PRESS RELEASE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FAMILY COURTS ARE FAILING PARENTS AND CHILDREN
March 8th, 2025 - The family court system in Northern California is operating in a manner that prioritizes judicial and attorney profit over the well-being of children and families. This legal ecosystem, designed to exploit parents’ unconditional love for their children, has left countless families financially and emotionally devastated. Parents who seek justice are instead met with unethical legal maneuvers, suppression of evidence, and blatant violations of their constitutional rights.
A 2022 report by California State Auditor Michael S. Tilden exposed widespread corruption within the California State Bar, citing undisclosed conflicts of interest, misappropriation of client funds, and improper handling of judicial complaints. While this report focused on attorneys, the abuses within California's family courts extend far beyond, affecting countless parents and children trapped in a system designed to extract wealth rather than ensure justice.
"Our family courts have become a profiteering industry rather than a place where parents and children find fairness," said Basho Parks, chairman of the California Concerned Parents Coalition. "Judges and attorneys manipulate the system to prolong litigation, levy baseless accusations, and ultimately sever parents from their children, all under the guise of justice."
Parents in Northern California have come forward with harrowing stories of judicial misconduct, including:
Judges who have been recused continue to issue orders retroactively.
Children being permanently removed from a parent based on hearsay allegations, without evidence or due process.
Fraudulent restraining orders issued to manipulate custody arrangements.
Attorneys engage in abuse of process, coercion, blackmail, and suppression of exculpatory evidence.
Repeated violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act in family court proceedings.
Court-appointed minors’ counsels disregard the best interests of children while benefiting from prolonged litigation.
Children being denied the right to testify, despite legal statutes protecting their ability to do so.
Secret hearings ("Star Chambers") that remove children from their parents without notice.
Systemic bias favoring wealthier litigants who can afford to game the system.
In Northern California, these violations have left families torn apart and financially ruined. False allegations - often weaponized in custody disputes - carry no legal consequences for the accuser, yet can permanently sever a parent’s relationship with their child. Despite existing perjury laws, family courts rarely, if ever, prosecute those who make false claims, reinforcing a culture of judicial impunity.
"Our courts have allowed perjury, legal malpractice, and judicial corruption to flourish unchecked," said CCPC Treasurer Brian Susmilch. "We demand an immediate investigation into these widespread abuses and meaningful reforms to protect the fundamental rights of parents and children."
CCPC is calling on California Attorney General Rob Bonta, local district attorneys, and state legislators to launch an independent investigation into Northern California's family courts and to take decisive action against those exploiting the system for financial gain.
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