Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Mistress Sues 9/11 Widow For More Child Benefits
WNBC Television ^ | 5/27/2004 | Puppage

Posted on 05/27/2004 10:48:37 AM PDT by Puppage

NEWARK, N.J. -- The mistress of a Port Authority officer who died in the attack on the World Trade Center is suing his widow, seeking a greater share of benefits for a child from their affair.

Officer Liam Callahan, 44, died on Sept. 11, 2001, leaving behind a wife, Joan, and four children in Rockaway Township. They would have celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary the next day.

He also left a girlfriend, Kimberly Diaz, who had just become pregnant.

Joan Callahan did not know about the affair, her lawyer said. But when a paternity test confirmed that Liam Diaz Callahan was her husband's child, she included him when applying for benefits from the government's compensation fund, according to court records.

Records show the fund would pay about $1 million on the request, with each child getting about $145,000, but Diaz claims her son should get more. The widow opposes the effort.

Diaz lawyer James Dronzek told The Star-Ledger of Newark the argument is based on how the proposed award was calculated.

The compensation fund valued Mrs. Callahan claim at $3.26 million, based on her husband's age and potential earnings. That was offset by $2.2 million the family received from life insurance and pension benefits.

Dronzek said Liam Diaz Callahan may be due some of the offsets, or may be due child support. The child does receive Social Security survivor benefits.

Callahan, a 22-year police veteran, earned about $67,000 a year, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.

Diaz, 36, said she met Callahan while she worked as a Port Authority communications agent at the Journal Square PATH station in Jersey City, and they become romantically involved in March 1999.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: 911families; lawsuit
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last
To: steplock
"you have an illicit affair, you get pregnant, he dies, you get NADA NIL NOTHING ZERO."

It takes two to tango. "you get NADA" - the child needs support, period. I'm not a big advocate of paying unreasonable child support - I pay child support myself for my 11 year old son. But people need to pay what is reasonable, and as a matter of law this child is entitled to part of the estate, no matter the circumstances of conception.

21 posted on 05/27/2004 11:15:14 AM PDT by paulsy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: steplock

It's the child we are talking about.


22 posted on 05/27/2004 11:16:19 AM PDT by Lorianne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: HenryLeeII

My friend, an experienced Navy Seal (he's an instructor here in San Diego) was deployed yesterday. He can't tell us where, just somewhere in Africa...no contact...no emails...not even phone calls are to be expected. Three months (so they say). We're very sad today.


23 posted on 05/27/2004 11:18:01 AM PDT by Hildy (...love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth. - Mark Twain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Puppage

America's romantic feelings for the divorced/single mommy lobby and its divorce industry are only beginning to come home to roost. There's much more ahead.


24 posted on 05/27/2004 11:18:17 AM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lunatic Fringe

"Why? Is there a special bastard provision of which the rest of us were not aware?"

He would have been entitled to an equal share of over 3 million if there had not been insurance. Since there was insurance, the amount he got a share of was decreased to just over 1 million. He got none of the insurance however. Essentially he got screwed.

Don't blame his mother for looking out for his best interests. If you need someone to blame, blame the politicians for providing victims compensation in the first place.


25 posted on 05/27/2004 11:19:31 AM PDT by monday
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: paulsy

And I am sure Mz. Diaz did not come up with that type of a scenario on her own.

Just know that now that she is making this a bigger issue her MORAL LAWYER will get one third of any settlement.

She should have taken her 145 and SS check and been done with it. Frankly I have zero empathy for her and I feel sorry for the poor child who will learn these horrible truths some day.


26 posted on 05/27/2004 11:20:35 AM PDT by alisasny (SMARTY JONES FOR SECRETARY OF OFFENSE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Lunatic Fringe
Why? Is there a special bastard provision of which the rest of us were not aware?

LOL! Being a bastard didn't seem to slow Xlinton down any!

The girlfriend is claiming that the wife's children got insurance money in addition to the 9/11 payment, and that her child got no such insurance money, and therefore the 9/11 payment for her child should be larger (e.g. not reduced the way the other children's were). But, there are two answers to her demand for more money:

1) If you're having an affair with someone, make sure he provides full insurance coverage;
and
2) She should be thankful that the wife put her son down for any of the benefits, and didn't make her go through all the red tape and hassle. The wife sounds like an upstanding person, being willing to do that after losing her husband in the attacks.

Henry Lee II
"Leftists are crazed and violent people,
With the blood of millions on their hands.”

27 posted on 05/27/2004 11:22:57 AM PDT by HenryLeeII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: johnfrink
re: Sheesh. My only question is how his mistress's child came to have HIS last name?)))

this appears to be more and more common, as the illegitimate seek a kind of quasi-legitimacy...I don't know the legal basis, but it sure isn't the first time I've seen a child born out of wedlock somehow sporting his sperm-donor's legal name.

It's part of what I predict will happen after same-sex marriages take effect. Wives and mothers will no longer have the protection of conventional marriages--any time "hubby" wants, he can have a de facto second wife, which will divide the community property into smaller increments.

I do like to think of a certain ultra-liberal trophy-wife when BigBucks brings home some competition...at present she is very pro gay marriage... And I sure wouldn't blame the widow. How humiliating.

28 posted on 05/27/2004 11:23:06 AM PDT by Mamzelle (for a post-neo conservatism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: steplock
you have an illicit affair, you get pregnant, he dies, you get NADA NIL NOTHING ZERO.

I agree.

This woman is pure, distilled SCUM.

29 posted on 05/27/2004 11:26:21 AM PDT by anglophile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Puppage

http://www.portauthoritypolicememorial.org/callahan_additional_information.htm

scans of newspapers articles about Liam Callahan


30 posted on 05/27/2004 11:27:58 AM PDT by stlnative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingsparkle
Why would the widow include him in her petition for benefits??? Just being kind?

That does make you wonder --- what were her motives in the first place for doing that, did she open a can of worms --- trying to be nice but it just got the tramp deciding to go for much more? Sometimes generosity can get you in trouble.

31 posted on 05/27/2004 11:28:56 AM PDT by FITZ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: paulsy

I agree. As for another post's homewrecker comment, let's all remember it takes two to tango. If business was taken care of at home there is no roaming. No excuse though.


32 posted on 05/27/2004 11:30:55 AM PDT by wordsofearnest (As a matter of fact I like beer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: HenryLeeII
"The 9/11 families that have been complaining about how little they're getting from my tax dollars should just shut up and be thankful they're getting anything."

Those families are NOT responsible for the victim's compensation fund. The POLITICIANS are. If you were entitled to a share of the fund, you would be collecting all you could as well. You would be stupid if you didn't.

It's like blaming welfare programs, and benefits, on welfare recipients. None of them would receive a dime either if our stupid politicians didn't provide the programs that pay them.

If you are surprised that yet another gov't program (the victim's compensation fund) is poorly administered, and unfair, then you haven't been paying attention.
33 posted on 05/27/2004 11:32:01 AM PDT by monday
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: monday

>He would have been entitled to an equal share of over 3 >million if there had not been insurance.

Then I suppose this woman should have taken more consideration when having unprotected sex with a married man. Period.


34 posted on 05/27/2004 11:34:00 AM PDT by sandbar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: alisasny
"She should have taken her 145 and SS check and been done with it."

It seems, actually, that she was gainfully employed. Arey ou saying she's on welfare now?

"I am sure Mz. Diaz did not come up with that type of a scenario on her own."

If you mean the conception scenario, then you are correct. She didn't do that on her own. If you mean the scenario where she claims against the estate for support, what do you base your conclusion on? Did she tell you that a lawyer came up with the idea? It doesn't take rocket science to stick up for your child. Just instinct.

35 posted on 05/27/2004 11:35:57 AM PDT by paulsy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: alisasny

he died a happy man?

haha

sorry, but if I was married to one of those shrill 9/11 widows, I don't know what I would do.


36 posted on 05/27/2004 11:36:03 AM PDT by BurbankKarl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: steplock

I know this is tacky, but if this widow was one of the disruptors at the 9/11 commision, then I hope the mistress gets a big payday.


37 posted on 05/27/2004 11:36:16 AM PDT by Ben Chad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: rightwingsparkle
Why would the widow include him in her petition for benefits???

Probably recognized there would be a claim re: survivor benefits. What I'm wondering is how in the world a guy making $67K a year can expect to support two women and five kids. What the hell was he thinking. Classic example of a guy worth more dead than alive.

38 posted on 05/27/2004 11:37:13 AM PDT by paul51
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: sandbar
"Then I suppose this woman should have taken more consideration when having unprotected sex with a married man. Period."

Y'all surprise me. There's no culpability on the part of the deceased father? We're conservatives. We're all about taking responsibility, and responsibility for this falls on both parents, including the father and his assets.

39 posted on 05/27/2004 11:37:51 AM PDT by paulsy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: FITZ

What if Mr. Callahan was killed on any other day besides 9/11! Would this be happening? Would his mistress be suing Mr. Callahan's widow over child support for the child the mistress and Mr. Callahan created?

Of course how and when Mr. Callahan was killed should not play a factor in this, but the reality of it is that it does because a victim/survivor fund is involved.








40 posted on 05/27/2004 11:47:03 AM PDT by stlnative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson