February 25, 2009

Chief Judge Ann Murray State of Maine Administrative Office of the Courts !" State #ouse Station Augusta, M$ 0%"""&0 ' (ear Chief Judge Murray) *his +etter serves as a re,uest to investigate the conduct of -i. Stout, guardian ad litem /0A-1 and the resu+ting 2udgment for a case invo+ving t3o year o+d Mi+a Ma+en4o, daughter of -ori #andrahan and 5gor Ma+en4o6 Judge Mosco3it. made a fina+ 2udgment in this case on (ecember 29, 2007 3hich fo++o3ed Ms6 Stout8s recommendations e9act+y and disregarded an entire body of evidence in direct contradiction to the 0A-8s findings6 As a resu+t, a::arent+y, of the unchec4ed :o3er of a 0A-, Judge Mosco3it. found that no abuse occurred and that 5 had no ;corroborating< evidence of abuse6 *his des:ite a gui+ty :+ea of domestic assau+t by 5gor Ma+en4o himse+f 3ith the (istrict Attorney, a :o+ice officer testifying to the arrest and 5gor Ma+en4o8s o3n admission to the :o+ice, and 5gor Ma+en4o8s o3n counse+or, A++ie =no3+ton, testifying that she be+ieves Mi+a Ma+en4o8s +ife is at ris46 *he 2udge has rendered invisib+e an entire day of testimony6 Judge Mosco3it. found 5gor Ma+en4o ;credib+e< and found me, as the 0A- and :sycho+ogist had c+aimed, ;to be not credib+e6< *he 2udge finds the court&a::ointed :sycho+ogist, 3ho 3or4ed c+ose+y 3ith the 0A-, very credib+e6 *his des:ite a contrary re:ort by (r6 -es+ie (ro.d, the +eading :sycho+ogist in America6 *he 2udge denied (r6 -es+ie (ro.d, 3hose husband 3as on an organ trans:+ant +ist, the abi+ity to testify via te+e:hone6 (r6 Jac4ie Cam:be++, the country8s +eading domestic vio+ence e9:ert conducted a +etha+ity assessment, :redicting 3ith 92> accuracy that 5 am at e9treme ris4 of being 4i++ed or attem:ted to be 4i++ed by 5gor Ma+en4o something he has re:eated+y and gra:hica++y threatened6 (r6 Cam:be++ a+so needed to testify by te+e:hone but 3as denied this by the 2udge6 #er re:ort is tota++y absent from Judge Mosco3it.8s findings6 *he testimony of Maine8s +eading domestic vio+ence e9:ert, -es+ey (evoe, is a+so absent from Judge Mosco3it.8s findings6 5n an ear+ier hearing before Judge Mary =ay =ennedy, 3hen the 0A- had attem:ted to +ift the su:ervised visits, Judge =ennedy had as4ed the 0A- and (r6 =abacoff to 3or4 3ith -es+ey (evoe6 (r6 =abacoff refused6 ?hi+e the 0A- did ma4e contact 3ith -es+ey (evoe she re2ected her findings 3hich 3ere based on the evidence that 5 had been attem:ting to get the 0A- and (r6 =abacoff to consider6

*he +eading e9:erts in Maine and America +oo4ed at the factua+ evidence of abuse and a++ found this evidence credib+e and serious6 @et, a::arent+y because the 0A- and the court&a::ointed :sycho+ogist refused to consider the same body of evidence the 2udge be+ieved the 0A- and the court&a::ointed :sycho+ogist and did not be+ieve me6 @ou 3i++ note that the 2udge 3ent through the five e:isodes of abuse, of 3hich for four there 3as co++aborating evidence6 *here 3ere many more e:isodes but these four 3ere corroborated6 5gor Ma+en4o +ied about a++ of these6 #e c+aims he didn8t thro3 a 2ar at my head des:ite a :o+ice re:ort 3here he is ,uoted by the officers as admitting to the assau+t to 3hich he :+ead gui+ty6 @et even the :o+ice re:orted incident the 2udge finds me ;not credib+e6< Other incidents 3ere admitted by 5gor Ma+en4o to counse+or A++ie =no3+ton from *rue Aorth6 A++ie =no3+ton bro4e her confidentia+ity because of her be+ief, based on 5gor Ma+en4o8s o3n descri:tions, that Mi+a8s +ife is at ris4 by unsu:ervised visits6 She testified in court /this had been :rovided to the 0A- beforehand1 that 5gor Ma+en4o had to+d her that he had uncontro++ab+e rage attac4s against me and Mi+a, that he had f+ashbac4s, that he ;+ost contro+ before he 4ne3 it6< #e admitted to hitting me in rage attac4s 3hi+e 5 3as +ying in bed breast&feeding Mi+a6 #e had as4ed for he+: 3ith his abuse and rage6 A++ie =no3+ton8s testimony is com:+ete+y absent from the 2udge8s findings6 One doesn8t have to do much research to see the vast amount of documentation about ho3 bro4en the fami+y court system is, ho3 often 0A-s side 3ith the abuser, ho3 many 2udges are guided on+y by the 0A- recommendations, ho3 many mothers survive an abusive re+ationshi:, have the courage to find a 3ay out, on+y to have the courts strengthen the abuser and :rovided him /most often him1 3ith custody of the chi+dren he has on+y recent+y abused and or :ut at ris4 and harm6 Maine statue c+ear+y states that the court must ;consider as :rimary the safety and 3e++&being of the chi+d6< 9&A M6B6S6A6 !5"/"16 Maine ru+es for 0uardians state that 0uardians are to ;di+igent+y 3or4 to :rotect and :romote the best interests of the chi+dren they are a::ointed to re:resent< as 3e++ as ;advocate on beha+f of the chi+dCs best interests6< -i. Stout8s investigation 3as neither ;fair< nor ;com:+ete6< She active+y ignored a +arge body of documentation that su::orted my c+aims of 5gor8s abuse6 She e9hibited a c+ear and ear+y bias to3ards 5gor Ma+en4o, a 4no3n abuser 3ith a :o+ice record of domestic assau+t among many other documented recordings of abuse6 *he 2udge and the court&a::ointed :sycho+ogist fo++o3ed her +ead6 5 am not credib+e, have a ;:rob+em 3ith rea+ity,< and cannot be trusted to te++ the truth6 *herefore the abuse did not occur and neither 5 nor my daughter are at ris46 *he court, guided by the 0A-, has ru+ed this to be ;true6< *he court8s ru+ing renders me not a survivor of abuse, a mother attem:ting to :rotect her chi+d from further abuse, but rather 2ust one more cra.y, de+usiona+ mother 3ho has imagined it a++6

Mi+a Ma+en4o8s safety and 3e++&being, as 3e++ as my o3n, have been com:romised by -i. Stout, and no3 the court6 Moreover, my abi+ity to earn a +iving and su::ort my daughter has been serious+y, :erha:s :ermanent+y damaged, by the recommendations of the 0A- and the court order that 5 not be a++o3ed, a+though 5 have :rimary residence, to +eave Maine6 5 am re,uesting that this case be investigated by your office6 5 be+ieve the behavior of both the 0A- and the court&a::ointed :sycho+ogist in this case to be sus:ect and to have :+aced a survivor of abuse, a mother and a chi+d, at ris4, as 3e++ as having destroyed my abi+ity to earn a +iving that su::orts my daughter8s financia+ 3e++&being6 5 am re,uesting your office do 3hatever is in the :o3er of the office to obtain 2ustice, a fair hearing before the courts, and u:ho+d Maine +a3s on 0A- :ractice6

Sincere+y, -ori #andrahan, Dh6(6 20'&22 &''0! 27 Fran4+in *er6 South Dort+and M$ 0% 0!

CC) =en At+shu+er, Attorney at +a3

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