http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org Advocating for fathers and their children since 1994. fathers' rights childrens' rights en-us http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/cpf/images/cpfhandlogo3a.jpg http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org Sunday http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/video/cpf-video-gc.htm Fatherhood Coalition (CPF) testimony at MA Governor's Council nomination hearings. fatherhoodcoalition.org/video:20110809-1 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/cpf/images/CPFbumpersticker4.jpg If you would like to order this bumpersticker, please e-mail support@fatherhoodcoalition.org today! fatherhoodcoalition.org/image:20110809-2 http://groups.google.com/group/fathers-l/boxsubscribe You can choose to join our very useful FATHERS-L listserv, receive information about CPF, and also receive information about legal self-help options. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110809-1 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/Signup.html We are a Massachusetts-based organization. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110809-2 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/cpf/docs/Tom_Ball.pdf This is the final statement made by Sgt. Ball, sent to the media just prior to his taking his own life on June 15, 2011 on the steps of the Keene (NH) County Court House. fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20110809-1 http://masslawyersweekly.com/polls-archive/ The poll question is: "Do you support current efforts to place a question on the 2012 ballot seeking the repeal of Chapter 209A, the restraining order statute?" fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110810-1 http://govabuse.org/states/list/massachusetts.html A protest, organized by govabuse.org (http://www.govabuse.org), will be held Friday, August 12, 2011 from 9am to 1pm in front of Middlesex Probate and Family Court. Leisha Tringali is the contact person for Middlesex County. For more information, e-mail Leisha: maltringali@govabuse.org fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110811-1 http://govabuse.org/states/list/massachusetts.html Additional contact info for Leisha Tringali: loop_hole_justice@yahoo.com 603-864-9785. Please ask her about the protest tomorrow (Friday, August 12, 2011) from 9am to 1pm. It will be held in front of the Middlesex Probate and Family Court (208 Cambridge St., Cambridge MA) fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110811-2 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/cpf/docs/Memorandum%20of%20Law%20Petitions%2011-02%20and%2011-30.doc A Memorandum of Law was submitted to the Attorney General's office in support of the Initiative Petition to Repeal/Amend MGL 209A ('Domestic Abuse' law). The AG's office will decide by the first week of September whether or not our Petition(s) will be allowed to go the voters. I encourage you to write letters of support for certification of the petition(s) to the Attorney General's office. Attorney General Martha Coakley One Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108 -1518 Phone: (617) 727-2200 Email: ago@state.ma.us fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20110813-1 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2355647254428.146224.1347628007#!/leisha.tringali Yesterday, govabuse.org (http://www.govabuse.org) conducted a protest at Middlesex Probate and Family Court. The govabuse.org Middlesex County coordinator in MA is Leisha Tringali. To view photos from yesterday's protest, follow the link attached to this update. Contact info for Leisha Tringali: loop_hole_justice@yahoo.com 603-864-9785. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110813-1 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/video/cpf-video-fc.htm Fatherhood Coalition (CPF) produced and hosted a weekly live call-in cable television show. The show was broadcast from BNN studios in Boston, MA each Tuesday night 6:00 - 6:30. In the two years we were on-the-air, we discussed issues affecting men and fathers (primarily those residing in Massachusetts). fatherhoodcoalition.org/video:20110813-1 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/video/cpf-video-gc.htm Public hearing by the Governor's Council on the nomination of Peter Agnes to the Appeals Court on Wed., Aug. 24 beginning at 10am in the State House office of Gov. Patrick. fatherhoodcoalition.org/event:20110815-1 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org Fatherhood Coalition State Meeting - Oct 8th Westboro Public Library 1-5pm. Agenda TBD. If you have any urgent topics, please e-mail Wayne: nuhusky82@aol.com. fatherhoodcoalition.org/event:20110815-2 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/letters/view/20110817let_democracy_ring/ Joe Ureneck, Fatherhood Coalition chairman, sent a brief yet poignant letter to the Boston Herald on August 17, 2011. It was regarding the initiative petition to repeal MGL c209A, democracy in general, and was a response to the Herald's related article which was written on August 15, 2011. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110818-1 http://www.mass.gov/Cago/docs/Government/2011-Petitions/11-02.pdf This is the initiative petition submitted to the MA Attorney General's Office on 29Jul11, regarding the repeal of MGL c209A. fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20110820-1 http://www.mass.gov/Cago/docs/Government/2011-Petitions/11-30.pdf This is the initiative petition submitted to the MA Attorney General's Office on 03Aug11, regarding the amendment of MGL c209A. fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20110820-2 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org Fatherhood Coalition State Meeting - Oct 1st Westboro Public Library 1-5pm. Agenda TBD. If you have any urgent topics, please e-mail Wayne: nuhusky82@aol.com. fatherhoodcoalition.org/event:20110830-1 http://www.mass.gov/Cago/docs/Government/2011-Petitions/11-02.pdf The Massachusetts Attorney General will decide by next Wed., Sept. 7, whether to allow the petitions to repeal/amend MGL 209A to go to the voters. Please contact the Attorney General's office and tell them to approve these Initiative Petitions (11-02 and 11-30): Attorney General Martha Coakley One Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108 -1518 Phone: (617) 727-2200 Email: ago@state.ma.us fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20110830-1 http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/hampshire_county_register_of_probate_nominee_william_rosen_withdraws.html According to an August 31, 2011 article published by the State House News Service, the nomination of William Rosen appeared headed for defeat. Among stated concerns of the Governor's Council was that since 2002, Mr. Rosen had made in excess of $10,000 in political contributions. