Blogging Blue

Back in August, I blogged about the story of April Griffin, a single mother who was jailed for refusing to disclose the location of her young son during a custody dispute with the father. Griffin was jailed by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Guolee, who made it clear he had no problem holding Griffin in custody until she complied with his order to disclose the location of her son.

Earlier today the MJS reported Griffin was freed by Judge Guolee, who found that her mental and physical condition was deteriorating. Judge Guolee made it clear when he ordered Griffin released that he was not lifting the contempt finding against her, and he also said she and her family are mistaken if they think they have won.

“He (the baby) will be found, and he will be found with someone, and that someone will be charged with a crime,”

Griffin’s family has been hiding the child since Griffin was placed in custody, so it will be interesting to see how long it takes authorities to find the child and who ends up getting charged for interfering with the father’s custodial rights.

Ultimately, while I don’t completely agree with Judge Guolee’s decision to hold April Griffin in custody all these months, I do understand his taking such drastic action, given Griffin’s complete and total unwillingness to comply with the court’s orders regarding visitation and custody of the child, as evidenced by her refusal to disclose the child’s location to the court.

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I’ve been closely following the case of April Griffin, a 28 year-old Milwaukee woman who’s been jailed since May 15 for her refusal to reveal the whereabouts of her 11-month old son after Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Michael Goulee allowed the boy’s father to have visitation rights. Since being held in custody, Griffin has lost custody of the child, with the judge awarding full custody to the boy’s father. Griffin has alleged she fears the boy’s father - who is not a U.S. citizen - would attempt to take the boy back to his native Africa. Griffin has also alleged Matthew Sebuliba, the father, has an “extensive history of domestic violence and abuse” against Griffin. In response to Griffin’s concerns about Sebuliba taking their son back to Africa, Judge Guolee ordered Sebuliba to surrender his passport, but Griffin still refused to reveal the location of the boy.

As reported in Proof and Hearsay and the MJS, earlier today Judge Guolee offered April Griffin a furlough to allow her to help get her older child ready for the school year, but Griffin sat silent as her attorney refused the offer. Now I understand Ms. Griffin’s desire to want to keep her child safe from harm, but I can’t help but wonder what this situation is doing to her older child, who’s been forced to get by without her mother for over three months.

Ultimately, April Griffin may have some really good reasons for her unwillingness to comply with the judge’s order and reveal the whereabouts of her child, but in choosing to deal with the situation in this manner, all she’s done is discredit herself and make it so the situation she was most trying to avoid - Matthew Sebuliba getting custody - has now come to pass. I hope for the sake of everyone involved - but most of all the 11-month old child - that April Griffin will come to her senses and realize the best way to get the outcome she desires is to work within the confines of the family court system.

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