She Refused to Hand Over the Kids — Judge Sends Her Straight to Jail

Number 15, I would like the court to consider changing the current custody orders and issue no further contact between the children and the plaintiff. Plaintiff should be held accountable for his actions regardless of stature or representation. That's all. Okay, thank you. I don't need anything else, Mr. Kelly. What the court will do in this matter as the court does pass ready the pleadings obviously you're well aware of the file in this case. The court believe that the plaintiff has met the marker threshold of proper cause change of circumstances sufficient for an evidentiary hearing. So, the court will schedule an evidentiary hearing in this matter. Mr. Kelly, you can proceed with your uh show cause hearing. Do you wish to take testimony from your client? I Okay. Can I ask her kindly if you'd step forward, we'll have you sworn in and then we'll make some testimony. And I say brief testimony. I don't need to get into Sure. We'll keep it straight because we're going here. Have you been getting your parenting time? >> No. Why not? Because she is refusing to let me see them. Have you attempted to get your children from me? Miss Couch. >> Yes. Have you called the police to for their assistance? Yes. What happened when the police got involved? That she slammed the door in their face, denies them, and just tells them no. Have you filed motions with the court to get parenting time? Yes. Has the court awarded you make up parenting time? >> Yes. Most recently um did the court award you parenting time um in January of this year? Yes. >> Did you attempt to go pick the children up for that uh parent make up parenting time? Yes. What happened? Uh she refused to give them to me again. Do you approximately know how many days you have missed so far as far as simply your overnights for parenting time? Morning. Would you like the court to grant you some make up parenting time this morning? Yes. No further questions, your honor. Okay. Miss Couch, do you have any questions for the plaintiff? No. Miss Putnam, how do you know Mr. Connelly? >> He is my son. You heard him just testify that he has parenting time with your granddaughters, correct? Correct. >> Okay. Do you assist him in pick up and drop offs for parenting time? Have there been occasions when you have gone with him to go get the girls and anything happened in regards to him actually getting the girls? Um prior to December 27th, yes. After December 27th, no. She refused. Let's talk about prior to December 27th, what would happen? We would go then we were meeting at Riverside Park and we would wait for her to show up and she'd show up, she'd let the girls out and they would come running up to Zach and we would take them. Okay. Did something change after December 27th? She just started refusing to give the >> [clears throat] >> give the girls since first visit that he was supposed to was um I'm not sure but I got a text from Athena on New Year's Day saying that she was going to refuse to give the girls. Either she would not be home, he would text her and she would not respond, or if she was there, um we'd knock on the door, she'd open the door and then just say no and slam the door in our face. So, we would go back to the truck and call the police for the police to come out and assist. And the police came out and assisted that help in terms of actually getting parenting time to occur? No, she just did the same thing to the police. Uh just to clarify that he talked about prior to the December 27th date and the court had previously entered an order uh which provided for uh make up parenting time that stated that the parenting time would again make up would occur on January 27, 2025 and the uh plaintiff's motion states that he did appear on that date. Did you go with him on the January 27th date? Yes. Okay. And what happened on that date? She just refused. I don't know either she refused or she wasn't there. And you don't remember if she was not there or if he refused. I don't remember that specific time. Okay. I have it written down at home but I don't remember. Okay. Miss Couch, do you have any questions of this witness? >> At what age did Zach Connelly start wearing diapers? That's not germane to what we're talking about. >> Ma'am, that is not germane what >> No, I I I I am >> Ma'am. What we'll do is we're here to determine whether there was parenting time. That's the show cause, okay? So, that's that's what the purpose of this hearing is. So, you can ask questions about the parenting time compliance with the orders, etc. Okay? Okay. >> [clears throat] >> Go ahead. >> And you were at my residence on the 27th to pick up the children? >> Uh actually on the January 27th? Yes. Or in December 27th. Or sorry, no. January 27th. I don't have anything written down. Yes. Okay. Um even though the order was for the 29th. Wasn't that >> Whatever Whatever day Whatever judgment day. I don't have a specific date. Whatever. Um and I slammed the door in your face how many times? Twice. That I I went by myself once because that was that an appointment? And that you slammed the door in my face? I have it on video, yes. And you came alone. Correct? I did that day, yes. That's all that happened. >> Okay. Mr. Kelly, any any redirect? Uh no, your honor, no further questions, no further witnesses. Okay. You may step down then. Thank you. Miss Couch, do you wish to present any testimony or witness? No? I do. Check that order because there was some Miss Couch, you raised some issues concerning the I think it was the order of January 27th. I wanted to make sure if that was the uh that was the time as well for the make up parenting time. I believe it was but >> It was January 27th through February 9th. Okay. That's that's what I thought and I could have sworn the pick up date was the 29th. I apologize. Well, I want to I want to make sure that it's correct so that uh there's no issue. But I was not home at the time of pick ups. And why is that? Because he their children and I don't believe that he needs any more parenting time. Okay. You understand that there's an order for parenting time. And if it was your children, you would be sending them with him. >> Ma'am, you I'm just asking you a question. You understand that it was parenting that was ordered. Didn't you deny that? Didn't you go on on base and deny it after the fact? Not not the other particular orders. I I did a I did deny an ex parte