194 DIVorCe wItH DeCenCY
I never saw Jonathan again. No one has. He took the children and
fled the state with Federal authorities in hot pursuit. The idea of
being forced to turn the children over to their incarcerated and
incestuous grandfather was apparently too much.
Lessons learned:
Stay and fight if you believe you are right. The Family Court can
award physical custody of the children to any person who ensures
that the children’s best interests are served, not just necessarily to a
natural parent. I had still strongly felt that we could have won that
case for Jonathan... but, it’s hard to try a case after your client has
disappeared.
— Contributed by P. Gregory Frey, Managing Attorney,
Coates & Frey