Maryland’s Judicial Discipline System Shows Rare Transparency as Virginia Moves Backward
By Michel Phillips | MDBayNews As neighboring Virginia retreats into judicial secrecy, Maryland stands out in the...
Judicial Disability
Baltimore County Lawsuit Alleges Illegal Protective Orders and Years-Long Separation of Father and Son
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews A civil lawsuit filed on December 2, 2025, in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County...
Things Banned in Maryland You Won’t Believe Are Legal Elsewhere
Maryland has a reputation for being a little different when it comes to regulation. While other states leave many issues...
So You Want to Be a Maryland Magistrate? A Step-by-Step Guide to Letting Criminals Run Free
Have you ever thought, “Gee, I’d love to have the power to release violent offenders back onto the streets, but I...
Maryland Punishes Parents Harder Than Criminals — And It’s a National Shame
In Maryland today, parents seeking to see their children face harsher repercussions than actual criminals. Violent...
Maryland’s “No-Law-Degree-Required” Magistrates: Because Why Should Justice Require Actual Lawyers?
Right now, millions of people are stumbling across a disturbing fact: in Maryland—and many other states—you don’t...
Judges Aren’t Invincible: How Maryland Voters Can Keep the Bench Accountable
For too long, Maryland’s judiciary has operated in a climate of comfort and complacency. Judges—whether they sit on the...
Family Court as Legalized Child Trafficking: The Case of Reichert v. Hornbeck
America has spent decades wagging its finger at the rest of the world about “human trafficking,” while right here at...
Maryland’s Long Shadow of Corruption: How History Shapes Distrust in Family Courts
The idea that Maryland’s family courts may be tainted by bias, favoritism, or even outright corruption cannot be...
Maryland’s Family Courts: Rights on Paper, Injustice in Practice
Family court is supposed to protect children, safeguard parental rights, and ensure fair enforcement of custody and...
Double Dipping Isn’t Just Maryland’s Problem – The National Pattern of Replacing Parents While Still Charging Support
By Michael Phillips When Maryland’s Anne Arundel County Family Court allowed John Michel to step into the role of “de...
Child Support & “Double Dipping” – The Absurd Economics of Erasing a Parent
By Michael Phillips In the warped theater of Anne Arundel County Family Court, the Reichert v. Hornbeck saga has reached a...
Maryland’s New Family Law Loophole: Erasing Parents Without Evidence
By Michael Phillips In Reichert v. Hornbeck, the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County has set one of the most dangerous...
Maryland’s Family Courts Are Failing Families: Here’s Why Reform Can’t Wait
By Michael Phillips In theory, Maryland’s family courts are supposed to be the guardians of justice for families in...
Judges for Sale: The Quiet Power of ADR and the Revolving Door
By Michael Phillips Justice is supposed to be blind—not for sale at $300 an hour.But in the world of family court,...
The Brennan Files: Maryland’s Most Dangerous Lawyer?
By Michael Phillips | The Thunder Report If you're unfamiliar with Brennan McCarthy, that’s about to change. Brennan...
Judge Lisa Kemler’s Monday Exit: A Strategic Retirement or an Escape from Accountability?
By Michael Phillips On Monday, Judge Lisa Kemler officially retired from the Alexandria Circuit Court after more than two...
Judicial Injustice in Suburbia: How Judge Bibi Berry and Montgomery County Family Court Became Every Father’s Worst Nightmare
Montgomery County, Maryland—the affluent, progressive suburb of Washington, D.C.—likes to boast about its high-ranking...
The Courtroom That Erased Fatherhood: Four Father’s Days Without a Word
By Michael Phillips This past Sunday marked the fourth Father’s Day that Jeff Reichert spent without hearing from his...
Every Motion Denied: A Father’s Day Message from the Broken Heart of Maryland Family Court
By Michael Phillips They say to take it to court.They say to trust the system.They say if you follow the rules, the rules...
Where Is Grant Reichert? A Father’s Plea, A System’s Silence
By Michael Phillips "Where is my son?" That question—raw, desperate, unrelenting—haunts Jeff Reichert every day. As...