Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, cell: 248.260.8466, barbara@eafocus.com
Southfield, Mich. — July 10, 2015 — Neil Rockind, founder of Southfield-based criminal defense law firm, Rockind Law, expressed opposition to the recent decision that sent three Oakland County children, ages 14, 10 and 9, to the county’s juvenile detention center as a result of the siblings’ refusal to have lunch with their father amid their parents’ bitter divorce and custody battle.
“Regardless of whether the children want communication and a relationship with their father, they are still children and learned their behaviors from one or both parents,” Rockind said. “The key point, though, is they committed no crime.”
According to court documents, Judge Lisa Gorcyca deemed the children in civil contempt of court for disobeying her orders to “have a healthy relationship with your father.” Rockind said although the judge warned the mother and children at a previous hearing to re-establish a relationship with their father, that may not have been possible.
“Unless the mother sat the children down and advised them to be more accommodating when it comes to their father, the children were likely helpless to act differently,” Rockind said.
Rockind continued that while it may be best for the children to be placed in counselling and separated from the parents to determine the true source of their feelings, they should not be locked up in any facility.
“This is the continuation of a disturbing trend towards penalizing and punishing children and juveniles as if they were adults,” Rockind said. “It’s not working and our society will pay the price through needless incarceration and continuing unacceptable levels of recidivism.”
The detention center, which is in Waterford Township, is known as Children’s Village and houses almost 200 juvenile offenders.
About Rockind Law
Rockind Law is a Southfield, Michigan-based criminal defense law firm aggressively pursuing justice for individuals facing criminal charges, including white collar crime, drunk driving, narcotics and assault. To find out more about the firm’s services and resources, visit http://www.rockindlaw.com/.
