KY: New grp protesting Family Ct. illegalities

Subject: KY: Group protests v Family Ct. Judge, therapist concurs
From: (Fern5827)
Date: 9/17/2004 11:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id:

Protesters march against judge
FAMILY COURT JURIST IS WIFE OF STATE'S CHIEF JUSTICE

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FRANKFORT - About 20 protesters from a citizen's group marched on the Capitol
in opposition to a family court judge who has developed a reputation as hasty
and short-tempered.

Judge Debra Lambert, the wife of the state Supreme Court's chief justice,
presides over cases of divorce, custody, domestic violence and neglect and
abuse of children in Pulaski, Rockcastle and Lincoln counties.

The citizens' group, called Concerned Citizens for a Better Family Court, has
alleged that Lambert has placed children in unnecessary foster care
assignments, played favorites and refused to recuse herself in cases involving
conflicts of interest.

"I am extremely concerned about injustices being done," said Carrie Schultz, a
family therapist from Somerset and president of the citizens' group. "There is
no due process."

In an interview with the Courier-Journal, Lambert dismissed the claims of the
group, which has picketed courthouses where she presides.

"The story here is the judge-bashing that's going on," she said. "I think they
enjoy the attention the media seem to be giving them, for whatever reason."

Lambert has supporters, including Cheryl Franklin, supervisor of the state
social services office in Mount Vernon. Franklin said Lambert is a fair and
thoughtful judge.

"I have a high respect for that lady," Franklin said.

But Legal Aid lawyer Robert H. Brown, who routinely represents poor clients in
Lambert's court, said the protesters have raised valid objections.

Brown said his chief concern is Lambert's seeming inconsistency -- sometimes
taking great pains to hear everyone and other times cutting off people and
making abrupt decisions that have profound effects on people's lives. Such
decisions "cause anguish and turmoil for the parties that appear before her as
well as the children involved," Brown said.

He said Lambert doesn't seem to consider the poverty of people he represents.
For example, Brown said, the judge sometimes orders people to get a drug test
within the hour after a court hearing -- at a cost of $35 to $40 -- or be held
in contempt of court, even if no allegations of drug abuse have been raised.

"Judge Lambert does not seem to have an understanding of what it means to be a
poor person facing very expensive and costly litigation," he said.

Lambert told the newspaper she treats all people fairly and makes the best
decisions she can. She said she won't be influenced by the protesters.

"Certainly I would say they are misguided if they believe I would ever resign,"
she said. "I was elected by the people of my district."

Lambert was appointed in 1999 by then-Gov. Paul Patton to the newly created
family court seat and elected in 2000. She is up for re-election in 2006.

Lambert is married to Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, who wasn't at the Capitol
Wednesday.

Schultz said she and others have filed complaints about Deb-ra Lambert with the
Judicial Conduct Commission.

In an April 20 response from the commission, Executive Secretary James D.
Lawson said the commission found no evidence of any misconduct by Deb-ra
Lambert.


FOSTER CARE, CPS, DUE PROCESS, KENTUCKY, DHS, DSS


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
------

DESCRIPTORS; DUE PROCESS, CPS, FAMILY COURT, LEXINGTON, COVINGTON, CHILD
PROTECTIVE, CHILD ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE INDUSTRY