U.S. Senate Passes SR 543: Sends Message Condemning International Parental Child Abduction

It is my great pleasure to share that the United States Senate Resolution 543 sponsored by California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxter unanimously passed this past Tuesday, December 4th 2012.  The resolution, referred to as the International Parental Child Abduction Resolution is a fascinating work of our lawmakers because it does so much more than simply condemn child abduction, and it does much more than send a powerful message to our court system that IPCA is a serious criminal offense that should never be treated as a child custody matter.  What SR 543 does is call for a system-wide review of how the American government addresses and protects our children from being kidnapped.  

The language contained in SR 543 is rather direct: The Untied States of America will no longer tolerate our child citizens being abducted. 

Though the  resolution calls for focussed diplomacy when dealing with all nations, it is clear that countries including the majority in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa will no longer be permitted to shield American children kidnapped to their respective countries without consequence.  

I invite you to read this short but concise analysis of SR 543.  It took a lot of work by advocates everywhere, but this was a tremendous accomplishment that all lawmakers, advocates, and citizens should be proud of. 

- Joel Walter, Esq. - 

New York Family Law Attorney Joel Walter: Best Way To Prevent International Child Abduction In Hiigh Conflict Divorce

As a highly experienced criminal defense and family law litigator practicing law in New York for nearly 40 years, I have participated in a wide variety of legal defense cases and challenging, complex family law disputes, including international parental child abduction cases.

Some of my more memorial and important criminal defense cases included representing women who were charged with criminal acts in defense of heinous acts of domestic violence and abuse.  In fact, my area of expertise in this area brought me to make special guest appearances on noteworthy television shows such as the Oprah Winfrey Show and Court TV. Unquestionably, no person, particularly women should ever be imprisoned into a life of abuse.

Speaking of abuse, outside of the brutal acts of physical violence directed at defenseless spouses or partners, which always comes with psychological abuse, I find nothing more repulsive outside of murder than the act of international parental child abduction.

This is why I agreed to join the board of directors of the I CARE Foundation - to stop child abduction!

Now many of you may not be aware of the term 'international parental child abdution' that is defined by the act of one parent illegally removing from the country or wrongfully detaining a child from a partnership or marriage in violation of a court's orders and without the consent of the child's other parent.

in the vast majority of these crimes against children, a parent seeking to typically relocate to another country without the other parent recognizes the legal difficulty associated with international relocation and mobility because the other parent will often not consent to a relocation of the child of the relationship to another country. So they scheme and plot - and internationally abduct the child.

Along the way, parent-abductors will attempt to brainwash the child that the other parent is a threat to both child and the abducting parent.  This occurs because the abductor needs the child to in essence sanction the criminal act of kidnapping!

The impact on the child? Not only are they denied the love of the other parent, but their identity is stolen.  So is their childhood!

Sadly, children of international parental abduction suffer from short and long-term trauma.

With over 100,000 American children alone expected to be internationally abducted by one parent from another over the next 10 years, and many times this forecaster number expected to be targeted for abduction, it is critical that parents be aware of the warning signs of abduction and no how to act if an abduction is in progress.

It is imperative that parents in high-conflict relationships realize that international child abduction is a real and growing threat to the safety of our nation's children.  This is magnified is cases of strained relationships between multi-cultural partnerships and marriages.

Remember, the best way to recover your child from abduction is to prevent it from happening.

If you or a loved one has concerns about a potential international parental child abduction, please contact the Law Offices of Joel Walter & Associates or call 212.566.3900.

~~ Joel Walter~~
Best Criminal Defense Lawyers Joel Walter

One Week After Hurricane Sandy . . .

It has been nearly a week since Hurricane Sandy rolled into the New York City and Metropolitan area. The thrust of this monster storm literally shut down out beloved city in ways never seen before because of the vast and widespread reach of its maleviolent arms.

Many of us have lost homes, businesses and worst of all .... loved ones.

The devastation many face no words could ever accurately describe.

I hope each of you who read my words are okay, that if there has been any suffering or loss, that it is at a minimal, and should it be greater, that relief is provided in any and all capacities that will help you become whole again.

