Keep judge Beverly J. Woodard of PG County from hearing any case
Judge Woodard recently took over my custody case involving my abused daughter. At our first hearing in January of 2024, she seemed pleasant enough even asking if anyone had ever spoken to my daughter who is now 9. After granting my ex husband who CPS had found negligent in allowing his now wife to abuse our daughter, was granted supervised visitation anywhere buy a visitation supervisor which my ex husband pays $70 an hour to conduct. During the first visit, my daughter decided to give him a second chance and that visit went well. However during the second visit, the supervisor all my ex to touch our daughter on two different occasions even after she told them both that him touching her made her feel uncomfortable. The supervisor also allowed my ex to speak about his abuser and tell or daughter that they are now married and that he cannot wait to get her back. He was allowed to question her about where she lives despite my address being shielded by the same court due to DV.
Now comes our status herring to find out how the visits were going. My attorney tried to explain what had taken place but she was only met with hostility and condescending remarks. Despite my only missing one on February 11, 2024, due to both my daughter and I having a stomach bug my ex and subsequently reschedule the same day (February 11, 2024) visit for two days later on February 13, 2024, which I agreed to however on February 12, 2024, he filed a motion for contempt because I missed the visit on the 11th.
I was 4 minutes late for the status hearing because although I left my house at 7:45 (I live 2 hours away in Hagerstown) and my GPS telling me that I would arrive at 10:00 am well before my 10:30 hearing, there was construction on 495 which I had no knowledge of because I never travel that way. She then admonished my attorney because she said that she had given me plenty of time to get there. When my case was called, my ex husbands attorney was not present so we were instructed to sit down and wait for him. Judge Woodard did not remember which side of the courtroom the plaintiff and defendant were to sit and also made a bizarre remark about believing that my ex’s attorney had gotten out of the case. She allowed his attorney to berate me and constantly make patently false claims against me as well S deny that the abuse had ever taken place. After begging the Judd he to let me address the court I was called a liar and immediately threatens with imprisonment for violating her visitation order. Again, I only missed one visit and that was due to a stomach bug to which she asked if I had a doctors note. I did not as neither one of us were ill enough to go to the hospital, we were just vomiting and were assured by the supervisor that all was fine because no visits are conducted when the child is sick. My daughter refused the tow subsequent visits because she said that she tried but she didn’t want to do it anymore because she felt uncomfortable. At the first missed visit, I allowed the supervisor to speak with my daughter alone in my car for over 30 minutes. My daughter still refused to participate at which point the supervisor threatened that if she didn’t comply, she and I would be in trouble. This statement terrified my daughter and caused her to once again start having nightmares. At the second missed visit, my daughter against told her that she did not want to participate and after she tried to bribe my daughter to go along with it, I advised her that I was aware of the threat made to my daughter the previous week and I was not going to let her further traumatize and already traumatized and abused child and I left.
During our court proceeding, judge Woodard told me that I had violated her order, called me a liar, told me to stop talking about abuse because she claimed to read my entire file and there was no mention of abuse and she would hear nothing more of it. When I asked how should I handle my daughter refusing to participate and asking if I should drag my daughter from my car kicking and screaming, she advised “no, let the supervisor do that”. and if she continues to refuse, I will be jailed. When I asked if my daughter would in fact be allowed to speak to the judge I was told no because I was a liar and my daughter would only repeat my lies.
I am in complete shock and aww because I believed that in a situation regarding abuse of a child, “the best interest of the child standard” would apply. There is 3 days worth of testimony not only from the case worker but also from numerous medical professional that have treated my daughter as well as several mental health professionals. Judge Woodard lied about reading our case file and instead was guided by a sudden distance and apparent hatred towards me.
I am seeking assistance on immediately stoping this judge from arresting me, and further involving harm on my daughter and putting her back into an abusive household which is what my ex is seeking. He has requested that this judge reverse custody which I have had since May of 2018 and immediately give him sole custody awarding me visits with her every other weekend. Please, I am desperately seeking help to stop this injustice from taking place, my daughters life might be dependent on it.
Now comes our status herring to find out how the visits were going. My attorney tried to explain what had taken place but she was only met with hostility and condescending remarks. Despite my only missing one on February 11, 2024, due to both my daughter and I having a stomach bug my ex and subsequently reschedule the same day (February 11, 2024) visit for two days later on February 13, 2024, which I agreed to however on February 12, 2024, he filed a motion for contempt because I missed the visit on the 11th.
I was 4 minutes late for the status hearing because although I left my house at 7:45 (I live 2 hours away in Hagerstown) and my GPS telling me that I would arrive at 10:00 am well before my 10:30 hearing, there was construction on 495 which I had no knowledge of because I never travel that way. She then admonished my attorney because she said that she had given me plenty of time to get there. When my case was called, my ex husbands attorney was not present so we were instructed to sit down and wait for him. Judge Woodard did not remember which side of the courtroom the plaintiff and defendant were to sit and also made a bizarre remark about believing that my ex’s attorney had gotten out of the case. She allowed his attorney to berate me and constantly make patently false claims against me as well S deny that the abuse had ever taken place. After begging the Judd he to let me address the court I was called a liar and immediately threatens with imprisonment for violating her visitation order. Again, I only missed one visit and that was due to a stomach bug to which she asked if I had a doctors note. I did not as neither one of us were ill enough to go to the hospital, we were just vomiting and were assured by the supervisor that all was fine because no visits are conducted when the child is sick. My daughter refused the tow subsequent visits because she said that she tried but she didn’t want to do it anymore because she felt uncomfortable. At the first missed visit, I allowed the supervisor to speak with my daughter alone in my car for over 30 minutes. My daughter still refused to participate at which point the supervisor threatened that if she didn’t comply, she and I would be in trouble. This statement terrified my daughter and caused her to once again start having nightmares. At the second missed visit, my daughter against told her that she did not want to participate and after she tried to bribe my daughter to go along with it, I advised her that I was aware of the threat made to my daughter the previous week and I was not going to let her further traumatize and already traumatized and abused child and I left.
During our court proceeding, judge Woodard told me that I had violated her order, called me a liar, told me to stop talking about abuse because she claimed to read my entire file and there was no mention of abuse and she would hear nothing more of it. When I asked how should I handle my daughter refusing to participate and asking if I should drag my daughter from my car kicking and screaming, she advised “no, let the supervisor do that”. and if she continues to refuse, I will be jailed. When I asked if my daughter would in fact be allowed to speak to the judge I was told no because I was a liar and my daughter would only repeat my lies.
I am in complete shock and aww because I believed that in a situation regarding abuse of a child, “the best interest of the child standard” would apply. There is 3 days worth of testimony not only from the case worker but also from numerous medical professional that have treated my daughter as well as several mental health professionals. Judge Woodard lied about reading our case file and instead was guided by a sudden distance and apparent hatred towards me.
I am seeking assistance on immediately stoping this judge from arresting me, and further involving harm on my daughter and putting her back into an abusive household which is what my ex is seeking. He has requested that this judge reverse custody which I have had since May of 2018 and immediately give him sole custody awarding me visits with her every other weekend. Please, I am desperately seeking help to stop this injustice from taking place, my daughters life might be dependent on it.
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