Pubdate: Fri, 18 Sep 2015
Source: Trentonian, The (NJ)
Copyright: 2015 The Trentonian
Contact:  http://www.trentonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1006
Author: Ed Forchion, NJWeedman.com For The Trentonian

REFUTING THE CONSTANT LIES BEING TOLD ABOUT MARIJUANA

Today I walked out of my Joint smoking a joint, and I ran into a 
billboard on East State Street near City Hall across the street from 
the Federal Courthouse. (Yeah, I feel in the open air I should have 
as much right to smoke my joint as the tobacco addict does to smoke his plant.)

I instantly loved this billboard, it was right up my antagonistic 
alley. Here was a big sign calling the courts corrupt, right at the 
Fisher Federal Building - that's ballsy. Somebody wanted some 
attention, and me being a media whore myself - I'm game. So check out 
this billboard.

After my initial reaction to it I decided do a little research and 
reach out to the people behind it.

I was able to find out the sign was paid for by a group called FCLU - 
Family Civil Liberties Union (FCLU.org). It's made up mostly of men 
who've been screwed by the system, but there are also women in this 
group who have been screwed as well. Its founder, Greg Roberts, 
www.FCLU.org, fought a false accusation through the NJ Family Court 
system for years to no avail. I was able to make contact with Roberts 
as well as one of the group's members named Derek Syphrett.

I personally met Syphrett in the Burlington County Jail two years 
ago, he was fighting a family court inspired imprisonment. I've been 
there and done that too.

Syphrett explained that the FCLU is a nonprofit dedicated to 
reforming what the group sees as a dysfunctional family court system. 
"Its ridiculous and shameful that here in a New Jersey people are 
losing their children without even being provided a hearing, a chance 
to testify, or having any evidence properly examined by the court. 
The most precious thing in most parents' life (their children) can be 
taken from them without even having a proper hearing to decide the 
matter, or a chance to defend their parenting rights."

Roberts didn't mince any words about the group's position: "The New 
Jersey Family Courts are perhaps the greatest fraud ever perpetrated 
upon the people of New Jersey. For example, there are many parents in 
our group who have been deprived access to their children/ had their 
custody change without a proper factfinding hearing, sometimes 
without any hearing at all."

While it might be easy for people to presume these men are just two 
"disgruntled litigants," they both provided specific examples of how 
the NJ family courts have often disregarded the very laws that the 
courts are supposed to follow.

Mr. Roberts adds, "We are looking to get this story out and the 
billboard is part of that. We are tentatively planning a rally in 
Trenton on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 (weather permitting). We want the 
media there, and most importantly: We want to get the public involved 
in this movement."

I'll be at this protest. I lost visitation and custody of one of my 
daughters simply because I publicly told the truth about marijuana. 
Judge Bell stripped me of my visitation and custody in 1999; as she 
ruled she said she didn't care about my First Amendment rights-it's 
all about the child's well-being-and I never got a fair visitation 
ever again. (We endured unbelievable restrictions that made 
visitations horrible for us all, and sadly they were more like a 
punishment for my daughter rather than a chance to spend quality time with me.)

Mr. Roberts says, "We want your readers to hear our stories, and to 
join our movement for reform, because New Jersey's families and 
children deserve much better treatment and honest services from our 
courts. The public can contact us to find out more at www. 
FCLU.org/reform, we set up a dedicated phone line (856-441-FCLU), and 
we expect that this billboard and the ones we purchase in other NJ 
cities will help us start THE meaningful public conversation, that 
our letters, calls, and motions to the courts have to date failed to 
accomplish." And Mr. Syphrett adds, "There are constitutional 
violations involving family courts. So parents effectively don't have 
constitutional rights-they can't be enforced in federal court because 
of the Family Exception Doctrine (a judge-made law, not a legislated 
law) and the Rooker-Feldman Doctrine (another convenient law created 
by federal courts, purportedly to avoid conflicts with state courts, 
but in reality this law benefits state lawyers and harms families)."

I'm certainly no stranger to having my constitutional rights violated 
by family court. I totally experienced this at the hands of Judge 
Simandle who used the Doctrine to keep my family court issue out of 
federal court. The state's family court took away my visitation for 
exercising my free speech. I never won my visitation back.

But on January 24, 2003, Judge Irenas was able to overcome the 
Rooker-Feldman Doctrine and issue his ruling that freed me from my 
five-month-long illegal imprisonment in Burlington County - I was a 
political prisoner for making commercials in which I publicly told 
the truth about marijuana.

For the content of my free speech, calling for the legalization of 
marijuana, the state imprisoned me and took my child.

But any way you slice it, you can't win at family court. Federal 
Judge Simandle used the Doctrine to keep the federal courts from 
interceding in my state family court case. (Family courts seem to be 
exempt from the Constitution.)

For the exact same content I went to jail and lost my child for, 
saying legalize it, Judge Irenas ruled the state actions 
unconstitutional, Judge Simandale ignored in regards to my free 
speech in regards to family court.

I agree with Mr. Roberts - the family court system is corrupt. I'm so 
joining this group.

But for now I'm sitting back and watching The Trump Show - oops, I 
mean the Republican debate. It was amazing to be watching the 
politics of the Republican Party while high thanks to Trump.

I swear I'm going to register to vote Republican simply to help The 
Donald destroy the GOP.

OMG - OH MY GANJA!

Two joints into the Cannabis News Network (CNN) Republican debate, I 
find myself enjoying it. Just as I'm taking a huge toke off Phattie 
#2, Fatty #1 tells a big-a$$ lie so outrageous I nearly swallowed my joint!

Gov. Christie flat-out lied, saying he supports medical marijuana in 
the state of New Jersey! If I could get close enough I'd light his 
pants on fire myself with my bong lighter! Has he no shame? He 
clearly has no lie balance beam. Brazen liar!
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom