Complaint Review: Judge Todd Lang - Phoenix Arizona

There is no fraternal brotherhood of lawyers in the context you are alleging.  There is, however, a fraternity of idiots and many of them post complaints here.  Your membership in this club became valid the minute you thought those who disagreed with you were part of this process.  Congratulations on your acceptance.

Now, you posted to a public website that invites the public to respond to complaints posted by people who are completely clueless, such as yourself.  The public, some of whom have been through this process, know better than you.  Seriously, because that's who we are:  the public.  Now, the first thing you learn is never show up to family court pro se.  NEVER.  Based on everything you wrote, the court system in AZ is working just fine - at least based on what you wrote. 

Judges exist to render a solution to conflicts, just as they have for thousands of years.  In this case, you stupidly showed up without a lawyer and were treated just as any pro se applicant would be treated:  as a moron.  The reason you hire a lawyer is because the lawyer understands the court processes and procedures much better than you. 

They only take one thing into consideration - the law - and will either litigate the conflict based on law, OR make motions consistent with either the law, or within the bounds of a legal agreement that may exist between two parties.  They can also save you heartache and money in the long run by negotiating on your behalf, and advise you when you should not proceed.  Family law is where you pick and choose your battles - and a lawyer can best advise you in terms of time and effort what is worth fighting for - and what isn't.  

The decision rendered by the judge is a legal one, not an emotional one.  It is not based on anything except what the law says and what the agreement says.  If you believe for even a moment the resulting decision was a case of abuse, then you have honestly never seen abuse.  The system works just fine.  I suggest finding a lawyer...now....it seems clear your petulent attitude is only going to result in more losses....

Looks like we have some fraternal brothers here..... For the record I've represented myself several times in court and never had a problem....but then again that was with competent judges that showed no bias like this one. Of course I have never been in a courtroom with an attorney that lied as much as this attorney did... Shaming Justice.... read the book....and bring back Judge Mead!

So one last time -  AZ Family Court needs to clean up their act and have some accountability. Enforce their own orders (mediation clauses) and stop feeding that COURT MACHINE....start drug screening their own people and have some accountability to those attorney's and therapist that break the laws and think its ok to lie and "sling that mud".....its not the place for it

Your issue isn't with the judge or court, it is with your ex.  Just from a few comments here t is no wonder you lost in court.

then also agreeing to change the entire parenting plan for the remainder of the month.

- OMG. Plans changed. Welcome to Parenthood.

By doing so, my children went from seeing each other 50/50 to seeing each other only 3 days in a 34 day period

So what? This was a 1 month camping trip. They aren't going an a 5 year expedition to the Amazon visiting local tribes. If you are going to hold to the letter of the decree to this level, you are going to have a very hard road ahead.

This in itself is a form of child abuse and alienation

If this is the argument you used in court, it is no wonder why you lost.  The judge sees cases on a regular basis of real "child abuse" and "alienation"...this is NOT one of those.  Again, it is a 30 day camping trip your ex isn't selling one of your kids into some child labor camp.

So.....my son wants to spend Superbowl Suday with me and not his mom......Oh, wait....I'll file an emergency motion so he gets his way eh?

- So what you are really saying is that you and your ex can't even come up with some agreement between the two of you that would let you adjust a plan by even a single day. This is very sad..not for you..but for your kids.

this judge also ordered both me and my ex to submit to random 3-panel UA if the other party chose to request it.

Again so what? If you aren't doing drugs then you don't have an issue.  If one party keeps requesting it and the result is always negative that could work to their disadvantage as it being seen as vendictive.  This fact alone will hopefully make both of you think twice about requesting one if there are truly no grounds for it.

Oh and before you go "Oh you don't know my situation" or the dozens of other excuses as to why you think you are right. I have delt with divorce situations and children and from experience I can tell you things are much better for the KIDS(you know those smaller human beings that for some reason look up to you) if the parents get along and don't try to bring the courts into situations where they don't belong. There is NO reason that the dispute over a camping trip should have landed you in front of a judge to decide.

Here is some hard reality for you.  You had children with your Ex. You will now have to stop acting like children and learn to work things out between the two of you.

Oh if you are getting the feeling you are getting no sympathy for your situation...go with that feeling because you aren't.

So lets be more specific here. This judge made an order that included a parenting plan. Less than 24 hours later, he granted an emergency order to allow my daughter to go on a camping trip, then also agreeing to change the entire parenting plan for the remainder of the month.

By doing so, my children went from seeing each other 50/50 to seeing each other only 3 days in a 34 day period.... This in itself is a form of child abuse and alienation. So.....my son wants to spend Superbowl Suday with me and not his mom......Oh, wait....I'll file an emergency motion so he gets his way eh?   and since you chimed in, this judge also ordered both me and my ex to submit to random 3-panel UA if the other party chose to request it.

Neither myself nor my ex has every had a substance abuse problem or nor was it ever brought up in the courtroom at any time in this trial or any previous one. Ironically, this attorney has done illegal drugs that would land most common folk in prison, not to mention the previous PC in this case had her license recently suspended for substance abuse....

I filed a Motion for Clarification and it was denied....again...no comment from this Judge.  So.... AZ Family Court needs to clean up their own act...."Clean your house before you come and inspect mine"

If you represented yourself in Family Court, then you are as dumb as a box of rocks.  I don't really understand this idea of people thinking that they can be a success representing themselves in such a venue, and when they aren't, then the fix must be in, and everyone is corrupt.  The truth is this:  Family Law judges don't like pro se applicants in their court because they (like you) are completely clueless.  Even a lawyer will hire another lawyer to represent themselves in court.

If you cannot afford an attorney, then I recommend negotiating with your ex-wife.  If things don't go your way, then don't go to court without a lawyer representing you because if your ex-wife has an attorney, then you will lose.  Yes, you may have the right to represent yourself, but you do so at your own peril.

His actions alienated my two children from each other for nearly a month and when called out on it in a telephonic conference shortly thereafter he had no response.  There's nothing for the judge to say; he was probably thinking "so what".  The judge rules on motions before him/her in court.  The fact the children are alienated from each other for a month is irrelevant to the judge's decision. 

Your ex-wife's lawyer drafted the motion at your ex-wife's request - and as long as the motion does not violate any portion of the divorce agreement, then the judge will grant the motion.  Perhaps your divorce agreement should be modified so that if your ex-wife wishes to go on a trip with the kids, then all kids have to go, or none of them do.

This has nothing to do with judges protecting themselves.  This is about you being an idiot and showing up to family court without an attorney.  If you're going to be cheap, then don't complain about the result.

So your daughter went on a Camping Trip with her mother, apparently leaving one child out. Seems like you have bigger issues with your ex than this camping trip.

It isn't out of the ordinary to have one sibling do something without the other. Granted if you are saying the camping trip was for a month that is a bit long, but still nothing that seems detremental to either of the siblings. In fact it could be seen as something that not doing the trip would be seen as detremental.

So the problem with this is again..what?