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| Michigan judge orders kids to juvenile detention facility for not talking to dad | Michigan judge orders kids to juvenile detention facility for not talking to dad |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Michigan judge ordered three kids to live in a juvenile detention facility “till you graduate from high school” for refusing to have lunch with their father, it has emerged. | A Michigan judge ordered three kids to live in a juvenile detention facility “till you graduate from high school” for refusing to have lunch with their father, it has emerged. |
| Lisa Gorcyca, a circuit court judge in Oakland County, held the three siblings – age nine, 10 and 15 – in contempt of court after they refused to talk with their father. | |
| At a 24 June hearing on supervised parenting time, the judge said the kids had been “brainwashed” by their mother and threatened to send them to a local juvenile facility, Children’s Village. The case is next before the court on 15 July. | At a 24 June hearing on supervised parenting time, the judge said the kids had been “brainwashed” by their mother and threatened to send them to a local juvenile facility, Children’s Village. The case is next before the court on 15 July. |
| “No matter how bad the divorce gets, I think the court should not punish the kids for that,” their mother, Maya Tsimhoni, told Fox 2 News afterwards. | “No matter how bad the divorce gets, I think the court should not punish the kids for that,” their mother, Maya Tsimhoni, told Fox 2 News afterwards. |
| Tsimhoni told Fox 2 News she and her husband, Omer Tsimhoni, had been through a difficult divorce and spent five years in court as a result. “I want them back home,” she said of her children. “Help them heal, give them the love they need and deserve.” | Tsimhoni told Fox 2 News she and her husband, Omer Tsimhoni, had been through a difficult divorce and spent five years in court as a result. “I want them back home,” she said of her children. “Help them heal, give them the love they need and deserve.” |
| A court transcript from the 24 June hearing begins with the eldest son being asked if he was prepared to see his father or be sent to Children’s Village. | A court transcript from the 24 June hearing begins with the eldest son being asked if he was prepared to see his father or be sent to Children’s Village. |
| “I do apologize if I didn’t understand the rules,” the 15-year-old told the judge, “… but I do not apologize for not talking to him because I have a reason for that and that’s because he’s violent and I saw him hit my mom and I’m not going to talk to him.” The father has not been charged with a crime. | |
| “I ordered you to talk to your father,” replied the judge. “You chose not to talk to your father. You defied a direct court order. It’s direct contempt so I’m finding you guilty of civil contempt.” | “I ordered you to talk to your father,” replied the judge. “You chose not to talk to your father. You defied a direct court order. It’s direct contempt so I’m finding you guilty of civil contempt.” |
| “I thought there was like rules when - rules for like not, you know, not hitting someone,” said the boy. | “I thought there was like rules when - rules for like not, you know, not hitting someone,” said the boy. |
| Gorcyca said the boy had “defied a direct court order” by not talking with his father. | Gorcyca said the boy had “defied a direct court order” by not talking with his father. |
| “You’re very defiant,” she told the boy. “You have no manners. You need to do a research program on Charlie Manson and the cult that he has.” | “You’re very defiant,” she told the boy. “You have no manners. You need to do a research program on Charlie Manson and the cult that he has.” |
| Later on, according to the transcript, Gorcyca said she had considered sending the children to a juvenile facility in the past, but held off until now at the request of Omer Tsimhoni. | Later on, according to the transcript, Gorcyca said she had considered sending the children to a juvenile facility in the past, but held off until now at the request of Omer Tsimhoni. |
| “And I want you to know, I wanted to do this to you all many times. Your dad said: ‘Don’t, Judge Gorcyca. Please don’t do this, Judge Gorcyca,’” she said. “It was because of your dad I didn’t do it.” | “And I want you to know, I wanted to do this to you all many times. Your dad said: ‘Don’t, Judge Gorcyca. Please don’t do this, Judge Gorcyca,’” she said. “It was because of your dad I didn’t do it.” |
| The judge then said to the younger children that they ought to have lunch with their father or she would send them to Children’s Village too. They refused and were sent to the juvenile detention center. | The judge then said to the younger children that they ought to have lunch with their father or she would send them to Children’s Village too. They refused and were sent to the juvenile detention center. |
| Lisa Stern, attorney for Maya Tsimhoni, said the couple would be back in court next Wednesday for a motion hearing. She said her client wanted her kids returned home. | Lisa Stern, attorney for Maya Tsimhoni, said the couple would be back in court next Wednesday for a motion hearing. She said her client wanted her kids returned home. |
| “It’s been devastating,” Stern told the Guardian. | “It’s been devastating,” Stern told the Guardian. |
| The father’s attorney, Keri Middleditch, said: “The complete court record is not adequately represented by the one day in court that has been brought to the attention of various media outlets.” | The father’s attorney, Keri Middleditch, said: “The complete court record is not adequately represented by the one day in court that has been brought to the attention of various media outlets.” |
| Omer Tsimhoni could not be immediately reached on Thursday for comment; his attorney released a statement to media outlets on Wednesday, saying: “It is unfortunate that the children are in shelter care due to the actions of their mother.” | |
| The children were removed from Maya Tsimhoni’s custody following the hearing. Gorcyca said neither the mother, nor any of her relatives, can visit the children, although their father could. | The children were removed from Maya Tsimhoni’s custody following the hearing. Gorcyca said neither the mother, nor any of her relatives, can visit the children, although their father could. |
| “When you are ready to have lunch with your dad, to have dinner with your dad, to be normal human beings, I will review this when your dad tells me you’re ready,” Gorcyca said at the hearing. “Otherwise you are living in Children’s Village until you graduate from high school. That’s the order of the court.” | “When you are ready to have lunch with your dad, to have dinner with your dad, to be normal human beings, I will review this when your dad tells me you’re ready,” Gorcyca said at the hearing. “Otherwise you are living in Children’s Village until you graduate from high school. That’s the order of the court.” |
| A member of Gorcyca’s office said the judge was unable to comment on pending cases and directed the Guardian to review court records for the case. | A member of Gorcyca’s office said the judge was unable to comment on pending cases and directed the Guardian to review court records for the case. |
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