Posted on 04/09/2009 10:04:24 AM PDT by lewisglad
part two of his CBS Early Show interview, Levi Johnston - the 19-year-old father of Sarah Palin's grandson - continued to accuse the Palin family of keeping him from spending time alone with his 3-month-old son, Tripp.
Levi's mother, Sherry Johnston, also claimed the family won't let her see her grandson and wants a pow-wow with the Palins to work out a custody arrangement.
In a perfect world, "everything will be reconciled," Sherry said. "[I hope] we can get together, if for no other reason, [than] for Tripp. He deserves to know both grandmas and grandpas, and aunts and uncles. And mom and dad."
"I had a really rough summer," added Sherry, who faces six felony counts of possessing and selling the prescription painkiller OxyContin.
After her arrest, she said the arrival of her grandson "was what kept me going. Just waiting for him."
See photos of shocking teen pregnancies
Wiping tears from her eyes, she added, "I mean, Bristol and I talked about it a lot. Just like, 'Well, you'll have Tripp soon. And he'll be there for you.'"
"You're still waiting"? Rodriguez asked.
"I'm hoping," Sherry said. "I'm begging."
See photos of Sarah Palin's family on the campaign trail
Levi said that while he talks to Bristol, 18, "every day, every other day," the conversations are "real short."
"You know, I call her to see -- see how my baby's doing," he said. "That kind of thing. But we don't really sit there and talk. Like, 'How are you -- how you been?' I mean, she's real short with me."
Tell Us: Whose side are you on - Levi or Bristol's?
States grant visitation to grandparents as a general rule.
It’s written into most custody agreements and is usually fostered by the family courts as custom.
“Remember, ABC sent an entire film crew to Alaska a couple of weeks ago to ambush Levi in his truck”
I believe the reporter for ABC that ambushed Levi was the same reporter that was stabbed to death in his bed a couple weeks ago.
I believe it was reported that a 20 year old man was arrested for the murder. He was having a sexual encounter with the reporter, so it was written.
Levi may have been his last interview.
Not when current drug charges are involved as in this case. At a mimimum, a guardian ad litem would be appointed for supervised visitation and court-ordered drug testing.
Why does he not go to court for visitation right? This is really ridiculous. I doubt that they are keeping the kid from the anyway, but if they are there are avenues to fix this. The media is not one of them.
the guardian ad litum would be appointed not for the pending drug charges but simply to give the baby an objective voice between disputing parents if it comes to that
folks with felonies pending or convicted or just out of prison etc have the same rights to custody and visitation as anyone else normally unless it can be proven it's relative to endangering the child which more often involves abuse to the child not a crime committed by the parent.
I realize it would seem conventional wisdom but it's not.
I know because I lived this in Dade County family court in 1996, I'm not making it up.
Whether or not a court mandates pre sentencing drug testing or not has nothing to do with the fathers or the grandparents visitation unless they are endangering the child.
...and that will require proof.
that may vary state to state but in Florida it doesn't and in libertarian Alaska I bet it doesn't change much
I don't know one felon who has ever lost custody or even had it diminished any unless abandonment or abuse was involved.
And how the boy's mom acts even with a drug problem has nothing to do with him being allowed to see a child he fathered.
But that does bring up another issue which this time I have no experience with. What rights does the unwed father have in Alaska?
Don't know.
I never knew that about Dr. laura’s mother, mostly because i dont follow this stuff.
But there are many, many emotionally abusive parents from that generation, which lacked tools to properly respect their adult children. I dont entirely blame her for the estrangement.
Oh the media would have a field day with that if Levi insisted on paternity. Could you imagine? Bristol may have multiple partners would be headline news.
Grounds for Termination of Parental Rights Texas Statute: Family Code §§ 161.001; 161.003(a)
Circumstances That Are Grounds for Termination
Abandonment or Extreme Parental DisinterestI personally know of one local case where the parents were manufacturing meth in the house with the kids there, which is similar to the charges against the grandmother. They both went to jail, their parental rights were terminated and the children were adopted by an aunt and uncle.Abuse/Neglect
Mental Illness or Deficiency
Alcohol or Drug Induced Incapacity
Felony Conviction/Incarceration
Failure of Reasonable Efforts
Abuse/Neglect or Loss of Rights of Another Child
Sexual Abuse
Failure to Maintain Contact
Failure to Provide Support
Child's Best Interest
Felony assault of child or sibling Murder/Manslaughter of sibling child
If you think there is a hair’s difference between a drug dealer and someone who went to the same house twice and brought their own 4 year old with them to commit the crime, go right ahead.
I don’t see any difference. And if you think really hard about *why* someone would need to commit robbery over and over again, and do so with a preschooler in tow, you might not either.
It appears now that at least one member of Palin’s family are talking to the tabloids, too. This website claims to have a “Palin family member” taking Johnston’s side.
This is a “fathers rights” issue.
He should have just as much custody and say in all matters involving his son.
Whether he’s a bum or a sad sack has nothing to do with it. Neither does his mothers problems.
Whether he is a bum or not impacts on the issue. If he is a bum he is not paying Child support.
As for his mother she is a drug dealer, do you think she should be granted access to the child? Most courts would not give her visiting rights let alone let her be alone with the baby. However, his mother's situation shouldn't interfere with Levi's custody claim.
Now, if Levi pays child support, fine, he should be given joint custody, because he is the father, I agree with that. However, lacking child support he should not be given custody.
These white trash grafters want some money, fame or both. They could give a shit about the baby
Give them a few bucks, have them sign a confidentiality contact and be done with them.
Just keeping your embers glowing (yeah, thread carryover). I see others in now agreeing with me in this thread.
I doubt many can top Larry, ask his daughter.
Fascinating. As if there were a shortage of people who dislike her for some reason (or no reason at all)./s
Just for your information... there are roughly 130 Freepers on the Palin ping which is barely two months old, growing daily.
Even though we think *he* was born out of wedlock?
Thanks for that response I was wondering about that. Problem solved.
Freepers seem to think felony convictions by default kill custody and visitation.
They could not be more wrong.
But the rest of the list you just showed is an example of behavioral actions that can lead to infringement of visitation and custody because they endanger or abuse the child...and don't require a criminal charge to be effected. Some are rather subjective and some aren't. Custody is a minefield. and expensive.
I had to speand 50,000 dollars and won shared custody and they tried the argument many of yall here are using and they failed. Within a few years my kids came to stay with me and there was not jack my ex nor my former husband in law could do to stop it..
Even without criminal allegations it is extremely difficult for the man to get custody unless the mom is really really bad.....not just run of the mill Virginia Woolfe bad.
yet another reason my wife refuses to set foot in the Hustler stores...lol
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.