“Who’s Protecting the Children?”: John Myrick Calls for Family Court Investigation in Maryland

By [Your Name] | July 2025

In Maryland, it’s easier to garnish a father’s wages than it is to guarantee him a phone call with his own child.

The family court system was built to serve the best interests of the child. But according to Republican gubernatorial candidate John Myrick, it’s become a bureaucratic black hole—where money talks louder than truth, and where too many children become pawns in a system designed to churn cases, not resolve them.

“Corruption in any branch of government is unacceptable,” Myrick said. “But when it involves kids, it’s unforgivable.”

A System That Feeds Itself

Family courts in Maryland fall under the influence of Title IV-D funding, a federal incentive program that reimburses states for collecting child support—regardless of whether the parent has been granted access to their child.

Myrick says this has created a dangerous conflict of interest.

“The state makes money enforcing support orders,” he said. “But enforcing visitation? That’s treated like a suggestion.”

Even worse, court-appointed guardians, evaluators, and attorneys often operate under judicial immunity, shielded from oversight even when their actions cause direct harm. Allegations of cronyism, bias, and financial exploitation are rampant—but rarely investigated.

“I’ve seen reports of judges receiving kickbacks for sending children to private detention facilities,” Myrick noted. “If even one of those is true, it’s one too many.”

Broken Families, Silenced Parents

Myrick, a former sheriff’s deputy, says he saw the consequences of a broken juvenile justice system up close—kids cycling through courts, untreated trauma, absentee parents blamed for court-imposed restrictions they never agreed to.

Now, as a candidate, he’s hearing the same stories from parents across the state:

• Loving fathers denied custody based on false accusations.
• Mothers losing access after criticizing a judge’s decision.
• Children medicated without parental consent.
• Parents bankrupted by court-appointed attorney fees and forced evaluations.

“It’s no coincidence that suicides spike among estranged parents,” Myrick said. “The system was designed for litigation, not reunification.”

An Independent Audit—And Real Oversight

Myrick is calling for an independent investigation into Maryland’s family courts—including the financial incentives tied to Title IV-D, the unchecked power of GALs (Guardians ad Litem), and the systemic denial of due process.

He supports:

• A state-level family court ombudsman to receive complaints and track misconduct.
• Public hearings into judicial accountability.
• A task force to audit Title IV-D funds and evaluate potential bias in custody decisions.
• Reform legislation to limit judicial immunity where abuse or fraud is proven.

“If you can’t question a judge, and you can’t hold them accountable, then you don’t have justice. You have monarchy.”

Parental Rights Are Civil Rights

For Myrick, this isn’t a fringe issue—it’s a civil rights issue. He says both parents deserve to be treated as equal under the law, regardless of gender, income, or whether they can afford a high-priced attorney.

“When you terminate a parent’s role in their child’s life without cause or accountability, you’re not just destroying a family—you’re breaking the Constitution.”

Myrick wants Maryland to be the first state to pass a Parental Rights and Family Court Transparency Act, restoring constitutional protections for all litigants and children in family court.

The Bottom Line

John Myrick isn’t afraid to wade into the mess that most politicians avoid. And if elected, he’s promising to shine a light into Maryland’s darkest legal corridors.

“The only people who benefit from a corrupt court system are the ones paid to keep it broken. Everyone else—the kids, the parents, the future—pays the price.”