Judge in Bitter Custody Dispute Could Recuse Herself

» Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts.

The judge in an acrimonious, years-long battle over the custody of three Bloomfield Hills children said Thursday that she will decide by Monday whether to recuse herself from future proceedings.

Attorneys representing the mother of the children had asked that Oakland County Family Court Judge Lisa Gorcyca — whose decision to send the children to juvenile detention for several weeks in June and July after they refused a reconciliation lunch with their estranged father drew sharp criticism from around he world — disqualify herself.

Lawyers for Maya Eibschitz-Tsimhoni alleged that Gorcyca has been biased against their client and has sided with their father, Omer Tsimhoni, of West Bloomfield, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press report.

In a motion, the attorneys argued “there has been no evidence presented, much less clear and convincing evidence that it was in the best interest of the minor children to jail them, remove them from their established custodial environment and keep them from their mother for a significant period of time,” according to the motion.

Over the last couple of days, attorneys on both sides of the dispute have spent several hours in closed door meetings trying to resolve pending matters before the court, including abatement of child support, payment of bills to a summer camp the judge ordered the children to attend to a temporary custody request filed by Eibschitz-Tsimhoni’s mother.

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

The children’s parents divorced in August 2011, and Eibschitz-Tsimhoni has had full custody of the their sons, ages 14 and 11, and daughter 9.

Tsimhoni, a General Motors engineer who spends most of the year in Israel and has visitation privileges, believes his ex-wife brainwashed the children against him. He petitioned Gorcyca to intervene so he could re-establish a relationship with them.

When they refused to have lunch with their father last summer, Gorcyca sent them to Oakland County Children’s Village, the county’s juvenile detention center, for several weeks. Later, she reversed that decision and sent them to a summer camp.

Gorcyca has ruled the children’s mother’s fears lack merit, and said Tsimhoni just wants to have a loving relationship with his children. She has said the case “tied for my worst parental alienation case” ever.

The children’s guardian-ad-litem, William Lansat, has indicated in court documents that the relationship between Tsimhoni and his children is healing. They have recently been living with him under a court order and participating in parental alienation sessions.

“During the initial five-day period, the kids began to talk with their father, make eye contact, speak to the father’s other son and father’s wife, eat with their father, visit his home to pick out beds — in short, amazing,” Lansat wrote, according to court documents.

Tsimhoni has filed for full custody of the children, and an evidentiary hearing could begin soon if Gorcyca decides to remain on the case. If she disqualifies herself, the custody case would be assigned to a different judge.

If Gorcyca remains on the case, the children’s mother could file an appeal of her decision with the chief judge.

» Screenshot via YouTube, WJBK-TV