This video montage of odd behavior during Hurricane Sandy is something I think you may be interested in seeing.

Most of all, please be safe out there.

Kindest wishes to all.

Joel

Riis Park, Rockaway Park - Hurricane Sandy Leaves A Path of Destruction

So I'm sitting in my home in Park Slope, Brooklyn fixated to the news focussed on the devastation that has occurred in New York City due to Hurricane Sandy.  In fact, across the street, Prospect Park has been severely damaged, as trees and fixtures have been uprooted or destroyed.

But the loss of trees in the park is nothing in comparison to the loss of life that has occurred.

In all my life, I have never heard the howling winds the way I did last night.  Nor have I seen the type of destruciton that has occurred in a spread-out area the way New York, particularly the beach areas, has been hit over the last 24 hours.

To all my neighbors, friends, family and business associates who live here - I hope each of you are well and that life resumes to normal.

For those of you who live in Rockaway Park, Riis Park, Breezy Point, and Long Beach - my prayers are with you.  Keep your faith: New York and the citizens of our great city and the nation will stand by all of our sides.

This is a video taken by my friend Peter about just how bad the Queens penninsula got hit, along with a few photos worth sharing.

                                      Watch The Video 

                                                           

                                                     View The Photographs 

The destruction that hit this beautiful peninsula of Queens was tremendous.  In the coming days there will be an assortment of fundraisers to help those that have lost so much.   Please do what you can to help others.

Joel 

Canada's Top Blogger Jennifer Cluff Helps Raise Awareness Of International Chid Abduction

Over the past few months, the I CARE Foundation has had the privilege of working with some of the world's top bloggers who have taken up our cause to help stop international parental child abduction by raising awareness of this terrible crime that targeted unsuspecting parents and their children.

In doing so, the I CARE Foundation has been able to actually assist numerous children and parents who reached out to us because they realized they were potential targets of abduciton.

Without the information about warning signs of abduciton being disseminated by these wonderful writers, who incidentailly, are all mothers - it is conceivable that the parents who reached out for assistance would have lost their children.

Today, not one parent who reached out to us concerned about a potential abduction has had their child or children taken.  And I anticipate that will remain.

www.mom-ology.ca has been voted Canada's #4 Top Blog

One of the incredible writers/parents/bloggers who has come ot the assistance of the I CARE Foundation and parents across the globe by raising awarenss is Jennifer Cluff, who runs the dynamic parenting blogsite www.mom-ology.ca.

Jennifer has writen numerous articles about IPCA.  In doing so, she has not only raised awareness, but has help protect the lives of children.

Well done, Jennifer!

Here is a recent interview Jennifer conducted with Peter Thomas Senese.  Check it out.

Three More Children Coming Home - And That Is Great News

It is rare that targeted children of international parental child abduction are returned to their country of original jurisdiction.  So when this happens the IPCA community at large has something to celebrate.

Today, we have good news that several children wrongfully detained in a European country and not returned to their home in Pennsylvania are in route home, and into their father's arms.

And this is great news.

I can understand the anxiety that I CARE Foundation director Peter Thomas Senese expressed when he said he feels like he is in birthing labor as the reunification is under way.

I am very happy for the children's father, Bryan, who did not give up when his children were detained. And I tip my hat to Bryan's attorneys Gregg and Larry for a job well-done.

On an equally important note, I hope that this family finds the capacity to heal and work together for the best interest of the children.

Joel Walter, Esq

Top New York Lawyer Joel Walter to Lead The 'I CARE Foundation' Criminal Law Oversight Committee

Joel S. Walter, a highly respected and renown New York City criminal defense lawyer and a Board of Director member of the International Child Abduction Research and Enlightenment Foundation (I CARE Foundation), will oversee the foundation's newly created 'Criminal Law Oversight Committee'.

New York Lawyer Joel S. Walter

 

New York (PRWEB) October 26th, 2012

 

International parental child abduction is expected to see as many as 100,000 to 125,000 American children internationally kidnapped over the next decade.  It appears that part of the problem is that parental child abductors do not fear criminal prosecution for their crime, and are not held accountable for their abusive acts against both targeted child and the other parent.

