paula poundstone case update

[mojo]

here's one i been wondering about. with all the hubbub about winona's case, it made me wonder how some other cases are proceeding.

just like one might expect...we hear about paula's case when she's arrested and charges are brought against her, but when charges are dropped, we hear nothing. so i guess they can make you look all bad and stuff, but when it comes time to take it back, they're on to just slam someone else instead. i guess the thought is "why waste valuable smearing airtime?"

anyhow, here's the stuff on paula:

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,10785,00.html

Paula's Kids Not Home for Holidays

by Bridget Byrne
Nov 4, 2002, 3:00 PM PT


Looks like Paula Poundstone is getting the legal equivalent of coal for Christmas.

Hoping for an early holiday present--reclaiming custody of her three adopted children--the stand-up comic returned to a Santa Monica courtroom on Friday only to be stonewalled by the judge, who ruled Poundstone won't be able to bring her kids home until after the New Year.

"I've kinda lost hope. I kinda feel like nothing makes sense...I'm not a big threat to society...What's a big threat to society is the process," said Poundstone upon hearing the ruling.

Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins said that he isn't the Scrooge in this case--he blamed Poundstone's lawyer for complicating the process and causing the legal snafu that will prevent Poundstone from being reunited with her three children sooner.

The trio of tykes were barred from living with Poundstone more than a year ago, after she was arrested on lewd-conduct and child-endangerment charges.

The lewd-sex charges were dropped, but the now 42-year-old comedian pleaded no contest to one felony count of child endangerment for drunken driving while chauffering her kids to an ice cream parlor and one misdemeanor count of inflicting injury to a 12-year-old on three occasions. Poundstone was sentenced in October 2001 to 180 days at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and five years of probation.

During Friday's hearing, Kamins reasoned that attorney Rich Pfeiffer filed one too many pieces of paper. Pfeiffer had alleged that the criminal court overstepped its jurisdiction when it decided on child visitation and custody rights in the Poundstone case. Because that legal challenge, filed in August, is still under review by a state appeal court, proceedings have stalled in Poundstone's efforts to get her children back from foster care.

Kamins has given Poundstone an "A-plus" for keeping to the rules of her probation and staying sober. Earlier this year, he relaxed some of the rules allowing the self-deprecating comic, who now jokes about being a "felon," greater freedom to travel and perform her stand-up without supervision from a court-appointed monitor. But he has refused to relax those rules further and now says he is unable to circumvent her lawyer's appeal and therefore can't consider her custody request until her next court hearing, scheduled for January 31.

The knotty legal issue brought further despair to Poundstone, who also had two foster children removed from her care at the time of her arrest and is now barred from adopting or fostering any more kids. Her adopted children are currently in the care of a friend, who is their court-appointed foster parent. Poundstone can pay them daily supervised visits, but they can't live at her house.

After last week's court session, Poundstone told reporters, "I committed two crimes for which I couldn't be more sorry, and I'd like to be able to make it up to my kids. If the idea is to hit you so hard you never get up again, then we're not doing the right thing.

"It's the process that's worrisome," she added. "I want my kids back now and I'm not happy until that happens."

[Grimm]

There is nothing more basic than the right to raise your own children. Once a child is adopted he or she becomes your child, just as much as if you had had the child naturaly. The only time the state should take a child away is when that child is in danger. As that is no longer the case, the decision to hold the children away from their parent is unconcionable. The judge is childishly avenging himself for having his authority chalenged.

[molecularfire]

What's the big deal. I mean I agree that it sucks that she won't be able to have her kids back in time for christmas, but heck, neither her nor her kids are locked up. Why don't they just celebrate christmas at her friend's place. Heck, if one of my buddies was watching my kids for me during this ordeal, I'd wanna have christmas with them anyways. Actually... does anyone know if there is a time limit for the supervised visits?

[faither]

You couldn't be more right, Moj. Major play from the media is only guaranteed if you're being embarrassed or the story is titillating. Recovering your dignity and trying to reclaim your family doesn't make a great headline.

[Nija]

http://www.theiowachannel.com/entertainment/1834695/detail.html


Comedian Paula Poundstone has her kids back.

Poundstone lost her three adopted children last year after pleading no contest to felony child endangerment, a charge involving drunken driving with children in the car.

The plea agreement was reached in September 2001, and in exchange, three charges of committing an act of lewd conduct on a child were dropped.


Poundstone was arrested in June 2001 for the alleged incident involving a 14-year-old girl. She pleaded not guilty to those charges.

In an interview with the television show "Dateline" in January, Poundstone said that she "didn't do anything sexual" with her foster or adopted children. She said she "didn't hit anybody," either.


just in case anyone cares..

[Grimm]

Gee, what happend to not being able to give her kids back untill January 31? Maybe a senior judge gave him a call and a boot in the ass. It's pretty sad when the justice system makes threats to take away your kids to coerce confessions from people. What choice do you have then?