Tell Your Story

Divorce is a difficult process, especially for the children involved, and requires delicate handling by courts. With custody and child support at stake, courts must be free from external politics in order to create the best solution for a family. As a resident of West Virginia, I learned first hand the grave implications of special interests in a judiciary system that should be free of them.

In West Virginia, Justices are elected in open elections, which like any other, are subject to the influence of interest groups. My ex-husband worked for a corporation that donated large sums of money to political campaigns, including elected judges. Unaware of this information, I was shocked at the settlement: it gave my husband majority custody of our children and required him to pay only minimal child support, when he could afford much more.

As my family has healed from this tragedy, I have become an advocate for fair and balanced courts. With a system in place to appoint justices in an unbiased manner, such as the Missouri Plan, other families could avoid the unfortunate fate that fell upon my family. Your support of fair and impartial courts is important to the livelihood of all Missourians.

This post was submitted by Jane.