteran who loves and cares for her children with their best interests at heart. I was and had always been up until that day their primary caregiver. After hearing and seeing this evidence Judge Cohen said he had guidelines he has to follow, and those guidelines are he has to side with the parent who presents the most evidence. He granted my children’s father who presented no evidence, Sole Legal Custody of our children. I was given Shared Physical Custody and he specified in the court order the visits had to be during the daytime. One day out of the week.

 

Although my children were currently being withheld, Judge Cohen removed the safety measure put in place for me where we had to meet at a police station to exchange our children on a specific day and time. He ordered us to discuss the day and time for me to see my children. Which resulted in more ignored text messages, emails, and finally me being assaulted and threatened with a gun at the discussion to pick a day. 

 

My children’s father was arrested and charged with assault, unlawfully carrying a firearm, and child endangerment. I filed a petition for Emergency Custody. Including the assault, the charges, and that he was now out on bail. I also included the children were still being withheld, and that their education was being neglected. 

 

My daughter was being evaluated for an IEP. Her father refused to continue the evaluation. He told the school he has Sole Legal Custody now and he doesn’t know about any evaluation. Which was a lie he was aware. My son was also being evaluated to be placed in a school for children with Autism. Their father ignored numerous calls from his lawyer. Finally, they gave up wrote me a letter they tried, and if I regain legal custody they’d continue to assist us. 

 

My son is currently sitting in a class that does not meet his needs. I hired a lawyer on my son's behalf and sued The Philadelphia School District once because of this. My son was awarded $43,200 of compensatory education. His father does not utilize it to assist him in any way. He’s never attended an IEP meeting. When my son was hearing voices that year, and had to receive outpatient care he didn't attend any of those meetings either. They were finally getting on board with placing him where he needs to be I went through months of evaluations for my son. After years of trying to get him to help we were finally starting to wrap things up and his dad dropped the ball. They also had missed their annual checkups. 

 

Judge Cohen had his court clerk call me and tell me this was not an emergency and if I wanted a hearing to get a letter from CPS. So I had to present evidence not at the hearing but before. It’s been over a year I still have not seen or heard from my children. My son and oldest daughter's education is still being neglected. 

 

My daughter made F’s and D’s on her report card that year. She needs help so does my son but their father refuses to take the steps to get them the help they need. 

 

I had 3 modification hearings the first one a Master presided over the case. She said she was not in the position to modify anything. She said she couldn't make my ex husband follow the court order she could only advise him so she did and rescheduled our hearing 

. The following hearing Judge Cohen cancelled. I had to wait 3 additional months almost a year for a modification hearing. By this time I lived in Oklahoma. My flight was canceled last minute. My lawyer showed up and asked for a continuance pending the assault charges because my flight was canceled. Judge Cohen let my children’s father decide if a continuance should be granted, and of course, he said no. So now I have to file all over again and start over. I filed again and the Court Clerks office said they never received the paperwork.

 

Mark B. Cohen is incompetent. He does not care about the best interest of children. He does not know what guidelines to follow in order to make a decision on the best interest of children. Please sign petition to have him removed. He should not be presiding over anyones custody hearing. 

 

 

 

The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is independent and non-partisan. It includes lawyers and members of the community-at-large. The ratings by the 30-member Judicial Commission follow extensive study and thorough investigation by its own 120-member investigative division. Among the members of the Commission are community leaders, officials including the District Attorney, Chief Public Defender, City Solicitor, the President Judges of the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court, as well as representatives of diverse legal groups and various Sections of the Association.

Candidates found "Recommended" satisfied a cumulative review of criteria including qualifications such as legal ability, experience, integrity, temperament, community involvement and judgment. Mark B. Cohen was not recommended.