MD District Commissioner Referendum a Danger to Men's Rights

Dan Scott writes, "If you are a Maryland voter be warned that a serious threat to your basic civil rights has been offered for your approval this election year in November 2002. The referendum is asking to you amend the State of Maryland’s Constitution to allow District Commissioners after normal business hours to remove people from
"their homes" under the guise of domestic violence accusations." See the Read More section below for the rest of Dan's submission."Under current law, a hearing must occur before a judge, to decide whether a
person can be removed from "their home" based on an accusation of domestic
violence or for a mental health examination. While the idea of protecting
"people" from violent family members or cohabitants sounds reasonable on the
surface to normal people, are you aware this is not what is actually happening?

Are you aware that when someone brings an "accusation" of domestic violence,
that absolutely no proof or witness(es) are required for a judge and by
extension the proposed District Commissioner to issue a protective order
removing a person from "their home"? They literally take the accusers word for
it! Are you aware that the defendant is "not" at the hearing when the decision
to have them removed from "their own home" is currently made? It is called Ex
Parte

Are you aware that once removed from "your home" that you are made homeless for
seven days until a hearing is held to determine your "guilt"? You have seven
days in which to find a lawyer to defend yourself! We say your "guilt" since
the majority (94% in one jurisdiction) of domestic violence decisions result in
a "finding" against the defendant (male) under the civil rules of evidence
where accusations are held on the same level of substance as evidence and
witness(es). Did you realize that when a man is accused of domestic violence,
the determination of guilt was already made at a hearing you were not allowed
to attend? The hearing seven days later is merely a formality in most cases
unless the woman fails to show up for the hearing.

Are you aware that the decisions currently made virtually targets only one
group of individuals? Yes, only one group, men. We contend these are civil
rights violations based on gender. Are you aware that domestic violence is
committed with equal frequency by both men and women? Are you aware that
divorce lawyers use the Domestic Violence Act as a cynical legal ploy to gain
Custody and Use & Possession of the residence for divorcing women? Who do you
think sponsored this referendum? The Divorce Lawyer Lobby. Who do you think
stands to literally profit from round the clock removal of men from their
homes? The Divorce Lawyers! Get the facts before you make a decision. See
www.geocities.com/fightbigotry2002 (Maryland Judicial Equality Committee)

Are you aware of the current practice in the mis-use of the bail bond system to
deprive men of the financial ability to retain a lawyer and remove men from
their homes after hours. The Maryland guidelines for bond issuance is
consistently disregarded by Court Commissioners in some cases forcing men to
plead guilty in order to obtain freedom from incarceration. The Court
Commissioners will set disproportionately high bail and force the accused to
obtain a non-refundable 10% bond from a bondsman. Bail in some cases have been
set up to $15,500+. In some cases, men have been forced to stay awake for 30
hours before being released on bond. Particularly troublesome is the practice
of charging men under the criminal statute, forcing them to post bond, i.e. 10%
non-refundable bond, dropping the criminal charge and then charging them under
the Domestic Violence Act during business hours where the likelihood of
obtaining a conviction is higher. According to a recent study of the bail bond
system "Under Maryland's pretrial release rules, the overwhelming majority of
these detainees should have been offered less onerous alternatives and been
released without bondsmen."

Do you really want to give District Commissioners the power to remove you from
"your own home" without a hearing, or even being presented with evidence or
witness(es)? Are you prepared to give up your rights of property and become
homeless as has happened to thousands of men in Maryland over the last six
years due to the discriminatory mis-use of the Domestic Violence Act?

Pass this email on to your friends, they deserve to be told and warned about a
threat to their civil liberties.

We urge you to Vote No to the District Commissioner Referendum!

Contact Us: Fightbigotry2002@yahoo.com
Maryland Judicial Equality Committee"

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