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Michael Volpe reporting

Preacher-Turned-Politician Leads Family Court Reform

Preacher-Turned-Politician Leads Family Court Reform

    South Carolina firebrand Gil Gatch is done watching families get steamrolled by a family-court system he says rewards bias, secrecy, and incompetence. The former minister and Georgetown-trained lawyer is pushing bold reforms to rein in guardian ad litem abuses, shut down backdoor deals, and restore judicial accountability. In an exclusive interview, Gatch explains why GALs have become “the judge in a lot of circumstances,” how temporary orders trap parents for years, and why he distrusts slow-rolling ad hoc committees. Meanwhile, Arizona and Idaho lawmakers are proving that sunlight-driven investigations can force long-overdue reforms. The battle for America’s children is underway.

    Judge Defies Brain Doctor, Hands Boy to Alleged Abuser

      Cook County family court is in meltdown. Judge Kevin M. O’Donnell and attorney Wendy R. Morgan tried to force reunification therapy on 11-year-old Grayson Spear with his allegedly abusive father, Kevin Spear. World-renowned neurologist Dr. S. Gregory Hipskind warned that further contact risked “irreparable neurological harm.” When that scheme collapsed, Morgan pivoted to the “silver bullet” strategy, and O’Donnell signed a secret ex parte order flipping custody. Police are now hunting for the boy. But Grayson is missing, fueling outrage, fear, and calls for a federal crackdown on Chicago’s corrupt family courts.