Please check out my new books, "Bullied to Death: Chris Mackney's Kafkaesque Divorce and Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and the World's Last Custody Trial"
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
AFCC's Scheme to Keep Ex-MLB Player Away from His Kids
I recently received a short video which shows former Major League Baseball player Mark Grudzielanek shortly after he apparently attacked a minor, not his son according to the video.
"He wants to play, we'll play," Grudzielanek says at the end
"You just sprayed what in his-vinegar- vinegar in his eyes," one youth says of his brother.
It appears the youth initially sprayed Grudzielanek with this vinegar, though not in his eyes but on his back. Grudzielanek, in retaliation, sprayed him six times in his eyes.
This TMZ like altercation is part of a larger scheme to keep another former Major Leaguer, David Segui, away from his two sons: the two in the video.
Segui's story was previously featured twice in Celeb Magazine: Article 1 and Article 2.
All those involved in his custody case were gagged shortly after the first Celeb Magazine article was released; I have been able to piece together what happened using publicly available documents, along with speaking to others close to the case.
Grudzielanek played in the majors from 1995-2010 while Segui played in the MLB from 1990-2004; they were teammates with the Montreal Expos from 1995-1997.
Grudzielanek spoke to me briefly about this incident. That conversation is below.
Don't believe everything you read and hear Grudzielanek told me when I asked him about the video.
But I have uncovered a much deeper web involving several entities I have previously investigated.
Namely it is the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC); Find my article Making Divorce Pay, about AFCC, here.
There are at least fifteen people who are either members of AFCC or have participated in their events who have worked on Segui's divorce from his second wife, Donna.
They are as follows: Raymond Branton {the boy's third therapists}, Kolette Butler {2nd Therapist Interventionist}, Joel Covert {boy's 4th therapist}, Robert DiCarlo {advised mother's lawyer}, Christina Hamilton {father's second attorney}, Carlos Jones {older boy's 2nd therapist}, Mary Ann Lanzilotta {mother's court appointed therapist}, Carol Mellen {father's court appointed therapist}, Kathleen Miholich {did home study}, John Moran {1st therapist interventionist}, Dr. Shanna Sadeh {did trauma assessment for the two minors}, Steven Serrano {did divorce mediation}, Julie Skakoon {boys 1st therapist}, Stephanie Stromfors {current best interest attorney for the minors}, and Diana Vigil {3rd therapist interventionist}.
I reached out to everyone on this list along with Donna and her attorneys. Dicarlo said he didn't comment on cases; Vigil's office said they don't speak to the media and the rest did not respond.
I reached out to David Segui, who said the gag order barred him from comment.
Grudzielanek is not a party to the case, so not bound by a gag order; we didn't discuss the custody case in the interview anyway.
The judge on this case is Brad Astrowsky, who is not a member of AFCC but did attend their annual conference in 2019, according to his disclosures.
AFCC did something which they have perfected; downplay abuse allegations, while dubiously claiming parental alienation, and having many of their members appointed to the case to run up fees.
There was, as shown above, multiple therapists, several more therapist interventionist {separate from a traditional therapist}, several lawyers, a mediation and more featured in this case.
On December 28, 2020, Judge Astrowsky issued an emergency order- which he stated was done in secret and on the recommendation of the BIA Stromfors- changing custody temporarily, granting Donna sole custody and barring David Segui from any contact with his children.
The reason for the emergency was parental alienation.
"Based upon the findings enumerated in the January 16, 2020, Order this is a case of severe parental alienation by the Father against the Mother." Judge Astrowsky states in his order.
Aaron Nash is the communications specialist for the Arizona Judiciary. He could not comment on the case directly but stated in general, "Family court matters are among the most emotionally difficult cases that families face, even under the best circumstances. Custody matters, like other disputes, can result in a situation where a judge has to make a determination based on the evidence and legal arguments presented."
But this decision seems especially bizarre because just in November 2020, Judge Astrowsky ruled there was no parental alienation, after Donna's attorneys filed another motion.
