Complaint Review: Los Angeles DA and Kathy Bianez - County Commissioner James Copelan

I am writing this because on May 23rd, County Commissioner James Copelan of the Los Angeles County Superior Court and the L.A. District Attorney found that I have to be responsible for a childcare for the next 13 years that is not my child. This was basically because I did not know the law and was expected to, without proper notification. It apparently does not matter that I proved through DNA test that this was not my child.

The parentage laws in California are not fair and just to everyone. It appears there is this blanket coverage, and if someone falls close within this, his or her lives are changed forever. There has to be individual discretion at some point. For myself, this is not a case of me living with this child and his mother for a period of time and presuming fatherhood. I attempted to help a friend in trouble who found herself pregnant and being abandoned by the child's father. I helped her from time to time with my time or some money if she needed.

What I found out later was that she had claimed that I was the child's father to the welfare department. I assumed that I could resolve this issue through correspondence with the DA's office, but this has proved not to be the case.

I have heard from my attorney and others that the welfare department and the Los Angeles District Attorney's office is the worst in the country to deal with in these matters. They collect money no matter what, I found this hard to believe at first, but now I have discovered this to be indeed true.


I attempted to clear this up with help of a lawyer whom I contacted when I fully understood this was what I had to do; Needless to say he was very little help, because of the commissioner and the DA. He informed me on several occasions that the truth and fairness were not the issue with this case.

This I don't understand at all. How could this type of thing happen to anyone? I am not the biological father, I am native/African American and this child is Caucasian, I know this really not a relevant issue, but shouldn't this have been questioned?

I am very lost in understanding this. I do know that if I had ever lived with this child and his mother as a family, I would understand being accountable. This however did not happen.

I have been sentenced to take money away from my wife and child and give it to someone else for the next 13 years because I helped someone whom I thought was a friend. I had to stand there in front of this judge and have him tell me since you did not do this our way; you get to pay for it.

This woman attempted the same thing last year when she moved to the state of Wisconsin, with their welfare department. When this happened they the welfare dept. called me told me what was going on, and asked if I was the father. I told them no and they asked for a DNA test which I took. Two weeks late, I received a letter saying they were sorry for the trouble and it was over Los Angeles did not do this at all.

I have been a good tax-paying citizen; I came from good and decent parents. They taught me that I had to be fair and just to everyone I come across. This has not happen to me with this issue.

I understand that the law itself needs to be changed, and it requires money to lobby something like this. When you are already having your money taken away from you it becomes very difficult to do.

Why am I writing you this to you, I need to find out if there is anything that can be done? Why you? You are my public servant, is that not true? I'm sending this to everyone I can think of, the attorney generals, senators, the governors office my state and yours, NAACP, ACLU, fathers rights group, bureau of Indian affairs, many more. I am in need of help.

I expect that I will hear there is nothing I can do to change a ruling from a court, and the current law says this or the law state that. This is not true, I challenged this accusation from the very beginning, what I did not do was follow the written guidelines that are not readily available to someone who is not an attorney.

This is not fair and; this is not how an American should be treated by his own. I have a family to support and the dishonesty of one person, and an office of officials that are not willing to take the time to remember they are working with people should not take my way of life from me. Not everyone is a criminal or a deadbeat and should be assumed so.

Unless I can resolve this issue and clear my name, I maybe forced into, bankruptcy, lose my family, unemployment (an employer will tolerate someone with personal problems, just so long). I could attempt to hide, and live dishonestly. This is not what I want to do. I am a free man with dignity and values; I need help to preserve that.