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619 N. Murtland Avenue
Success and Disasters Stories:
A Grandparent success story
March 17,2000 Rose M. Meredith
Re: Plaintiff v. Defendant
Ms. Meredith: As you intended, it has come to my attention that you have contacted individuals and nonprofit support groups that I work closely with stating to each that I am under criminal investigation, guilty of a crime, and association with me would have consequences. Your statements are intended to damage my reputation and keep other volunteers in the county from associating with me. Your statements are untrue. I have been advised that your behavior is actionable. Your defamatory accusations are based upon my association with a nonprofit group known as Cooperative Parenting for Divided Families and a grandmother, Mrs. Plaintiff. Our member, Mrs. Plaintiff has cared full-time over the past six years for her granddaughter, Diane. Diane's mother died at a young age and Diane has lived with Mrs. Plaintiff during her mother's illness and continued to live with her grandmother since the death. Diane 's parents were never married. A local physician referred Mrs. Plaintiff to CPDF because we could educate her on her rights, and direct her to the correct persons knowledgeable in these matters so as to insure that her and her granddaughters' rights would be protected. When Mrs. Plaintiff, first attended our meeting she was extremely distressed, anxious, not eating or sleeping. These symptoms were caused by the duress and coercion placed upon her by an agreement that you drafted outside of any court proceeding that she received in the mail from you. Between you and another attorney involved in this matter, Mrs. Plaintiff understood that she would lose Diane immediately, that the father could come and take Diane at any time, he could move away, and further that there was no alternative. Mrs. Plaintiff was told that if she did not sign this agreement immediately that she "would lose Diane sooner that she thinks". Because among other things, CPDF is an educational organization, Mrs. Plaintiff learned through our organization and with the friendship that she built with other grandparents, that mediation supervised by the court was available to her. GRAMPS (Grandparents Rights to Access, Mediation and Parental Support) are grandparents who have experienced similar situations, and are more than aware of the court mandated Generations program and the help that the Court makes available to grandparents raising their grandchildren. Your outrageous conduct stems from the fact that Mrs. Plaintiff was educated that such a mediation process exists. For your information, the court provides a supplement that contains a set of instructions written on a tenth grade level. Attached to the instructions are forms provided by the Court. The forms are easy to read requesting only the simple facts involved in the custody matter-name, address, etc. Through GRAMPS, Mrs. Plaintiff also learned that since she had limited funds due to being on social security and receiving only sporadic support payments from Diane's dad, that she would qualify to have the Court fees waived. As you are aware, the Court did declare Mrs. Plaintiff indigent on her Motion February 8th. Mrs. Plaintiff is a fragile, loving grandmother who implored me to sit beside her on the date of her Motion because she was in fear, and afraid by the intimidation placed upon her. This is a common practice used by local women's shelter advocates in Allegheny County when petitioners are in fear. I was also able to get Mrs. Rudman who is Executive Director of our organization to come with us for Mrs.Plaintiff's benefit. Mrs. Rudman is a former teacher, a Catholic Diocese nun, and educated social worker. Recall that when you came upon Mrs. Rudman, that you similarly threatened her and you were extremely aggressive and discourteous. On that date you continued for three straight hours walking around in a huff, pulled a puzzled floor guard who happened to be near by, and told your story within earshot. All of these activities were made for the benefit of causing Mrs. Plaintiff stress and duress into signing your agreement before Judge Mulligan heard the Motion. Among other things you came into the hallway directly and aggressively addressed Mrs. Plaintiff and her lawyer saying " are you going to sign this thing?" "You had better hurry up and decide, they're (the Judge) ready for us." Recall that you were also reprimanded by the Judge more than once for your behavior that day. Even after the hearing, you continued to yell down the hall at Mrs. Plaintiff as she left the Court saying "and you better not interfere with my client's phone call to his daughter tonight". Luckily for Diane, grandmother has never interfered with Dad's visits and he did see his daughter whenever it was convenient for him over the past six years even though there was never a Court Order. The next day, February 9th I received a call from my Executive Director who informed me that you contacted one of our collaborating staff members. He told our director that they did not want to be affiliated with a group that was "in trouble with the bar association" (ACBA) because it would make it difficult for them to get funding. They asked that their organization be removed immediately from our referral lists. Your statements are untrue. Since that date, you have continued this course of action. I handed you a flyer about our organization as you requested. I never thought that you would be so unprofessional as to try to use it to discredit our organization. I invest several hundred hours per year without compensation in the advancement of helping families with a myriad of problems. In the capacity as educators, we work cooperatively to guide parents through personal issues and have qualified resources to draw upon. A great deal of the people who come to our support group meetings are indigent and desperately need referrals and emotional support because they lack basic resources. This is notice to you that I will defend my involvement and work with our non-profit groups, protect my good reputation, and that of this nonprofit organization, by using whatever lawful remedy is available. Sincerely,
Cc: The Honorable Judge Kathleen
Mulligan
Cooperative Parenting
For Divided Families/Group Initiative