Judge Astrowsky's order from December 28, 2020, does not list any way in which David Segui was in contempt, since the order above from November; even so, the December 28, 2020, was done in an emergency fashion and "Without Notice".
That Stromfors was advising Judge Astrowsky is important because, according to an audio recording I received, Stromfors and Astrowsky have in the past carried on an affair.
"It's well known in the court that Stromfors and Astrowsky have not only worked together but have carried on a personal relationship outside the courtroom," the anonymous person states, "This was going on while he was married. He was very flirtatious with all the women in the courthouse."
To pull off this parental alienation scam, these numerous court appointees have ignored repeated disclosures of abuse by the children.
This incident with Grudzielanek is not the first they have reported against him, along with several disclosures against the mother.
In September 2020, Grudzielanek was accused of threatening his step-children.
1-2 Mark Grudzielanek PR 9-... by mikekvolpe
His own violent history also extends back. CBS reported on an incident from 2000 involving a drunken bar fight.Los Angeles shortstop Mark Grudzielanek faces an assault charge for allegedly punching a bar bouncer earlier this week.
The 29-year-old Grudzielanek, a former All-Star, was in Moose McGillycuddy's on Front Street late Tuesday night when a bouncer asked him to leave, Sgt. Donald Simpson said Thursday.
For some reason, Grudzielanek then allegedly punched the bouncer several times in the face, opening a 2-inch cut over his left eye.
In 2008, he was the subject of a police report for allegedly pushing the mother of his children to the ground.
Segui's ex-wife was also the subject of reports.
They Didn’t listen to a single thing I said Dr. Rand said that I’m a liar and none of the abuse happened and got pissed off any time I brought it up. I went outside and was talking with the Therapeutic Interventionist and I told her how are you going to send me and my brother back to her when she abused us and she told me that I need both parents in my life and I said no she physically and sexually abused me and I’ve been doing perfectly fine with my dad staying out of trouble unlike when I was living with her. She also tells me that my brother needs to have both parents and saying it’s harder for him since he stopped living with her when he was only 8 and maybe he misses her. She blatantly ignores the fact that me and {my brother} were abused by her and want nothing to do with her. Once we walked back in and said were not going through with the Program they had my mom contact multiple wilderness camps for kids with behavioral issues and they were three months long and me and my brother were going to be split up. While all of this was happening he read me the report and it stated that since my dad didn’t coerce us to go back to my mom. Coerce which means persuading an unwilling person to do something by force or threats. I told him so my dad was supposed to send us back with my mom when we don’t feel safe around her and he said yes. Since I didn’t want to be split up from my brother so I just said ok I’ll just bull shit the program and go through with it because I don’t want be separated from my little brother. Once we got home and were living with my mom me and her get into an argument and she punched me in the face. I waited till everything was quiet and ran I heard cop cars so I hid in pushes for a while than knocked on someone’s door and told them what happened. They called the cops and I told them what happened they put me in the cop car so I can give them directions to the place we were staying at. When they interview my mom she lies and said she didn’t hit me the cop comes out said he thinks me and my brother were wrestling a couple of days before that and that’s why I have a bruise on my face. The cop contacted Child Protective Services and told me that my mom will call them to come interview us and they never did and instead the Therapeutic interventionist comes over and has a family meeting. I acted like I was asleep and she tells my brother I’m having a tough time adjusting and that he should stay with me and make sure I’m ok instead of him going to my mom’s sisters house. When I “wake up” I start arguing with her and my aunt who’s saying everything was so amazing what happened and Van heil chirps in saying looked like you guys were so happy and I told her no it was all an act so I don’t get separated from my brother and told her I want to go back to my dad and she told me I can’t. My mom has her friend come upstairs and tell us your mom is leaving at 1:30 for a court hearing and If you don’t have a family meeting with her their going to separate you and your brother for 3 months and the 90 days will restart. So we have the meeting my mom tells me I violated the court order because I ran off and wasn’t in eyesight of an adult. She than asks me and my brother if were going to listen and respect her and we tell her no so she says I need to leave we can finish this later. Like 4 days later I look up family Bridges and start reading about other peoples cases and tell her I looked it up and I don’t trust it’s going to be 90 days all these cases it’s been more and that Dr. Rand said that he makes these changes permanent and she says our case is different you will see your dad in 90 days. We keep arguing with her so she has her fiancee and her friend over and than she says she needs our phones to see what we looked up and we weren’t allowed to search anything up. We haven’t had our phones since. My brother was looking up my dad and came across this. I will probably get in trouble for this but I don’t care anymore I’m not going to be silenced by the court any longer even though this violates the 90 day order and people need to know what goes on in these reunification camps.
