Give Marissa Back
I kept Marissa for many reasons. It was getting harder to get her ready to go to her fathers house. She would ask me not to take her back. Then she would hide under the bed or in the closet. She would cry uncontrollably. She would beg Tori and I to hide her so she didn't have to go back.
Throughout this nightmare we asked the Seneca Nation Peacemakers Court to have Marissa evaluated by a phsychologist. My attorney and my Lay Advocate tried to get them to do this. Do what they should of done before they threw little Marissa into a house with a stranger she only knew for maybe 6 months and a father who came once and a while to visit. That was till he started this. Marissa's father and his attorney said they thought she was to young for that so he refused to have it done. But the father didn't know Marissa well enough to see a change in my baby. I had weekend visits, but her father could change it when ever he wanted. The SNI appointed Marissa a law guardian {7 months late}. He tried to get Kevin and his lawyer to give me more time with Marissa. He tried get me time at Christmas, but he refused, New Years refused, spring break refused. Then when I went to pick Marissa up for my weekend visit on April 11 and she wasn't there. I didn't see until the following weekend. That was when I kept her. Three days later the SNI Judges signed an order taking my visitation away. Can you see why I couldn't give her back? I could not see her up there without her Mommy. On July 8th we had a hearing in Elk County in front of the Judge The same Judge that talked to SNI Judge on the phone then relinquisheded jurisdiction and sent it up to the Peacemakers Court without a hearing. I though things were going to be OK. My lawyer showed him transcripts and paperwork to show the injustice that I had to deal with in the Peacemakers court and how they never gave us a final order so I could appeal it. Showed him that he was lied to about how Marissa was an Indian child , But she isn't and can never be one. How her father when he registered Marissa for Pre-school he registered her as a White Girl. My lawyer showed him another case where the Peacemakers court tried to do the same thing to a little boy. That made it to Federal Court and they stopped the Peacemakers court from taking jurisdiction. That case should have had precedence over this case. We even showed him a report from a professional . As soon as I kept Marissa I took her to see one and I was right . They were really messing her up . This is what the summary said: On August 8th the Elk County Judge registered or upheld the three orders from the Peacemakers court a foriegn nation a sovereign nation. WHY? I don't understand it. The three orders that he upheld were : On September 8th a hearing was held to put a warrant out to take custody of Marissa. At that time my lawyer said again that the reason that Amanda didn't give Marissa back was because she was afraid she would never see her again. The Judge said why she got visitation yet he held up an order supsending my visitation. Does that even make sense to you? I had to leave my home , my job, and my family to keep my girls together and to keep Marissa safe.The whole time Marissa was with Tori and I she never asked about her father. It was like if she didn't talk about them maybe we would forget and not take her back. Sometimes I wold ask to call her father and she would tell me no she didn't want to. The father found Marissa. Tori said she will never forget the sad look on Marissa's face when the cop took her away . Wow that is some father! Can you imagine what little Maressa is going Thu to be ripped from her family again. I have tried to contact Marissa by phone but I was hung up on and the next day the phone number was disconnected. I don't know how to get my visitation back because my lawyers, Jarret Smith and Mike Waterman cannot represent me at the Peacemakers court because they will not let them back.. And we know those judges will never let me see my baby again. IF ANYONE CAN HELP ME PLEASE EMAIL ME AT GIVEMARISSABACK@YAHOO.COM AND IF YOU SEE MY PRECIOUS MARISSA PLEASE TELL HER THAT HER MOMMY AND SISTER LOVE AND MISS HER VERY MUCH ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Marissa is a very verbal four year old Caucasian child. She currently appears to be in the middle of a very difficult custody battle. Biological mother, Amanda Prechtel, brought her for the evaluation due to possible concerns about sexual abuse based on some of the behaviors that Marissa is exhibiting. During the interview process, Marissa did not indicate that she witnessed any inappropriate sexual behaviors or been victimized sexually. However, the stress and trauma of the custody battle was clearly evident during her interactions with the therapist. She continually talked about her fear of being returned to live in Salamanca and being taken away from her mother and sister. In interactions with Marissa it is clear that she is experiencing stress and anxiety due to the possibility of being returned to the primary custody of her father and only having sup revised contact with her mother. She also voices concerns about some behaviors that occurred at the hands of her fathers paramour.
