New Judge: No Bias in Bitter Child Custody Dispute

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An Oakland County judge who has been overseeing an acrimonious child visitation and custody dispute involving three Bloomfield Hills children will remain on the case, despite objections from the children’s mother.

Maya Eibschitz-Tsimhoni has unsuccessfully tried to have Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Gorcyca removed from the case because she contends the judge has repeatedly shown bias toward the children’s father.

Eibschitz-Tsimhoni’s latest setback came Thursday when St. Clair County Chief Judge Daniel Kelly said he found no evidence of bias and refused to disqualify Gorcyca, The Detroit News reports. The disqualification case was moved to St. Clair County after Oakland County Chief Judge Nanci Grant refused to remove Gorcyca from the case. Earlier in the proceedings, Gorcyca declined to recuse herself.

It now appears likely that the case will return to Oakland County, where Omer Tsimhoni, of West Bloomfield, has filed for full custody of his three children, who were sent to Oakland County Children’s Village last summer after they refused to have lunch with him, as Gorcyca had ordered as part of a reconciliation plan.

The judge’s decision to send the children to detention sparked international outrage, but she said at the time that she had the children’s best interests at heart and the parental alienation was so severe that it required dramatic action.

“While this court’s remedy in this particular situation may seem drastic and offensive, so too, is the notion ... that the only way to maintain a stable and loving connection with the mother is to vilify and reject the father,” Gorcyca said at the time.

The children’s parents divorced in 2011, and have since been battling over visitation and custody of their sons, ages 14 and 11, and a daughter, 9.

Gorcyca said earlier this year that the case “tied for my worst parental alienation case” ever.

Catch Up

• Judge Sends Kids to Detention for Refusing Lunch with Dad
• New Twist in Case of Kids Sent to Juvie for Refusing Lunch with Dad
• Dad Seeks Custody of Kids Sent to Detention for Refusing Lunch with Him
• New Attorneys Defend Mom Whose Kids Refused Lunch with Dad
• Kids Who Refused Lunch with Dad Now Living With Him
• Judge in Bitter Custody Dispute Could Recuse Herself
• More Twists Bloomfield Hills Custody Case
• Chief Judge Steps Out of Bitter Child Custody Case