Shield Law: Josh Homme v. Tina Swithin
As a very long-time blogger and family court advocate, I was horrified as I recently watched a video of two children being taken right off the sidewalk against their will in Los Angeles. As it turns out, these children were being taken by hired transport agents to a reunification camp called, "Building Family Bridges" owned by Randy Rand (who lost his license to practice psychology). This was a result of a court order handed down by Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman.
For many years, exposing the "alienation industry " through my blogs and social media platforms has been a topic of professional interest for me. These stories are difficult to cover because the families affected by the alienation industry are fearful of speaking out as doing so could have devastating effects on their cases (legal backlash and harsh punishment). In addition, there are often gag orders in place to prevent parents from sharing the horrors that their families have been subjected to. The darkness of the family court system is threatened when light shines – but this exposure leads to awareness and in turn, change.
The Dalle v Homme case in Los Angeles, California, is a case that I recently covered in my blog, One Mom’s Battle and on my various social media platforms. The shocking thing about this case is that despite Ms. Dalle and her daughter both successfully obtaining restraining orders against Mr. Homme, and despite a finding of domestic violence in the case, these three minor children were taken to a reunification camp to reconnect with their father against their wishes. It has been almost 10 months since their mother has seen them. How can a child be ripped away from their mother, a survivor of domestic violence? Sadly, it is a frequent occurrence in family courthouses across the country when the abuser lodges allegations of "parental alienation," a known legal strategy.
We often see abuse allegations or findings trumped by claims that the preferred parent is “alienating” the children. The alienation movement or industry is built on the work of Richard Gardner who gained notoriety in the family court system in the 1980s with cases like Allen v. Farrow. The debunked concept of alienation was based on Gardner's clinical observations, not scientific data. Alienation is not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the World Health Organization (WHO) or the American Medical Association (APA).
Prior to December 17, 2022, I had never heard the name "Josh Homme" nor had I heard of his band, Queens of the Stone Age (#QOTSA). After being served with three different subpoenas by Mr. Homme this week, I am now very familiar with his name.
On January 7, 2023 at 8:30 PM, our dogs began barking and I went to the door but the woman on the other side was being very vague, so I did not open the door. Her response was, “You’ve been served, I see you through the window!” This was untrue as she could not see me through the window. Inside the envelope that was left on our porch was a series of three different subpoenas from Mr. Homme (through his attorney, Susan Wiesner).
• Subpoena to appear in court for a Dalle v. Homme hearing on January 17, 2023, ironically on the date of our protest in Sacramento where I will be raising awareness of this case, the Laing case and reunification camps in general.
• Subpoena to appear for a deposition in Irvine California on February 2, 2023.
• Subpoena to appear at the Dalle v. Homme trial on February 27, 2023.
A recent anti-SLAPP brief filed in Colorado states, “Abusers may even use frivolous legal proceedings to threaten and silence “anyone who helps the survivor, including friends, family, advocates, lawyers, and law enforcement officials.” Such tactics are recognized as an “effective way to isolate a survivor from support networks.” As a survivor of domestic violence, Ms. Dalle’s presence in my OMB Instagram community should be a reprieve from post-separation abuse and legal harassment, not grounds for it.
Mr. Homme's legal tactics are a prime example of coercive control. These appear to be attempts to intimidate or bully me– and I intend to stand my ground under the California Shield Law. I am currently working with the First Amendment Coalition, and I plan to continue working with them but I also need to retain counsel – I require financial assistance to do that. To remain completely transparent in these fundraising efforts, I will post updates showing the legal fees that have been paid (attorney invoices) and 100% of the remaining balance in the GoFund Me account will be donated to the nonprofit organization, First Amendment Coalition (FAC). The work they are doing is so important and appreciated.
Given Mr. Homme's wealth and resources, this is a David and Goliath situation – while it may feel intimidating and I may be in over my head, I refuse to cower. I will stand firm in my truth on behalf of all survivors who are silenced in this system. I will stand up for those who lose their support system because of legal intimidation tactics.
If you can offer positive thoughts and prayers, I will take them all.
If you can donate to my legal fund, click here.
About Me:
My name is Tina Swithin – in 2011, I started a blog called, “One Mom’s Battle.” I created my blog to share my own experience fighting to protect my children in the family court system as a pro se litigant, but I also aimed to shine a light on the reality of a system that was not acting in the best interest of children. While I successfully protected my own children against all odds, I have gone on to write five books, and start a non-profit organization. I have dedicated my life to blogging about these issues and using my platform to raise awareness of the failures within the Family Court system.
#JoshHomme #BrodyDalle #QOTSA #TheDistillers #IStandWithBrody