Segui remains barred from any contact with these two children.
Saturday, March 27, 2021
GAL, Lawyer, and Judge Collusion in St. Louis Revealed
I have received text messages and emails between Patricia Susi, Deborah Henry, and Elaine Pudlowski, in which the three are discussing the Van Den Bergh case.
This is a case first broken by Daily Docket News. Here is part of that.
Daily Docket News’ investigative team has an explosive update on a case we reported on last month as well as November and December of last year. Van Den Bergh vs. Van Den Bergh, Case 15SL-DR05021-01 filed in the Saint Louis County Family Court on 10/10/2016. Elaine Pudlowski, Esq., with the law firm of Frankel, Rubin, Klein, Siegel, Payne & Pudlowski, P.C., who was the court appointed guardian ad litem, was fired by Plaintiffs new attorney on November 5, 2020. We previously reported that the Petitioner’s minor child disclosed to a therapist that she was molested by the Respondent, but Pudlowski, with the court’s blessing and having the best interest of something other than the molested minor child in mind, reunified the molested minor child with their molester. Petitioner filed an Emergency Motion for Recusal of Judge Bruce F. Hilton, who was the presiding Judge in this case, and had been allegedly accused of Bias, Prejudice, Harassment, Discrimination, Threats, Intimidation, Denigration and Hostile Acts, to name a few, toward Petitioner. Our legal team reports that Judge Bruce F. Hilton has in fact recused himself on January 12, 2021, with no explanation for his outrageous behavior, in a family court. Why do you think Judge Bruce F. Hilton recused himself? Do you think Judge Bruce F. Hilton and Pudlowski sleep at night knowing that this child is being molested every day on their recommendation? Do you think either Judge Bruce F. Hilton or Pudlowski really cares about what you think? You be the Judge.
Susi represented the mother in this case from September 2017-June 2018; during that period she was in constant contact with Pudlowski, who was the Guardian ad Litem (GAL).
A GAL is brought into custody cases to represent the best interest of the child or children.
They were repeatedly in inappropriate communication. In one instance, they scheme behind the scene to stop mom from having her daughter see a therapist.
Shortly after that, Pudlowski claims she'll have what appears to be an ex-parte meeting with the judge, "I'm going to approach the judge about it next week, let him know who I've called and who will and will not see her." Pudlowski tells Susi.I'm not sure in what scenario it would be appropriate for a GAL to have communication with a judge and not involve counsel for each party as well, but in such a scenario, I definitely can't imagine the GAL should then reveal that conversation in a text message.
"Courtroom locked and he is not answering the door buzzer," Pudlowski responded.
"Just wanted to let you know that Deb H had nothing to do with the filing on Monday. She wants me to amend and take her name of of the pleading. I just wanted you to know I don't think I can do that without sending a red flag to Caroline," Susi says to Pudlowski.
Deb H is Deb Henry a senior lawyer in the firm where Susi works. Curtis, Heinz, Garrett, and O'Keefe. It appears that Henry was overseeing the case.
In fact, Henry did not want her name placed on the motion to disqualify Pudlowski per emails below.
