Five state family court judges have become defendants in a lawsuit filed by some fathers who say they received unfair and unconstitutional treatment in child custody proceedings, the New Jersey Law Journal reported.
The six fathers say those in custody or visitation battles should be able to enjoy the same rights to due process as parents at risk of losing their parental rights due to accusations of abuse or neglect.
Judges Lawrence DeBello and Anthony Massi, both of Mercer County; John Call Jr. of Burlington County; Nancy Sivilli of Essex County; and Maureen Sogluizzo of Hudson County have all been named in the suit.
The fathers are asking that any parent whose custody or visitation was reduced by the state receive a hearing within 10 days of the ruling. They also claim that they lost rights after being accused of domestic abuse, incompetence or other causes but were not given sufficient time to address the accusations before losing custody.