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4 - Cases / Anne Arundel County / Maryland / Maryland Watch / The Reichert Files / The Shadow Docket of Reichert v. Hornbeck / Uncategorized

When Parental Alienation Becomes Child Abuse, and No One Can Cite It

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

The Appellate Court of Maryland issued an unreported opinion in Reichert v. Hornbeck, determining critical family law questions about mental abuse and custody. Despite extensive findings against Jeff Reichert’s parenting, the opinion’s unreported status limits its legal precedent, affecting future family law cases significantly regarding parental conduct and child custody evaluations.

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3 - Investigations / California / California Watch / California's Broken Public Defense System / Child Custody / Child Custody / Family Court / Family Court Reform / Government / Institutions & Accountability / Mental Health / The Reyna Files

The Therapist the Court Ordered

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

Dr. Rebecca Bailey, a family therapist, has faced numerous complaints regarding her controversial practice, Transitioning Families, which reunites families amid troubled custody disputes, often in abusive contexts. Critics claim her methods prioritize affluent parents, sidelining protective ones, while courts continue to endorse her, perpetuating a flawed system linked to a broader problematic industry.

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3 - Investigations / 4 - Cases / California / California Watch / California's Broken Public Defense System / Criminal / Family Court / Family Court Reform / The Reyna Files

The Criminalist and the Coerced Plea

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

Former criminalist Rhonda Reyna once testified for prosecutors in homicide cases. Years later, she says the same justice system ignored exculpatory evidence, pushed her into a no contest plea, and helped separate her from her daughter. Part one of Riptide’s investigation into California’s broken public defense system.

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3 - Investigations / 4 - Cases / Accountability / Ada Accommodations / Brenna Gano Case / California / California Watch / Child Custody / Child Custody / Court Corruption / Disability / Disability Rights / Disability Rights / Family Court / Family Court Reform / Government / Government Accountability / Institutions / Institutions & Accountability / Parental Rights / parental rights / The California Custody Cartel

The Gatekeeper

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

Brenna Gano alleges that Samantha Esver-Poon, a Family Court Services counselor in San Mateo County, fabricated agreements and neglected evidence, leading to her estrangement from her son Jacob. Despite ongoing complaints, including violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Esver-Poon remains employed, and the county has yet to address the allegations.

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2 - Analysis / Business / Child Custody / Child Custody / Child Support / Child Support / Economy & Policy / Family Court / Government / Government / National Policy / Policy / Politics / Travel

The Federal Government Will Ground You for Unpaid Child Support. It Has No Answer for Stolen Parenting Time.

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

The Trump administration has activated a policy allowing passport revocation for parents owing over $2,500 in child support, impacting both responsible and negligent parents alike. This enforcement does not account for circumstances like ongoing custody battles, potentially harming parents who are fighting for access to their children rather than abandoning them.

The Federal Government Will Ground You for Unpaid Child Support. It Has No Answer for Stolen Parenting Time. Read More
3 - Investigations / 4 - Cases / Child Abuse / Child Custody / Child Custody / Child Welfare / Court Corruption / Family Court / Family Court Reform / Government Corruption / Institutions / Legal Reform / New York / New York Watch / The Fishman Files

They’re Adults Now. He Still Can’t Call Them.

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

Marc Fishman’s children are no longer caught in a custody battle — they’re adults. And yet the silence remains. His case exposes a reality rarely discussed: when parental alienation succeeds, it doesn’t end. It becomes permanent.

They’re Adults Now. He Still Can’t Call Them. Read More
3 - Investigations / 4 - Cases / Brenna Gano Case / California / California Watch / Child Custody / Court Corruption / Family Court / Family Court Reform / Institutions / The California Custody Cartel

The ‘Mom Yells’ Playbook

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

A two-word claim — “mom yells” — became the foundation for a seven-year custody battle that ended in total estrangement. This investigation traces how a narrative, once introduced into the family court system, can be repeated, reinforced, and ultimately weaponized until it replaces documented reality.

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3 - Investigations / Child Custody / Child Custody / Court Corruption / Family Court / Family Court Reform / Institutions / Legal Reform / Maryland Watch / The Reichert Files

A Father’s Silence: How Jeffrey Reichert Lost His Son to a System That Stopped Listening

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

Jeffrey Reichert hasn’t seen his son since 2022. Every criminal charge filed against him failed. Yet he lost custody—and contact. This investigation examines how it happened, and what it reveals about Maryland’s family court system.

A Father’s Silence: How Jeffrey Reichert Lost His Son to a System That Stopped Listening Read More
3 - Investigations / 4 - Cases / California / California Watch / Court Corruption / Family Court Reform / Institutions / The Reyna Files

The Mother the System Called the Problem

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

On Parental Alienation Awareness Day, Rhonda Reyna’s story exposes a disturbing inversion inside the family court system: the very label meant to protect children from manipulation is increasingly used against the parent raising legitimate safety concerns. As documented warnings go ignored and protective actions are reframed as “alienation,” the system meant to safeguard families instead becomes the mechanism separating them.

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3 - Investigations / 4 - Cases / Child Custody / Child Custody / Child Trafficking / Child Welfare / Court Corruption / Family Court / Family Court Reform / Government / Institutions / Legal Reform / Maryland / Maryland Watch / Series / The Reichert Files / The Shadow Docket of Reichert v. Hornbeck

The 90-Day Order: How an Unprecedented Custody Decision Became Invisible Law

- by Michael Phillips - Leave a Comment

In February 2022, Judge Alison L. Asti ordered Jeffrey Reichert to have no contact with his son, G.R., for ninety days, disrupting their long-established custody. The unreported appellate opinion overlooked crucial case history, raising concerns about judicial consistency and transparency in contested custody cases involving allegations of parental alienation.

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