Thursday, January 20 2005 @ 12:18 AM Central Standard Time Contributed by: BlackShirt Views: 321
Most of us with children would like to believe that if we die while our kids are still young, at least they will have their grandparents. Right? In some states, yes, but here in Nebraska the answer is no. Grandparents have no particular right to visitation with their grandchildren and the courts send a clear message that family means nothing in this state and grandparents are irrelevant.
Case in point: Mike and Rita Pratt, the parents of slain police officer Jason Pratt are fighting to preserve their relationship with their late son's children. According to court documents filed in Douglas County, the Pratts had a very close relationship with the kids until this past October when they were abruptly cut out of the children�s lives. According to a letter sent to the Pratts by their former daughter-in-law�s attorney, Donald Roberts, the officer's widow now refuses to allow the children to have any contact with their grandparents (though it�s not stated I imagine that this only applies to Jason's parents).
There has been no accusation of abuse or neglect. The only reason given is �my client is convinced that there is no significant beneficial relationship between you and the minor children�.
Well Mr. Roberts, I am convinced that these kids have a right to grandparents. Moreover, I believe that the Pratts, including these children have been through enough without having to deal with this petty little power game. As I recall, the citizens of Nebraska were very generous in giving money to help the Pratt family after Jason�s death. It is too bad none of it�s being used to help Jason�s mother and father. Instead, it�s being used to force them out of the children�s lives.
Bravo to the Pratts for fighting to keep their family together and the same to Amy Geren, their attorney, for helping them do the right thing.
Click on the link below to see/download the legal documents filed in this case. There is also a link to the website set up by the Pratts to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club.
Link to Pratt Docs
Authored by:
JackCade on
Thursday, January 20 2005 @ 10:27 PM Central Standard Time
I had an interaction with an officer who had the last name Pratt some
time in 2003. I neglected to write down his serial number so I'm not
sure if it was Jason, but if not they looked very similar. This happened
in the Field Club neighborhood - perhaps someone on the force could
confirm the Pratt in this story was Jason.
My ex wife has quite a bit of trouble telling what is and is not real.
This lead to quite a few 911 calls when we first separated - any time I
spent with my children was an emergency requiring police attention.
Officer Pratt knocked on my door one evening while my wife was
parked half a block away enjoying some hysterics over the fact that I
had my daughter and was <b>at my house</b>. Jason had been fully
briefed; I was armed, dangerous, on drugs, and quite likely a registered
Republican party member.
After a short discussion I let him and his partner in and they asked
me a couple of questions. It was near bedtime and I was wearing the
bunny slippers my kids had got me for the previous Christmas, which
pretty much defused the whole armed & dangerous claim. When my
daughter saw Officer Pratt and his partner she was a bit scared, so she
came right over, clung to my leg until I picked her up, then buried her
head in my shoulder to hide from the policemen. He and his partner
looked at each other, Pratt made this big, dramatic eye roll, and said
"I'll go talk to her".
A few moments later the problem was resolved and the rest of the
evening was peaceful.
I know what its like to have two children ripped away from me over
nothing more than the vindictive games of an emotionally disturbed
woman. I can't imagine how it must feel to have this piled on top of
losing the son who fathered them first.
I've read the documents and done some other nosing around - it
seems that Stacy is quite well off financially, while Jason's parents are
not - so much so that they could barely afford to attend a ceremony in
Washington, DC, where he was honored.
I never gave anything to Stacy Pratt because I was quite poor at the
time of the event. I don't have much more now, but I'd dig down and
contribute to a defense fund for Mike and Rita if someone created one.
---
"Some say the bee stings: but I say, 'tis the bee's wax; for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never mine own man since."
Authored by:
Anonymous on
Saturday, January 22 2005 @ 10:21 AM Central Standard Time
I feel very sorry for the Grand Parents first of all. What I have found out the Fathers side of the family never matter to the child life. Only the mothers side of the family is important.
I have found that out first hand, I was told that I was not needed as a male role model because my son had 2 male cousins and a uncle to replace me as a male figure in my sons life. The one cousin had alcohol encounters with the police, had a encounter how many I do not know with my son sexually and doing very rude things to my son. It required seeing a Pyschologist. These figures are still better than the Fathers figure who has no police record.
The courts are crazy having this idea and The Pratts need to get this abuse with their case out to the public as often as possible.
The Pratts do have alot of peole in their corner`if this helps any.
Authored by:
Anonymous on
Saturday, January 22 2005 @ 11:58 PM Central Standard Time
The Grandparents are making quite a bit of money from the sale of wristbands. So much so they can afford to pay people to sell them. This is from the grandparents website:" We'll have Legacy Team Members who make $200 or $300 a week to Team members that earn $1000 per week and MORE. It all depends their commitment".
The Pratts ONLY sued for grandparent visitation AFTER the widow asked them to take down her daughter's picture with a wristband from the website that sells these. They used their grandaughter to pull on the hearstrings of the public and SELL more wristbands. The Pratts also have garnered alot of pulicity for themselves.
Not so with the widow. The tables could have been turned and this could have been the wife who died and officer Pratt being sued. Fathers get sued for grandparent visitation all the time after the wife dies.
The Pratts have no business suing for grandparent visitation. This takes away PARENTAL RIGHTS that effect both MEN and women. This case is about GREEDY grandparents who now want 24/7 access to their children.
Supporting them does NOTHING for FATHER's Rights!
Authored by:
Anonymous on
Tuesday, January 25 2005 @ 09:05 PM Central Standard Time
I am so digusted with your group. You should hang your heads in shame. I called on you a year ago and was told that you cannot help. That your organization DID NOT GET INVOLVED WITH SINGLE CASES. What a bunch of garbage. You could have come to my trial and watch me loose my house and almost my job. As well as the custody of my kids. You people have got to get a grip on what is rightfully so. Take a good look around and see what you have caused me and countless thousands of others who YOU COULD HAVE HELPED. BUT DID NOT!! I am writing this to help change your minds, on what is so critically important. Let the grandparents stick it.
If you want to hear my case and what I went through and still have to go through, post out to me and I will tell you details that you couldn't make up.
I go by Cross.