Dad says he’s biking to Washington for equal custody rights
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| Robb MacKenzie, a correctional officer from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, rides his bicycle south of Adrian on Wednesday, heading toward the Ohio border. MacKenzie says he’s biking from Lansing to Washington, D.C., to draw attention to legislation that fathers’ rights advocates say would put them on a more equal footing in child custody cases. - Telegram photo by Mike Calamungi |
Robb MacKenzie of Michigan, the non-custodial father of a 12-year-old daughter, is riding to support State Rep. Leslie Mortimer’s joint custody bill.
Daily Telegram Staff Writer
ADRIAN - Robb MacKenzie is a corrections officer in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He is also the non-custodial father of a 12-year-old daughter, a situation he says has cost him money and valuable time with his daughter.
MacKenzie is riding his bicycle from Lansing to Washington, D.C., in support of a measure in the Michigan Legislature that would automatically designate joint custody in divorce, separation and non-marital cases unless specific factors dictate otherwise. He plans on being in Washington by June 22, after taking part in rallies this weekend in Pittsburgh and in Columbus, Ohio.
“I’m trying to make people aware of how unfair it is for non-custodial parents,†MacKenzie said during a stop in Adrian on Wednesday. “We had joint custody until we went to court and that’s when the money started. My lawyer told me to not even bother going back to court.â€
State Rep. Leslie Mortimer, R-Horton, is sponsoring House Bill 5267, which says, “The court shall order joint custody unless, by clear and convincing evidence that a parent is unfit, unwilling, or unable to care for the child.†The measure was sent to the committee on Family and Children Services in October.
“Shared parenting is the way to go,†Mortimer said. “Research shows children do better socially, academically and have better life outcomes. Divorce is devastating enough, but to lose one parent over another makes it even worse.â€
McKenzie said he agrees that children’s best interests lie with having strong relationships with both parents.
“I live in the same town as my daughter and I can only see her at specific times,†McKenzie said. “She and her friends knew the route I was taking through Lansing and they waved and rang bells of support for me. I almost cried.â€
MacKenzie is promoting the organization Dads of Michigan, a non-profit volunteer organization affiliated with the American Coalition for Fathers and Children. The group, which operates a Web site at www.dadsofmichigan.org, says its goal is to keep both parents involved in their children’s lives.
1 response so far ↓
1 Kevin Merck // Jun 17, 2006 at 10:20 am
["State Rep. Leslie Mortimer, R-Horton, is sponsoring House Bill 5267, which says, “The court shall order joint custody unless, by clear and convincing evidence that a parent is unfit, unwilling, or unable to care for the child.†The measure was sent to the committee on Family and Children Services in October."]
The problem with the judge making the decision based on “clear and convincing†evidence is that it’s still totally up to the “judge’s discretion†what constitutes said evidence. If the judge finds in his/her mind that it is “more likely than not†that a parent is unfit, unwilling or unable they may deny joint custody. It’s still “totally†up to the judge’s discretion. I think most of us would agree that this is still a very “flawed†approach.
I think if the judge determines that there is clear and convincing evidence which warrants the denial of joint physical custody that the parent being denied has the right to challenge that decision by a jury of his/her peers.
There also needs to be severe repercussions for any parent that purposely makes false allegations against the other parent in order to gain full custody. Any parent that would stoop so low as to make serious false allegations, should not be allowed around children, much less enjoy custody.
Kevin Merck
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