Gender Bias Persists In Courts

The August 2002 article in Newsday, “Gender Bias Found to Persist in Courts,” by Robin Topping, was interesting, but misleading. Gender bias does persist in the Courts, but not against women, against men. The studies are based on interviews of women and women advocates, who have self-serving agendas. The Courts always immediately order a man to pay child support when the woman has the child(ren), but usually delays in ordering a woman to pay child support if the man has custody, and often pressures the man to waive child support regardless of how much money the woman earns.

The Courts are quick to throw a man out of the marital house even if it is clear that it is the woman causing all the problems. If a woman says a man hit her, he is arrested and ordered to stay away from his home and children even if he can prove he was not home at the time or there are witnesses the woman hit the man. When a man is caught lying, he pays the price; but when a women is caught lying, no one cares. Women nearly never get jailed for violating a court order, men often do.

Women who earn money off the books are not held accountable but men are and have income imputed to them. Men are usually ordered to pay more support than they can afford and continue to live, and a woman is usually given more than needed when coupled with income she does or should earn. Advocates patrol the hallways for women to help, no one is there for the men. Courts give mothers custody even when the forensic expert recommends for the father, but never gives a father custody when the forensic recommends for the mother. Why waste time and money on forensics when judges often ignore it when it recommends for the father?

The Courts are very biased, against men and in favor of women. The Appellate Division Justice, Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin, interviewed in the article really should recluse herself from all cases on appeal involving the Domestic Relations Law or the Family Court Act, based on her biased opinions expressed in said article.