When parents are in the midst of a child custody dispute, it is important to follow the correct legal procedures in resolving the dispute. This means following court orders, in Pennsylvania or in any other state. If a parent does not yet have custodial rights over a child, it is important to respect this status until the child custody matter is resolved.
A police officer who is currently on administrative leave allegedly failed to do this when she took her 6-year-old son with her for some reason. The 37-year-old woman was arrested for kidnapping after the local police department issued an Amber Alert for the child. Fortunately, the young boy was safe with his mother and was having dinner at a restaurant when the police showed up at approximately 7:50 p.m. The mother was booked into the county jail early the next morning.
The young boy was released into his father’s custody shortly after the incident. Apparently, the woman is still going through a child custody dispute with the son’s father. The mother was not supposed to have custody of the child and since the police could not reach the mother, an Amber Alert was automatically issued. The mother was charged with kidnapping and a bond of $5,000 was set.
This apparent mistake by the mother may make her child custody dispute more complicated than it already is. Family law matters in Pennsylvania are best handled using effective legal strategies aimed at producing the desired outcome. It may have been more appropriate for the mother to put her effort into seeking advice and guidance concerning applicable laws which potentially could have helped her in her legal dispute with the father of her child.
Source: news4jax.com, “SJC sergeant jailed in custody case”, Francesca Amiker, Oct. 22, 2014