Attorney playing both sides...MAYBE

[txoilman1]

Texas.......If I wanted to find out about a certain attorneys campaign contribututors, where would I look. Isn't that all public record when someone is running for a District Judge seat? I need to see if any contributions were given by another party in the suit. I'm just curious, not accusing the attorney/judge of anything....I just want to be able to sleep at night. Thanks

[Fatheroffour]

Texas State Ethics commission

[Thoughts?]

And my experience around Central Texas is every attorney who thinks he'll be rep'ing cases in front of a judge, makes a small contribution to ALL candidates who might stand a chance in the election.

In other words, when election time comes around, write a check to each who might win, is the norm.

[txoilman1]

I am familiar with attorneys contributing to other campaigns but this is a different scenario. Sorry I will explain in greater detail....The 3 parties named in our custody suit are myself, my ex (daughters mother), and my mother( petitioning for grandparents rights....Grandma hired a legal team in Dallas (best of the best, 3 attorneys and an assistant show up every court date to represent them), my ex has hired an interesting attorney that's not too sharp, and I hired, on the recommendation of my step-father (the grandmas husband), a college friend of my step-sister. Now what I found out / realized over the first 3 years of courtroom drama and arguing was that my attorney couldn't speak to the grandma directly because of conflict of interest however, he could speak with my step-father (the grandmas husband, my step-dad) since he was not named in the suit. As the 3 years went by and all of the co-parenting, mediations, psychiatric evaluations, appointment of amicus attorney, etc didn't work to help resolve the 3-WAY TRIANGLE of issues, I finally realized that the advice I was being given along the way by my attorney was not in my best interest or the children's best interest so I fired him. He was pleased to be done with the case at that point since he was actively campaigning for District Judge at that time. Just before we parted ways I had begun to wonder if my step-father (the grandmas husband) had somehow managed to give my attorney's campaign a rather large contribution to stonewall my requests for modification of custody.

Oh yeah this is important to understand also, from the day I was served with a petition from my mother stating she was going to legally pursue grandparents rights, I never spoke another word to her or my step-father. To say the least, the 3-4 years leading up to our trial were not happy times between the 3 parties in the suit. It's difficult to fight for your kids against a team of highly paid and skilled attorneys, especially when their clients don't have a budget.

I'm not sure that there is anything I could do at this point even if he did make a contribution. I just would like to find access to the records of contributions for his campaign to find out for myself. It's just a gut feeling and I need the closure.

[BartSimpson]

I'd be curious what these alledged "Grandparent's Rights" are?

From your description, the paternal grandparents sued for custody - making it really personal against their own son - and justified setting aside their own parental obligation for their children to interlope and parent the grandchildren. Why? Drugs? Criminal Stuff? Kids watched too many Television Shows?

I ask because we know of something called "the mother-daughter duo" where a NJ Mom and Grandma fight tooth-and-nail to prevent Dad's involvement. If a NJ Grandma could do this with legal standing in Court, we'd see a line of Granny's out the Court Clerk's door.

[Trevor]

Seems to me the OP might (have) be(en) protecting the kids from an OCD Gma with deep pockets who is a complete douchebag. No?

[Thoughts?]

Grandparents rights in TX won't give them custodionship, it gives them very limited < parenting time >. The only way around that is by proving both parents unfit, which would be more of a guardianship-reverting-to-the-closest-fit-relative issue.

This is too much drama here. Research the donors to see if step-g'pa was playing both sides or not.

[readyalready]

well, all i can say is seeing NJ holding hands with her mom getting on the elevator after court was the wierdest thing I haveever seen with my own two eyes. It was like I watching a movie...