Woman gets 3 years for perjury in custody case
HAMILTON — A Hamilton woman was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for committing perjury when she provided a sworn false statement on a form that resulted in the removal of her daughter from her father's care.
Stephanie Rodriguez, 28, the mother of seven children, attempted to circumvent the legal system in October when she did not disclose the truth about her criminal record. There was a past case involving her 12-year-old daughter in Butler County Juvenile Court.
Steve Suttle, the girl's father, had a brief relationship with Rodriguez, resulting in the birth of their daughter. Settle took full custody of his daughter when she was seven years old after Rodriguez was found to be neglecting the girl as well as her siblings during a Butler County Juvenile Court proceeding.
The father cared for his daughter until October 2006 when the girl was removed from his custody for two weeks based on false statements she made on a form used to grant a motion for emergency removal of the child.
During a two-day trial in August, defense attorney Jeremy Evans said Rodriguez was directed to Domestic Relations Court after talking with an attorney. He said she was trying to protect her daughter after hearing some information about her treatment in Suttle's custody. He said she was confused by the forms, but did not make false statements.
A jury deliberated just 60 minutes before finding Rodriguez guilty of the third-degree felony on Aug. 3. She faced a one- to five-year prison sentence.
Butler County Common Pleas Judge Michael Sage gave Rodriguez three years in prison, noting she did attempt to manipulate the legal system to get what she could not otherwise.
Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Jason Phillabaum said, "if someone lies under oath, perjury is the result."
Yes, lying under oath is perjury, a felony. Unless you're a female in Massachusetts, where it's still technically a felony, but you're encouraged by "law enforcement" to do it anyway. Dishonorable mention to my favorite felon Cynthia Whelahan of Sandwich, MA, perjury suborning Foxborough Police Officers Scott Austin, Edward McDonald, David Foscaldo and Scott Hodson along with their Chief Edward O'Leary who has given such crimes his full blessing and endorsement. Same goes for Asst. DA John Healy and his similarly perjury approving boss, Norfolk DA William Keating. Collectively and individually, each and every one of you are an utter disgrace.
UPDATE: From the American Coalition for Fathers and Children and RADAR.
Tell Your Representative,
Stop the False Accusations, Stop HRES 590!
"…there is no other court in the land where the penalty for perjury does not exist - you can lie repeatedly and not only NOT be punished for it, but actually be rewarded for it. There is no other court where you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. And for non-custodial parents...especially fathers...going through a divorce...and the never-ending litany of custody issues and all the rest that goes with it...it can feel like eternal damnation."
So says a father of two from New Jersey, who has undergone an ordeal in which he was verbally abused by a judge, physically accosted by police officers, criticized by child welfare officials, shown the door by school administrators, and even turned away by life-long friends.
Situations such as this will be perpetuated by House Resolution 590. It allows for the continued abuse of domestic violence laws, creating a dynamic in which allegations are made solely for the purpose of obtaining an advantage in litigation.
We’re asking you to contact your own Representative and politely ask him or her to say “NO” to HRES 590.
To locate your Representative, go to http://www.house.gov/. At the top, enter your Zip code and look up your Representative’s name, then go to the Representative’s website. Or call the Capitol Switchboard at 1-202-224-3121.
Then leave this message with the Representative's staff: “It’s time to stop the false allegations of domestic violence. Say ‘No’ to HRES 590!”
For further information on House Resolution 590 see http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARanalysis-HRES590.pdf.
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