VIEW FROM THE BENCH |
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| Authors: | Honorable James V Menno |
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| Institution: | Judge James V. Menno is a family court judge who sits in Plymouth County, MA. He was appointed by Governor Weld in 1995. Prior to that, he was in private practice as a family lawyer. He is a graduate of Boston College and Boston College Law School. He and his wife, Susan, have two children, Lauren and Corey. |
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| Abstract: | Although some believe that the family courts are gender biased against fathers, Judge Menno disagrees. From his experience as a family court judge and his view from the bench, fathers are treated fairly in court determinations pertaining to access to their children. In making these determinations, courts must take into consideration the reality of divorce and out-of-wedlock arrangements. This article describes how Judge Menno's county family court operates, and he further subgroups various types of fathers, describing how each fares in the family court when trying to gain access to their children. |
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| Keywords: | fathers children divorce paternity out-of-wedlock fathers primary caregiver visitation alcohol drugs |
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