Judge Larry D. Willis, one of three presiding judges assigned to the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts, is being accused of judicial misconduct based on his rulings in several child support cases. A group of concerned fathers is calling for an investigation into the cases brought before the judge to assess the lawfulness of his rulings. They are also encouraging other fathers to speak out.
According to the group, Judge Larry D. Willis commonly orders fathers appearing in the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts to pay more than 65 percent of their income in child support, a violation of both state and federal law. The judge is also accused of setting excessively high appeal bonds, further preventing fathers from seeking fair treatment under the law.
Efforts are being led by Fred Smith, founder of Chesapeake Fathers for Justice and Fair Treatment.
“Judge Larry Willis rapes and robs fathers of their civil rights, forcing working fathers to live in poverty,” said Smith. “For years, he has hidden behind the shield of judicial immunity and the confidentiality and privacy that the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts afford him. We are challenging fathers to rally and protest, and have the courage to stand up and fight back.”
Smith is especially concerned about the impact that the rulings of Judge Larry Willis have on the health and welfare of local fathers. In recent years, reports of suicide deaths in connection with child support rulings have been on the rise, not only in the U.S. but globally. Suicide among males is now four times higher than among females with male deaths representing 79 percent of all U.S. suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Smith also notes that Judge Larry Willis’ actions may open the door to taking a closer look at how child support cases are handled not only in the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts, but statewide. For more than a decade, fathers residing in Virginia have turned to state and national organizations for support and to share their stories.
“Virginia is for lawyers, but not divorced fathers,” said Lawrence White, a father and Virginia resident who shared his perspective with Fathers for Equal Rights. “And the treatment I've received as a divorced father and non-custodial parent only serves to highlight the serious flaws and injustices which exist in the child support enforcement policies, court system and laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
To join with Fred Smith and Chesapeake Fathers for Justice and Fair Treatment in demanding an investigation into the rulings of Judge Larry Willis and the Chesapeake Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts, contact the offices of Virginia Attorney General Mark. R. Herring.
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