June 29, 2000
Honorable Judge Lawrence
Kaplan
Re: Plaintiff vs. Defendant
Judge Kaplan: Since our organization was mentioned in Mr. Defendant's Motion today, please accept this short correspondence in response. I cannot positively identify the older gentleman from the description in the Motion, however he may be one of our many volunteers or a ADA handicapped interpreter with whom we share a collaborative effort. In any event, the individual described has no connection with Mrs. Plaintiff or this matter. In spite of Attorney Meredith's efforts, CPDF continues to share a Continuing, positive relationship with Healthy Start and its Male Initiative Program. Our organizations share members as well as participation in weekly projects and meetings. I had placed Attorney Meredith on notice concerning her false statements and have attached the correspondence. Please review my statement to her if you are so inclined Though again, it is unrelated to the above custody matter today. I am an advocate for Mrs. Plantiff and her granddaughter. On this Second occasion I am here in the courtroom at Mrs. Plaintiff's request Because she feels seriously threatened by the demeanor of Attorney Meredith. Even though Mrs. Plaintiff was represented in both appearances by an Attorney, Attorney Meredith's behavior has been irrational, threatening, discourteous, and unethical by anyone's standards. Defendant's attorney wants to bypass court ordered mediation, evaluations, and any other process that may identify the best custodial arrangement for Diane. Mrs. Plaintiff has been threatened many times because she would not enter a consent agreement to terminate custody of a child she's raised over the past eleven years. The casual cooperation that existed between father and grandmother concerning visitation over the past six years has collapsed largely due to Attorney Meredith's unethical behavior. It is my hope that Mrs. Plaintiff can proceed in an environment that will give her and her granddaughter some relief from the threats and emotional abuse which they are experiencing this day. Rose Meredith has once again name Cooperative Parenting for Divided Families/Group Initiative in a motion for special relief in a custody battle which we were no and are not a part of. We once again have to defend our organization and are seeking attorney fee to be paid for by Rose Meredith for frivolous claims and practices. Rose Meredith was once again on June, 29,2000 made to feel ashamed and embarrassed by not following court procedure. Every time she fails at one of her shenanigans, she wants to attack the groups who support grandmother rights CPDF/CPGI. Sincerely, Denise Simpson
Director/Group coordinator
cc: The Honorable Judge Kathleen Mulligan
Denise Simpson
July 1, 2000 Barry J. Lipson, Esquire
Re: UPL Report Dear Mr. Lipson: We have received information from a third party that
you are in receipt of a complaint filed by a local bar association practicing
member. The report concerns an alleged violation of Pennsylvania authorized
practice of law regulations. The report alleges the violation
occurred during an Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Family Division
matter captioned: Plaintiff v. Defendant. The report may reference
me, board
Since we have received no written notice concerning this alleged violation from the reporting attorney, Rose M. Meredith, the Allegheny county Bar Association, you or the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, we are requesting a copy of the file, reports, investigation, conclusions and any other material that may be necessary to access and respond to the complaint. I regret that it is necessary to receive these records as soon as possible. Attorney Meredith has been relentless and quite vocal for several months in the nonprofit sector stating that our organization is under a criminal investigation. If you are not the proper party to respond to this request, kindly forward this request to the UPL Committee Char as soon as possible. As an aside, CPDF and representatives of approximately nine other nonprofit support groups would welcome an invitation to attend one of your regularly scheduled UPL Committee meetings to learn more about your role in the legal community and how the committee functions. Thank you for your cooperation in responding promptly to this
request for records.
Kevin, I was glad to speak with you yesterday. I know you are very busy with both your personal and professional life. I do not think I can express enough the impact you and the National Congress for Fathers and Children have had on assisting me in dealing with the prejudice and incoherent judicial system in regards to father's rights. My Ex-wife has abused the system designed to protect mothers and fathers in these very difficult situations. The support NCFC provides is invaluable and unselfish and is an edification of the need for a growing NCFC, not to mention other organizations, that protect the simple and basic rights of any human being, not just fathers and mothers. When we had our first meeting, I was completely lost and alone. You and your valuable support and information have given me much hope and enlightenment. I am now, once again, strong and ready to go forward with obtaining my rights as a father and, most important, to protect the rights of my children. I will become a supportive and a promotional member for life. I do not know what I would have done without you and the NCFC organization. Without your support, and NCFC’s growing commitment, I would have fallen to the wayside as other fathers have, and probably will continue to do. Please do not stop your efforts in saving fathers and children. In staying together, a family is much stronger and must to overcome difficulties in life. When fathers and children are separated, they both become a detriment to society, for they become outcasts and misunderstood. You and other active members of NCFC are the glue that keeps fathers and children together. This promotes a better and more cohesive society which benefits every human on the face of the earth. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless you, your family, and ALL who work so hard within the NCFC organizations all across America. Sincerely yours, nbsp; LOVE ALL CHILDREN nbsp;
Robert A. Simon
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