Chapter 12 - BATTLE FOR CUSTODY
Even from behind bars, Richard Vance made one final, desperate play.
Two weeks after his arrest, a formal motion was filed in family court by a court-appointed probate lawyer—funded by an anonymous trust—petitioning for permanent guardianship of baby Maya on behalf of my imprisoned mother, Helen Vance.
The argument was grotesque: “Though the grandparents are currently detained, the child’s best interests lie with her bloodline heritage, ensuring financial continuity through the remaining Vance estate trusts.”
When Prosecutor Evelyn Vance brought the motion to my attention, my blood boiled.
"They won't stop until they've stripped us of everything," I said, slamming my fist against the table. "Even from a prison cell, my father is trying to claim ownership of my child."
"Don't worry," Evelyn said calmly, sliding a counter-petition across the desk. "Under family law, any individual indicted for violent felony offenses against members of the immediate household is legally barred from petitioning for child custody or guardianship. We filed a summary dismissal motion this morning. Judge Holloway is going to throw it out in five minutes."
And she did.
When the brief hearing took place via video conference from the detention center, Judge Holloway didn't even allow the probate lawyer to finish his opening statement.
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"Mr. Vance and Mrs. Vance are facing charges of attempted murder and conspiracy against the mother of this child," Judge Holloway stated coldly into her microphone. "The notion that this court would even entertain placing an infant child under the guardianship of indicted felons is an insult to the judiciary. The petition is dismissed with permanent prejudice. Case closed."
On screen, my father’s face—visible from the prison video feed—flashed with incandescent rage before the correctional officer abruptly cut the transmission.
