In a divorce, the determination of which parent receives custody of a child can be stressful on both the parents and the child. A Dallas child custody attorney can help resolve the dispute in order to reduce the stress felt by everyone involved. While in some situations custody can be determined outside of court, such as in a mediation session, the case will be brought to court and settled by a family court judge if the parents cannot reach a settlement on their own.
One Dallas couple realized judge’s crucial role in her custody case, but took it too far by bribing the judge. The woman and her contributed $150,000 to the judge’s re-election campaign in an attempt to curry favor in the case involving the man’s children from a previous marriage.
The woman has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and 10 years of probation, in addition to a fine. The husband is currently awaiting trial for similar charges.
Additionally, the judge was convicted of nine felony counts of taking bribes and resigned last November.
Although making a child custody agreement may be emotional and complicated, there are ways to make a satisfactory plan without resorting to unscrupulous tactics, which can actually damage a person’s ability to maintain custody. Couples can consider going through a mediation process, which is specifically designed to minimize contention and result in an agreement that protects the children’s interests. Custody determinations can include decisions about whom the primary caregiver will be, how much child support will be paid by the non-custodial parent and visitation rights.
When the custody decision is made by both parents, the parents can agree to modify the custody arrangements at any time. However, where the custody determination is made by the court, modification of custody must also be made using the court system.
Source: Pegasus News, “University Park woman sentenced to 30 days in jail for money laundering, bribing judge,” Bill Conrad, Oct. 13, 2012