The Judge had all this information.
1. father was granted full custody of Marissa and I was given supervised visits.
2. I was granted weekend visits from Friday to Sunday.
3. I was to return Marissa and my visitation was suspended.
Did the Judge even read the orders he upheld? How can I have supervised visits then weekends then no visitations. It doesn't make any sense.
Here is just some more stories..
It just shows that were are not the only ones who have been subjected to the arbitrary rulings of the Dastardly Seneca Peacemakers Court….
Take the time and read it.. What can we do?
Although our story is slightly different, as my husband is the father of two son's born to a Seneca mother, it is so similar in the way Amanda was treated in "Peacemakers" and what he has endured. Several years ago, my husband separated from his son's mother and after the separation she decided she no longer wished for the boys to see their father. At this time my husband filed for visitation in Cattaraugus County Court. As soon as she was served with the papers from county court their mother went right to Peacemakers court and it was decided that this case would be in the jurisdiction of the Seneca Nation. Okay, he thought, he was a wonderful father and he had nothing to worry about, there is no reason he wouldn't get regular visitation. Well, that isn't how things happened. First, during hearings the "judges" wouldn't even allow his lawyer into the proceedings, let alone family or witnesses. Just as you said regarding how Marissa's father's statements were taken as gospel, as were the untrue statements the boy's mother's made about my husband. Each time my husband spoke up, he was put in his place, and he was also ordered to undergo all types of "evaluations" that were unjust. He had always been a wonderful father and provider. I could go on and on, but you already know how it works. Eventually, my husband felt he had no other option than to contact everyone from Senators in NY all the way to Federal Authorities in Washington . Nobody would help him. Keep in mind this was during the time the state and the nation were negotiating for the casino. He called the Times Herald and all the news stations in the area, nobody would listen to him. All he could think was, "how could this be happening to me, in my country". Unfortunately, the nation kept canceling hearings and postponing judgments, then it came, a hearing he was not notified of, and at this hearing it was ordered he was to have no visitation with his boys, the nation said they felt the boy's "needed time to become acquainted with their heritage" but would allow after two years for my husband to file for visitation and they would grant it then. This would not change as they would accept no appeal on this decision. And if my husband was to disobey this, the Marshall 's would be contacted. Well, 18 months later (six months before his "2 years was up" he received a Peacemakers court document stripping him from all his legal rights to his boys and guess what they based their ruling on "abandonment, that he had not contacted nor attempted to contact his sons in 18 months". My husband was devastated and he tried for years to get this overturned to no avail.
Just another email we thought may show some true colors….
Just read the article in the Olean Times and wanted to write you and let you know my feelings. I currently work at the casino, with dads girlfriend, and wanted to let you know that there are alot of us there that do not agree with her and what she has done to you and your family. In actuallity, there are a group of us girls that have been telling her for months that taking a child away from it's mother is not right in any case, and that she should mind her own business and stop trying to get Marissa’s dad to take Marissa away. Dads girlfriend obvioulsy has issues with being the center of attention-but trust me, there are alot of us who work with her that know this. Not sure if this is important information or not but thought I should pass it on anyways-In the past dads girlfriend would brag about how her judge, a woman, would come to the casino and she would wait on her and talk about the case and details with the judge while working. She said she would re-assure her that things were definately going to go in her and marissa dads favor. Like I said, not sure if that's helps you at all or just makes you more mad-but if I'm correct judges are never suppose to visit plaintiffs or defendants outside the courtroom, and should never discuss proceedings, least of all at the casino while drinking. Well, hope you get your day in court and see Marissa again soon. Please keep my email anonymous next thing you know the Seneca Nation will be firing me! Take Care
"When the page opened and it said the fight against the SNI. I knew that it had to do with the Peacemakers. I sat holding my child sobbing as I read this story. I know how hard I have been fighting with the father of my child through the Seneca Nation. I started my enduring battle with them in June of '06. They made me stop nursing my son so that the father could have 50/50. One of the Judges is in my son's father's family. So.... I know that none of this is really helping you... But there is just some insight on my whole ordeal with them.
By the way this same judge is the judge who visited Dads Girlfriend at the Casino and same one who gave Marissa’s dad full custody.
We wonder how she sleeps at night, let alone looks at herself in the mirror. Someday she will be on the opposite side of the bench"
