Parent Refuses Food And Water To Protest Child Support Laws
To some people John Murtari is a deadbeat parent. Others see him as a good parent and man of faith. Graduating Cum Laude from the Air Force Academy with a degree in Astronautical Engineering, Murtari went on to Pilot Training and became an Instructor Pilot. Divorced with one son, he now owns a small internet company and serves as a Lector at St. Michael’s, his local Church.
Murtari was arrested in front of his home in Lyons on Monday night for an unpaid traffic ticket. Police used pepper spray when Murtari began passive resistance. Murtari is the founder of akidsright.org, a parents group that advocates for a Federal Family Rights Act. He says the law is unjust and plans on continuing to be passive while incarcerated.
In an affidavit for the court Murtari wrote, “The backdoor connection between Child Support payments and driving is a violation of individual rights to due process. Family Court Support proceedings operate with reduced levels of proof and evidence. I now face numerous criminal charges with no real means of defense. If my license had been suspended due to DWI, speeding, or other traffic violations I would have been protected during those proceedings by strict rules of evidence and a strong burden of proof.”
Two years ago Murtari also passively resisted arrest and went 10 days without food or water before he was given a feeding tube by his jailers. Murtari appeared in court yesterday looking drawn and tired. Members of the Equal Parents for Children group in Rochester observed the hearing and said he didn’t look well. Today is Murtari’s third day without food or water.
Laurie Reilly Radio Show, John Murtari Interview, Sept 10, 06
I'm a sun and nature loving, 50-something, laid back, forward thinking, liberal anti-feminist egalitarian, san francisco bay area native, single mom of 4 and yia yia to 2. I've been active in the equal parenting movement since 2002. Known as the purple Queen of Equality, I once blogged as the Feminist4Fathers. Find me now on sharedparentingworks.org and jugsforjustice.org. | More from Teri Stoddard
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November 21st, 2008 at 6:13 am
Great Post!
I’m glad I took the time to listen to the radio show posted above. The people who called in were quick to point out that John’s case is not unique and there are literally hundreds of thousands of cases like this across the nation.
John actually has a great deal to be thankful for. There are a lot of people out there who’ve suffered far worse than he has, and we’ll never hear a word about what they went through. Thousands of people spiral into alcoholic depression (like the radio show host’s brother) and many commit suicide. Many end up homeless and God only knows the extent of the rest.
All of this is being done so a ruling class of “legal professionals†and “social workers†can earn a living off the backs of our children. It’s being done so that state governments can rob the taxpayers of billions of dollars every year, (via matching federal dollars) and is nothing more than racketeering as the last caller pointed out.
John is wrong about there not being a “law†that guarantees your right to be a parent to your children as one of the callers pointed out. The right to be a parent to your children is the most fundamental human right there is, and is unquestionably protected by the Constitution.
There is no difference between people who hijack our courts and use them as weapons of mass destruction against our people and people who fly planes into buildings. If anything the former is far more deadly than the latter.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:46 am
Starving ourselves or self abuse is not going to do any good, the “terrorist” who run the family courts do not give a rats ass about us. We,fathers and men, have become disenfranchised,we have let the thugs and criminals who run the system strip us of basic rights.
It is time to reclaim those rights and we must start enforcing the law and make the “terrorist” who run the system start abiding by it again. The courts are corrupt, but they can be made to behave themselves. They still do have to follow their own rules and if they fail to follow their own rules, their are remedies under the common law system we have. They can be held accountable.
The most effective technique I have found is a little thing called challenging subject matter jurisdiction. What this is, is challenging the original legal authority the courts used to put us in this God awful mess. There are several elements in this. I have found from personal experience and trial and error, that they routinely miss atleast three of these elements, thereby rendering the judgments, ie child support and custody, void. They can be made to stop and give back atleast part of what they have stolen. You can restore some of your rights to be a parent and stop some of the abusive behavior these thugs often exhibit.
Yes, you can hold judges, who are usually imune, accountable, albeit not personally. But when faced with losing their “cushy little job” and being subject to civil penalty,they tend to act a lot better. This technique is called a collateral attack, ie attacking the jurisdiction, not the decisions of that court.
This is done in federal court, and despite the reputation for being just as bad as the state courts, when it comes to issues of civil rights and when the state courts and official fail to follow their own laws, the feds do routinely go in there and make them behave themselves. It’s called title 4, folks.
Easy to do, NOOOOOO. but doable and effective, Yes!
If you think some lawyer is going to do this, no way, part of the problem, is that they work for the system and no matter much money you pay them , they do not work for you. You have to do it yourself. It is difficult to learn and takes awhile, but anyone with basic knowledge can do it. Just go to the local law library and study judgments and Pleadings. You will find right away the mistakes they have made and how to attack the case and destroy it.
Study your states rules of civil procedure and learn how to construct the motions and what to do if a collateral attack become necessary.
You still have to take care of your children and follow the law. But the law is perfect and the courts, when properly instructed and motivated to act right, can infact act to protect your rights. You can come out with a fair and just arrangement, something you can live with, something that creates peace,and ( after the ex’ gets used to fact, she no longer has all the power and all the rights),You might even be able to create a real working relationship with her(him)