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110924-1 http://www.socialaw.com/slippf.htm?cid=20879%26sid%3d120 Atty. Greg Hession argued the case for the plaintiffs. Fathers and Families was a party to the Superior Court case, but withdrew from the appeal to the SJC. From the conclusion of the case (authored by Justice Duffly): "Conclusion. Because declaratory relief pursuant to G. L. c. 231A, is barred by the plain language of the statute, and as the plaintiffs will have an opportunity to challenge the new guidelines as applied in their individual cases, we affirm the Superior Court judge's dismissal of the plaintiffs' complaint." fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110925-1 http://news.yahoo.com/video/bostonwbz-15750588/i-team-double-standard-with-rape-cases-in-massachusetts-26426061.html#crsl=%252Fvideo%252Fbostonwbz-15750588%252Fi-team-double-standard-with-rape-cases-in-massachusetts-26426061.html If the genders were reversed, would an arrest have been made? Would this case have been prosecuted? Apparently the answer to the latter question is "Yes" according to Atty. Wendy Murphy. From the story: "Wendy Murphy, a Boston-based victim's rights attorney, said she was aware of the Townsend incident and believes that if the genders were reversed, the case would be prosecuted. 'There's no doubt this would have been prosecuted for many reasons,' she said. 'For one, 13 is on the very young side of the kinds of cases prosecutors talk about where kids may be experimenting with dating. Thirteen is young to be in that category. Also, 19 is significantly more mature than 13. You have to put it in context and appreciate what it means to have a middle school child with someone who is old enough to be out of high school.' Murphy said the decision not to arrest in such cases sometimes is influenced by a prosecutor in charge of working the case. 'You can say the police didn't arrest, but there are lots of counties that have policy decisions police agree to where certain cases are arrestable and certain cases are in the hands of the prosecutor. What matters most is the ultimate authority here is the prosecutor,' she said." fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110925-2 http://www.ma-appellatecourts.org/display_docket.php?dno=SJ-2011-0395 We are about to begin a massive statewide signature gathering effort in order to get our "209A repeal" initiative petition before the MA voters. Please contact support@fatherhoodcoalition.org to help! From the order issued by Justice Gants: "ORDER: This matter came before the Court, Gants, J., on a complaint pursuant to G. L. c. 249, § 5. With the agreement of all parties, and without making any determination as to whether plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim: It is ORDERED that, pending a final decision in this case, the Attorney General release a summary of Initiative Petition No. 11-02 to the Secretary of the Commonwealth ( Secretary ) and that the Secretary, subject to the filing of all required materials with him, prepare and release to the plaintiffs blank petition forms and take all other steps he would have been required to take under amendment article 48 had the petition been certified, short of transmitting the petition to the Legislature in the case of a proposed constitutional amendment, or printing the proposed law in the Information for Voters Guide or on the ballot. If, after the first Wednesday in December of this year (which is the deadline set by art. 48, The Initiative, Part II,§ 3, for filing additional signed petitions with the Secretary), the defendants file an affidavit stating that insufficient signed petitions were filed in order for the Secretary to allow the petition to proceed in the article 48 process, then, unless plaintiffs file within ten days thereafter an affidavit disputing whether sufficient signed petitions were filed, this action shall be dismissed as moot without prejudice. (Gants, J.)" fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20110925-3 http://www.change.org/petitions/help-bring-back-both-parents-into-kids-lives Please read, sign and share this petition. From Dr. Peter Hill, the bill's creator: "Because kids need their dads too. Kids who grow up with dad are less violent, stay in school more, do not have sex early, use less drugs and alcohol and grow up to be better parents. It does take a Village to raise kids and that village should always include a mom and a dad. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20120207-1 http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Jane-Doe-Stop-Demonizing-Men-and-Boys/ Please read, sign and share this petition. Each year Jane Doe Inc. promotes the 'White Ribbon Campaign' at which men, and only men, are encouraged to criticize themselves for so-called 'violence against women by men'. This hateful and disingenuous event is based on the false premise that only men are violent when logic and common experience make it clear that both men and women are capable of and engage in violent acts. The 'White Ribbon Campaign' instead promotes stereotypes and discrimination against men. We ask the sponsors of 'White Ribbon' to insist on putting an end to this unjustified attack on men and boys. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20120207-2 http://bostonherald.com/news/obituaries/view.bg?articleid=1400272 Our most sincere condolences to the Timilty family and the Governor's Council at the passing of Kelly Timilty on January 31, 2012. fatherhoodcoalition.org/link:20120207-3 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/documents/Jane%20Doe%20White%20Ribbon%20Campaign.doc Please read and distribute our letter to the sponsors of Jane Doe's "White Ribbon Campaign". fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20120210-1 http://www.fatherhoodcoalition.org/documents/Rand%20Paul%20reply%20on%20VAWA.pdf Please read and distribute Sen. Paul's letter to our chairman in re: VAWA. fatherhoodcoalition.org/document:20120505-1