I can't stop thinking about the man, Brian Gegner, who was jailed because his daughter, Brittany Gegner, skipped school when she was 16. Now thats she's 18 (almost 19) she failed the math portion of the GED, thereby allowing Butler County Juvenile Court Judge David Niehaus the opportunity to send her dad to jail on May 7th.  Huh?? Seriously??

Note: If the Judge wants to state his side of the case I am more than eager to post his rationale.

I can't help but think that this ruling will rank as of the biggest abuses of power and irrational thinking by a judge in a long time. I wish I could find Keith Olbermanns email because this judge definitely deserves to put on his "Worst Person in the World" list.

What was the Judge thinking to believe that this is a rational decision? It just doesn't make any sense. If any body has any new information about this case please post it here...and as many other places as well. I really believe it's important to stay on top of this.  

I would like to thank John Dias for his post at GlennSacks.com letting us know that the The California Alliance for Families and Children has posted a press release about this at: http://www.cafcusa.org/news/2008/05/judge-orders-man-to-jail-after-adult.html and that they have called for like minded individuals and groups to join in a national protest.  Here is a link to join The CAFC: https://www4326.ssldomain.com/cafcusa/members/index2.cfm


Also, if you haven't sent the Gov. of Ohio your thoughts about this situation, here is a link to make it easier:
http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=448


Here is a link to the latest new on the story by WCPO:

May 12 http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=dde7e572-d60d-4f08-bf3e-5445f0175e48 
May 09 http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=28d2acca-9947-44cc-8831-9859f1f6137e 



I have been reading quite a few blogs that have had some pretty hot debates about the situation. Here are a few links to other blogs that are discussing this:

Glenn Sacks:  http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=2166
Short News: http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=70638
Above Top Secret: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread354554/pg3
Free Public: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014574/posts?q=1&;page=51

There are MANY, MANY more...if you have a favorite blog thats discussing this please let me know.


I also wanted to post the comments left on my May 9th post from Betty, the sister of Brian Gegner.  To make it easier for people to read. Here it is:

5/10/2008 5:01 PM Betty wrote:
A little more insight into the story, from Brian's sister....

Brian and Brittany's mother were never married. They had children at a young age, and eventually split up. In his early twenties, Brian fought for and won custody of his two daughters, ages 3 and 1. He met and married a wonderful single mom, and from there they raised their blended family under one roof. Of course not without obstacles thrown in their way. Through the years his daughters had to learn to say, "No, I live with my DAD!"

Brittany, the middle child in this blended family, had not only truancy but delinquency problems during her teen years. Brian & his wife tried everything to help Brittany, including involving the police, which is how the courts became involved with this family.

At 16 Brittany got pregnant and had the baby shortly after she turned 17. This also put a wrench in her education. Brittany continually begged her father to let her go live with her mother, and he eventually gave in, hoping Brittany would continue her schooling there. She enrolled in a new school, but that didn't last, either.

Was allowing Brittany to live with her mother a wise choice? Hindsight is 20/20. One thing I can say about my brother is he always wanted what was best for his girls, and he was hoping it was best for a troubled Brittany and her new baby to live with her mother. Many, many people told him to give parental custody of Brittany, at the age of 17, to her mother, but he simply couldn't do it.

Anyway....
Brittany had sporadic court dates about her truancy through all this. It was June 2007 when the judge told Brian he would be go to jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor if Brittany did not return to school in the Fall. Brittany turned 18 yrs old August 2007 and was enrolled in school, but did not attend because she was "18".

She returned to juvenile court, although she was now 18, on August 29th. The court then ordered her father to take Brittany out of school, and told Brittany to get her GED before the next court date or her father would go to jail.

So, the court was ordering an 18 year old to make a choice, get your GED or your father goes to jail. Now you have to imagine all the possible scenarios. What if she should care less about her father and decided not to get her GED? The judge never said....get your GED or YOU go to jail. I think Brittany did not believe that the judge would seriously throw her father in jail, so she procrastinated. Brittany loves her Dad but she has the thought process of a teenager.

By the next court date, March 2008, Brittany had been taking GED classes, but by the May 7th court hearing, she had no luck passing the math portion of the test, and that's when her Dad was whisked off to jail for six months. No options to pay a fine, probation, house arrest, or community service.

Btw, Brittany's mother owes over $15,000 in back child support. Has she ever spent a night in jail because of it? Of course not.



Thank you Betty for posting this...it really gives additional insight into the situation.

Until Next Time,

Help Preserve our human rights and civil liberties

Barry Seward