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Paul Gillis

Judge Jacqueline Ricciani

    Ulster County Family Court is facing intense public scrutiny as Judge Jacqueline Ricciani prepares for a high-stakes emergency hearing involving attorney Elizabeth Faulkner, attorney Heather Harp, and Kingston resident Paul Gillis. Critics claim the trio has orchestrated an “opaque and alarming custody campaign,” raising questions about secrecy, emergency procedures, and alleged misuse of parens patriae powers. A popular watchdog blog has amplified these concerns, accusing court insiders of shielding questionable decisions from public view. With a new hearing set for November 19, pressure mounts on Judge Ricciani as citizens demand transparency, accountability, and protection for the child at the center of the dispute.

    Judge Sarah Rakov

      Ulster County Family Court Judge Sarah Rakov is under scrutiny for an emergency custody order that critics say stripped a mother of her rights without due process. The order—signed at the request of attorney Elizabeth Faulkner—was issued without a child-protective-services referral or evidentiary hearing. Court observers argue the move violated fundamental constitutional safeguards and mirrors a wider pattern of questionable emergency rulings across New York’s family courts. Rakov later recused herself, prompting questions about transparency, oversight, and how an order of such magnitude could have been signed in the first place.

      Black Widow's 400‑Page Meltdown: Elizabeth Faulkner’s smear collapses as Judge Rakov recuses. Weigel: “Venom and vengeance, not justice.”

      Black Widow’s 400‑Page Meltdown

        Elizabeth Faulkner, known across the Hudson Valley as the “Ulster County Black Widow,” just hit a wall. Her 400-page legal broadside against protective mother Helen Garber—stuffed with falsehoods and personal vendettas—was swatted down by Judge Sarah Rakov, who recused herself rather than dignify the spectacle. According to Family Court Fraud Warrior Project founder Dave Weigel, Faulkner’s motion was “a smear campaign dressed up as law.” Court insiders say it was pure retaliation—an attempt to jail Garber and steal her child. But this time, the Black Widow’s web may finally be unraveling under public scrutiny and legal sunlight.