The International Child Abduction Research and Enlightenment Foundation (I CARE Foundation) is pleased to announce that Mr.Joel Walter, a higly respected New York Attorney with forty years of litigation experience focused in complex family law and criminal matters and a member of the foundation's Board of Directors will chair the foundation's International Child Abduction Criminal Law Oversight Committee in conjunction with international child abduction cases.

Mr. Walter is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York Criminal Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers’ Association (criminal and family law sections),a Director of the International Child Abduction Research and Enlightenment (I CARE) Foundation, and an attorney on the State Department’s "Hague Convention Attorney Network" He is admitted to practice in numerous United States Federal District Courts around the country, as his professional practice focuses primarily on complex federal litigtion where he has represented a wide variety of clients in an assortment of complex legal matters.  Upon graduation from law school in 1970, Mr. Walter  was hired as a staff attorney by the New York City Legal Aid Society, rising to Attorney –In- Charge of the Society’s Bronx Criminal Court Office supervising about 35 attorneys before entering private practice. He has represented thousands of clients and has had hundreds of trials to completion.

Due to Mr. Walter's extensive and successful litigation experience at the federal level, Mr. Walter was the ideal condidate to chair the foundation's committee investigating how criminal prosectuion of abducting parents may curb child kidnappings.

Under the United States federal law known as the 'International Parental Kidnapping Crimes Act', the illegal removal or detention of a child taken abroad in violation of a court order by a parent is a federal crime. In addition to federal law, every state has imposed its own criminal statute. Despite existing federal and state criminal laws, prosecution of abducting parents is rare. Mr. Walter commented, "It is clear that parental child abductors who illegally take or detain a child abroad do not have fear of prosecution. In essence, they believe they are above the law and are judgement proof. This must change. The I CARE Foundation, as part of our mission to raise awareness, will address this issue in various forums as we believe there exits a direct correlation between the escalating growth of abduction and the limited prosecution of these crimes."

Mr. Walter said,“ The legal complexities involved in either trying to prevent a child from being internationally abducted or getting the child returned under either the Hague Convention or foreign jurisdiction law in non-Hague signatory nations is daunting. Clearly, the number of these cases are massively under-reported due to a lack of research and deep understanding into the issues at hand.” Walter added that, "Tragically, as many parent-victims of international parental child abduction realize, the parent-victim is usually unaware that the abduction is about to occur until the criminal act occurs. With the correct legal strategy, it is possible for a parent to reunite with the child. This work involves experience in criminal and family law. It is my hope to bring the experience I have gained over the past 40 years practicing in both the family law and criminal law arena to the Foundation, as we continue to conduct various research, while helping build attorney networks that could assist targeted children and parents. At the end of the day, it is our hope to raise the bar on social and judicial education so that we will see a dramatic reduction in these types of cases. I am very committed to that, as I am honored to become a Director of the I CARE Foundation."

The Hague Convention on The Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction comes into play so long as the country where the child was abducted from and to are both Hague signatory states.
The Law Offices of Joel Walter provides a team of highly experienced counsel familiar with the legal complexities of international parental child abduction, professionals who practice regularly in state and federal court, intricate and thorough legal strategies based upon optimizing various domestic and international laws, professional relationships with a diverse group of international family lawyers capable of acting immediately to ensure the return of the abducted child, strategies and representation that will assist you in preventing an international child abduction from occurring, and assistance in enrolling your child in various federal child abduction prevention programs and the representation and ability to initiate Hague Convention proceedings.


Peter Thomas Senese, a Director of the I CARE Foundation added, "It is a great accomplishment to have a person such as Joel Walter not only sit on the foundation's Board of Directors, but to lead the foundation's investigatory efforts concerning how failures in abduction prosecution enable would-be abductors. Mr. Walter is a very intelligent litigator who thinks is paradigms, something that is extremely useful when dealing with complex cases involving either the prevention or attempted reunification of parent and child. Mr. Walter is honest, considerate, and dedicated. His years of extraordinary legal experience add a very unique presence to our board. The Foundation has been very fortunate to have Joel Walter as an integral part of our Board. And on a personal level, when I was forced to Chase The Cyclone of international child abduction, Joel Walter was the first lawyer I turned to."