order at one point but there were subsequent orders to that. >> You guys did receive the pictures that I submitted to the court as well, correct? >> Anything that was filed has been has been in the file. I would love you to take that into consideration. I would note for the court I received no response to either of these pleadings for today's hearing. Okay. You got two in the mail. Yeah, the order the order is dated February 4, 2025 and it provided for make up parenting time in Christmas Eve, Christmas Day 2025. It also provided that the plaintiff would have the children with him on January 29th, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. until February 9th uh 2025. [clears throat] I have another question to ask you, sir. Okay. Um Let me let me clarify that cuz we that's this is the order dated uh February 4th. Did Did you provide parenting time on the January 29th? No, I did not. Okay. And we had at the last hearing uh addressed the issue of the CPS involvement. CPS as Mr. Kelly has stated has been involved twice before and they've not had anything substantiated. Is that your understanding? No, I have the CPS report right here as well as Carla Titus's number. Um now, she said that her findings weren't I I need to take the kids to therapy um to get a the whole picture, you know, from the kids, you know, them talking, them playing, them, you know, interacting with a therapist and so that way that way they can go I'm sorry, they can go on record. Um and they are in therapy at Summit Point. Um now, this is just started um but they've already, you know, said some things. Do you have That was one of my questions. Do you have the report from Summit Point? They told me that I needed to sign a release so that way they could contact you. >> Okay. I'm not aware of any report from Summit Point. It may be in the file, it may not. But you have not you have not introduced that today and you don't have anyone that could speak to that from Summit Point as a witness in this case, which is what today's date is set for in this particular matter. So, okay. Mr. Kelly, do you have any final argument in this matter? As the court's already touched on a little bit, this is again, this is our fourth motion to try to get in parenting time. We simply want him to have his parenting time. Um with the threshold [clears throat] being that, your honor, um in considering the behaviors and I think it's going to be ongoing from Miss Couch, I really request that the children be turned over to him today um that he have custody of him parenting time the children until the evidence hearing here occurs. We request mom's parenting time be supervised. We'd also request the assistance of law enforcement to pick the children up. I believe they're probably with her mother who's likely going to take the same stance as Ms. Couch to refuse to turn them over. Maybe give them the authority with a court order if she fails to do so that she can be arrested. And in the meantime, your honor, we'd request a finding of contempt. Sanctions are doing nothing. You've sanctioned her a thousand dollars which she's a voice she's never going to pay. Doesn't have any impact on her. At this point [clears throat] in time, we'd request jail time. 30 days of jail time. Maybe that'll get her attention that she needs to follow your orders. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Ms. Couch, your closing argument. I I am acting in the in I just want my kids to be safe. That's all. Okay. Thank you. Well, the court has heard the again the testimony in this case. The court will note that again that apparently there had been a denial of parenting time which is not disputed by the defendant. In fact, she acknowledges that she has in fact denied parenting time and court notes that as a result she has withheld the children, that she's failed to comply with the order of But there's reason, sir. Excuse me? There's reason. Valid reason. Okay. Ma'am, you're done. You don't have time to speak at this point. Okay? You've had chance to testify, you had chance to do a final argument. So, you're done. The court she failed to comply with the order of June 13, 2024 for parenting time. She failed to comply with the order of December 2nd, 2024 for parenting time. There was an order of November 1, 2024 for makeup parenting time and attorney fees of $500. Again, there was an order for makeup parenting time dated February 4, 2000 25 for makeup parenting time and attorney fees from the hearing held on January 27, 2025. That all four of those orders she's failed to comply with. The court has reviewed the file. There've been multiple show cause hearings. She has previously been held in contempt of court. She has previously been ordered to make up parenting time as well as pay attorney fees as I stated she's failed to comply with any and all of these prior orders of the court. Her recourse is to file motions, have hearings in the event that there is some issue. The court will note that I am re calling from the last hearing where she had made allegations concerning the uh plaintiff and in fact she acknowledged at that time that there had been two CPS involvements and the CPS had not done anything as a result. She acknowledged that she'd been in contact with the police, that they had not done anything as a result either. The court will find that she is in fact in contempt of court. The court will as the plaintiff stated he's entitled to 20 days of makeup parenting time and that shall occur at such time as he acquires the care of the children. The court will note that uh again the prior rulings of this court that she had done makeup parenting time on two occasions as well as paying the attorney fees, that in fact she has ignored and refused to comply with those particular orders. So, ma'am, unfortunately, you leave me no choice but the court will sentence you to 30 days in jail with the Calhoun County Sheriff. The court will further remand you to the care of the Calhoun County Sheriff where you will remain until such time as the children are turned over to the plaintiff and until such time as you paid the previously ordered attorney fees of $1,000. So, ma'am, you can go with the Sheriff and uh Are you serious? >> This matter is concluded. You're free to go. Who's stuck in Who's around here? No, seriously. Another 30 days for contempt of court. You're in jail for 60 days now. >> No, what's going on here? Keep going. I can go as long as you want, ma'am.