Email TRail Susi + Henry RE Motion to Disqualify GAL (1) by mikekvolpe on Scribd
"Unfortunately, you are burning a bridge for a client that will turn around and sue you in a hearbeat because she is manipulative, she is a proven liar and she will need someone to blame when she loses custody." Henry says to Susi, of the firm's client.Ladies,I'm attaching three attachments. Let me blunt, they kind of look bad for all of you. According to the most damning one, Ms. Susi, then representing Ms. Caroline Van Den Bergh, was communicating by text message with Elaine Pudlowski, the GAL on the case. My favorite comes from page 19, "sending you a nasty gram," Elaine says to Ms. Susi, this is timed for the approximate moment that Ms. Susi filed a motion to recuse Ms. Pudlowski. Am I right?You seem to joke a lot about Caroline but her daughter has disclosed numerous times that she's being molested by dad who gets 50% custody. Am I right?The second attachment is also pretty bad. I quote, Ms. Henry to Ms. Pudlowski, "It is important that {Caroline's daughter} get evaluated since we are buying future litigation.""Buying future litigation" could you get me some context here?The third one is the least damning, but Ms. Henry appears to want to distance herself from Ms. Susi's motion to remove Ms. Pudlowski. Am I understanding that or am I missing something? Could this distancing have anything to do with the buying of litigation that is happening? Any other thoughts?
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Thursday, March 25, 2021
Livestream on Angie Freiner Updates
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Trend On: Talking St. Louis County Corruption and More
On With Ed Martin, Pro America Report
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Bizarre Hearing Leads to Freiner's Release
(Evita Tolu, representing Freiner, and Judge James Sullivan at a virtual bond hearing March 23, 2021)
Angela Freiner is home, but not before the St. Louis City Courtroom of Judge James Sullivan turned into a circus.
Freiner was recently arrested and held on $75,000 all cash bond for what amounts to sending a mean email to a judge. That email is below.
The court does not have the right to hold my daughter against her will or traffic her across the country! If she is not returned to me today there will be consequences for your conduct. You have stepped over the line for any time of immunity as a judge!
It was the "there will be consequences" which especially caught the ire of its target, Judge Nicole Zellweger.
Judge Recusal Order by mikekvolpe
St. Louis County is the 21st Judicial District and Sullivan is in the 22nd. He was quickly chosen by the Missouri Supreme Court and promptly postponed the hearing until March 23, 2021.It's Mike Volpe. I recently spoke with Ms. Jackson. I'm working on a story about widespread corruption in St. Louis County courts and the case of Angela Freiner was brought to my attention.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vk6zV-EA-E This is the two of you discussing how Angela Freiner's daughter disclosed abuse by her father and people living in his home. Yet, Ms. Jackson recommended and Judge Zellweger obliged forcing the daughter to live with her father and recently her mother, Angela Freiner, spent two days in jail for refusing to force her. Is that right? Ms. Jackson even accused Ms. Freiner of parental alienation, which is a discredited and bogus label. This looks like a Kids for Kash type scheme in which Ms. Jackson ignores abuse so that abuser gets custody and Ms. Jackson is rewarded with more cases. Am I wrong?
They continued to be direct and then shortly after the audio of Zellweger and the 14 year old was released I sent her this email on Monday March 1, 2021.
So, if I understood you correctly on the audio recording, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfKpCS_ y0Bs you thought this decision would end the family's conflicts, https://www.scribd.com/document/496484140/ Freiner-v-Judy-Exhibit-a- Judgment-1-1 You thought that switching custody to an alleged abuser would calm the family. How exactly did you make such an unconventional decision? I am familiar with judges like you. Are you familiar with Judge David Knutson of Dakota County? Check out this order, https://www.scribd.com/document/405350147/G168-1201- 0006 somewhat like yours, only you had a hearing before it. The two oldest daughters ran and were hidden about nine months after this order. The mother was blamed, jailed, smeared in the media. Parental alienation there too. Very similar, no. This seems to be a pattern. What do you think? I don't understand why judges like you constantly presume abuse is parental alienation. Who is telling you this?Do you know Rena Hughes, https://www.ktnv.com/news/contact-13/contact-13- family-court-judge-faces- charges again, parental alienation. It's amazing how many of you judges behave the same way while screaming parental alienation. Can you imagine if you're wrong? If it is abuse. You'd have a lot to answer for. Is that why you are desperate to hide the audio recording? Judge Zellweger, I don't think you should be trying the Freiner case. I don't think you can be objective. I think you should recuse yourself. What do you think?
On Thursday March 4, 2021, Judge Zellweger did indeed recuse herself from the case I suggested she was too biased to continue on.
As I see it, the judge and I had developed a dialogue- even if it is a dysfunctional one. I asked her questions and she responded with some sort of tyrannical judicial act; after I sent her a link to the audio of her ignoring sexual molestation, she quickly called an emergency hearing to have that audio destroyed.
Most recently, someone- presumably at her behest- has asked that YouTube take down two videos recorded of her courtroom, including the one of her forcing a fourteen year old to go to the dad the girl says is molesting her; this complaint was filed on March 22, 2021, and the videos remain up as the article is published.
I felt it only proper to continue the dialogue.
By this time, Judge Zellweger had trafficked Angie's daughter to Arizona, recused herself from the case, and then had her arrested.
If I told her how I really felt, I might say something I'll regret; so, I resorted to humor.
For instance, Nick Reed of KSGF in nearby Jefferson City picked up Zellweger's story in his radio show. Find the link here.
I thought Judge Zellweger would enjoy this podcast; I sent it with this note, "This can't be good for your career."
Then, an independent YouTube channel, Just Conspiracy, developed an interest in the story. I thought Judge Zellweger would enjoy his videos; I sent her the one below, with the caption, "I don't think he likes you."
Monday, March 22, 2021
Saturday, March 20, 2021
GRAPHIC New Police Report Makes Shocking Sexual Abuse Claims St. Louis Courts Continue to Ignore
A shocking new police report has landed in my hands and it spins an evolving case on its head.
Last week, I brought the story of Melissa Hagemeier.
She has not seen two of her children since November 2020; though she had custody at the time, a St. Louis County judge, Virginia Lay, separated her entirely from those two children using a dubious Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
Part of that order is below.
Munro took over in September 2020; he quickly screamed parental alienation- as I described in the previous story- and the court and its actors followed his lead.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
On the Watchman with Randy Davis Talking St. Louis County and More
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Friday, March 12, 2021
St. Louis Deep State Strikes Again
Melissa Hagemeir hasn't seen two of her children since November 2020, and no one can explain why.
Thomas has been stuck in St. Louis County family court since 2019, but things took a turn for the worse when her ex-husband hired a new attorney, Ryan Munro.
Munro, Hagemeier told me, is a well-known father's right's attorney; he seems to know the father's rights playbook well.
He quickly filed a motion arguing among other things, "severe alienation" a roundabout way of saying that mom was engaging in parental alienation.
The court and all its actors quickly followed suit.
That TRO was filed on November 3, 2020, and the next day law enforcement were at Hagemeier's door demanding her two children with her ex-husband be handed to them immediately.
The police even threatened to take Hagemeier to jail if the children did not go willingly.
If that sounds familiar, that was the same playbook employed by the now notorious Judge Nicole Zellweger. She threatened, Angela Freiner, the mother of a fourteen year old who begged not be sent to her father: because the fourteen year old said, he was molesting her.
On November 17, 2020, I, CDW Kelly Ploesser was assigned an Investigation with allegations that {Hagemeier's daughter} is saying that she was raped by dad, {dad}, and he was drunk when it happened. Further, that (on 11/13/20) {dad} received a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) which gives him custody of {daughter} and twin brother. I subsequently learned this is full custody to Matthew and no custody or contact by Melissa, mom, who has been the primary custodian.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Judge Lay sprung into action. Because this incident occurred in a separate county, Judge Lay used a legal technicality to demand this new investigation be closed, that the matter be returned to her courtroom, and she quickly reversed the decision of social services and handed the two children back to their father: who, as the police report clearly states, is being accused of sexual molestation by his daughter.
If this sounds familiar, it appears that this is a pattern in St. Louis County where they cater not merely to abusers, but to child molesters.