Butler County Juvenile Court Judge David Niehaus is clearly someone who values education — to a fault. Niehaus sent Brian Gegner to jail for 180-days in the Butler County after his adult child Brittany Gegner failed to earn General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
The judge insisted that it was the father’s responsibility and that Brittany’s failure is therefore his failure. Notably, Brittany is now 18 and almost 19. Despite the fact that she is an adult, the judge said that if she earns the GED, he might release her Dad early from his six-month sentence.
This appears part of the trend of criminalizing every aspect of our society. For a prior column, click here and for a prior blog on charging parents with crimes for missing flu shots and school visits, click here.
For the full story, click here.
Judge David Niehaus is a sadistic tyrant who brings his own brand of creative torture to his courtroom. He won an award for threatening to send people behind on child support to jail for christmas. Nice guy. The warning signs have been there a long time as to his personality problems. There needs to be a way to get rid of these crusader types who feel the ends justify the means in any case.
Bizarre, but not untypical of the non-progressive Ohio. I remember a few years back, a well-documented home-schooler, who was accepted into a few colleges, as I remember, was considered “truant” by her local (Ohio) school-board.
The girl is an unwed mother. (has an 18 mo old daughter and shacked up with the sperm donor with her mom) Evidently the GED program can’t teach her well enough so she can pass the math section of the GED.
This is what happens to kids when the parents aren’t “happy” and get a divorce, the kids go to pieces.
The words “wife” was thrown around so much in the article, who knows what the legal status is of any one person.
In another case Judge David Niehaus was “friendly” with one mother and was allowed to hear her case which ruled against the father. I have no faith in our judicial system now that I have first hand knowledge (from another case) of how they make their own rules.
Good thing the Republicans are going to save us from activist judges. No wait, This idiot is a Republican.
Thats it folks,now we go to jail for not making our kids make passing grades,as well as not using turn signals! Does this kind of thing happen in Russia ? Anyway all is lost in this country and it is high time to bail out,no pun intended,I am moving to Mexico,then I am going to sneak back across the border so I will be treated like a citezen should be treated.Anyone with me?
Bob, Esq Said:
Well, that’s why they call it legislating (retroactively) from the bench; and I used the full sentence including the Bill of Attainder since the judge seemed to have it in for the guy personally.
Regards,
Bob
Ah – I see your point now. Thanks! =)
Bob,Esq:
What do you call it when you are held in contempt by a contemptible judge?
Diana Demarest said:
“I would agree with you Bob but a Bill of Attainder is a legislative act. This was not legislative. This was judicial.”
Well, that’s why they call it legislating (retroactively) from the bench; and I used the full sentence including the Bill of Attainder since the judge seemed to have it in for the guy personally.
Regards,
Bob
Bob, Esq. Said:
1, May 11, 2008 at 5:11 pm
No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
Or something like that.
——————————————————-
I would agree with you Bob but a Bill of Attainder is a legislative act. This was not legislative. This was judicial.
I believe the judge’s position, from the article, is that the father, now living with his new wife, had custody, but chose to allow (force?) his daughter to live with the mother, during which time she got ‘off track’, as it were.
Part of the subsequent arrangements included that she finish her education in the form of a GED and the father was placed in charge of making sure that part of the agreement, made while she was still a minor, was satisfied.
The fact that she is now of legal age does not affect the earlier ruling – in the judge’s view.
No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
Or something like that.
Hello Professor!
Can the judge really do this?
Doesn’t she have the right to drop out of school if she wants to? Can he just single her out while others are dropping out of school?
It seems a bit extreme.
Post depression Americans understood the value of feeding one’s family over education. Book learnin’ ain’t puttin’ no food on the table.
It appears though, thanks to NAFTA, that a GED will only thrust one into “team leader” in the great job frontier of fast food America.
Pray tell what is this learned Judge thinking? Is this his shtick as in “crying Judge Larry Seidlin”? (Anne Nicole Smith)
mespo,
Thanks. That made me research the origins of Cincinnati. (Losantiville)
Oh what a relief, this story originates in Cincinnati. I thought it was in America. Strange Taliban there. They even censor movies. See below:
http://citybeat.com/2004-07-28/cover.shtml
Well, this ranks right up there on the “Idiot ‘Crimes’ of the Year” Citation (I REFUSE to call it an award) List, JT, and I thank you for making us aware of this news story. I’m going to add it to a new category of Contempt Citations at the forum I contribute regularly to. As far as I’M concerned, this is nothing more than a grotesque example of blatant abuse of the criminal justice system, and officials who are guilty of this insanity need to be cited for CONTEMPT in the court of public opinion.