Why Joseph Reyes Should Go to Jail

In another divorce story about a disgruntled ex-husband with a chip on his shoulder, one Illinois father may be facing jail time for his outrageous behavior which threatens parents' right's and our legal system. In what appears to be an obvious attempt to offend and upset his soon to be ex-wife, Joseph Reyes recently took his Jewish daughter to a Catholic church to be baptized without her mother's knowledge then sent her a photo bragging about the event. After this unbelievable display, an Illinois judge issued a temporary restraining order against the 35 year old father to bar him from forcing his daughter to attend church with him or otherwise trying to indoctrinate her until the issue of custody could be settled. In a blatant disregard for the law, and the best interest of his child, he then invites the press to witness his violation of the court order and then cries foul. But the story does not end there.

In recent media interviews, the embittered Reyes, who had converted to Judaism before he was married and reportedly agreed to have their children raised in the Jewish faith, is now converting once again, back to Catholicism this time. Amazingly, he is actually claiming that he was forced into the Jewish conversion and therefore, his prior agreement is not binding, according to him. In a flimsy legal move, Reyes' attorney asked for a new judge and his next court appearance is March 3, 2010.

But there is even a far more serious issue at hand other than his using his daughter to spitefully offend his wife, his wild accusations, contradictory statements, and outlandish fund raising attempts. If the courts do not hold him accountable for violating the court order in this case, our legal system will cease to have any power at all.

A court order only has power so as long as the court is willing to enforce it and hold individuals accountable for violating the rules of the court. Undermining the power and authority of the courts in such a way jeopardizes all of our rights and liberties. Orders of protection, judicial injunctions, civil rights, anti-discrimination laws, even the Bill of Rights itself will cease to have any meaning in this country if the court does not stand behind their own rulings. The laws of a society only have power so as long as the legal system is willing to enforce them. And while many are attempting to make this a case about Christians or religion, it is really a simple matter of one man willingly defying our justice system and the rule of law. Joseph Reyes boastfully broke and the law, and Joseph Reyes deserves to go to jail.

It is also easy for many to fall for his attempts to play the emotion card to appeal to the Christian community, but before you jump on that bandwagon, consider this. What if you were the parent, and your ex decided to take your child without your knowledge and have her initiated into a satanic ritual? If Joseph Reyes is allowed to win and get away with this, that is exactly what could happen and there is absolutely nothing that you could do about it. He is not fighting a Christian battle, he is fighting to take away the rights of parents.

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First of all, you don't force

First of all, you don't force a three-year-old to go to anything, you take a three-year-old. The use of the word "force" was unnecessarily inflammatory.

But you are right to say that Mr. Reyes is not fighting a Christian battle, but then you utterly failed when you said he "is fighting to take away the rights of parents." He is a parent, one of the two parents of the child in question.

The battle he is fighting is a legal battle and it is almost as old as the Constitution itself. How is it that the court is able to restrain a parent from going to the church of his choice and taking his daughter with him. Seems like the wall of separation only works one way these days.

Would your response be the same if your mother filed a restraining order and a judge forbid you from going (or not going) to the church of your choice. What if my faith (Southern Baptist) becomes a recognized form of child abuse? Outrageous. Of course, but so is this ruling. The government must not be allowed to issue such an order and we all should oppose it when it does.

The Real Issue

I could not disagree with the comment more. And your facts are a bit off. The judge did not do anything to interfere with his right to attend whatever church he wishes. But he is not allowed to use his child in such a way. He is in breach of contract by doing so, and he broke the law so he should go to jail. It is that simple.

Your example is not accurate because the child did not choose to go to the church, so it is not the same thing. You say that you are a southern baptist, so how would you feel if your ex took your child, against your will, to a satanic initiation or tried to convert them to Islam? If this man gets away with this, that could very well happen and there would be absolutely nothing that you could do about it.

Further, contracts and court order will cease to mean anything if this is not enforced. There is much more at stake here and he absolutely must not be allowed to get away with it...it threatens us all.

Oh, please. Joseph Reyes

Oh, please. Joseph Reyes doesn't give a hoot about the Church--he sent an email and photos documenting the baptism to rile his estranged wife. This isn't about Reyes being a good Catholic, it's about him being a spiteful child and generating drama.

He didn't go to the courts to fight this--I might have had some sympathy for him if he'd done that. But he didn't. He just did what he wanted and then taunted his ex. When she got the court order, he flouted it and took his daughter to Church with the news media in tow. Well, that sure does show he has the best interests of his child in mind. Using the kid as a pawn to rattle his ex and as a prop for the media storm he created.

Reyes thinks he's above the law, that he shouldn't have to follow rules he doesn't like. He's failing as a father, and frankly, his supporters are lacking in logic.

Well said and I could not

Well said and I could not agree more!

Did it ever dawn on you that

Did it ever dawn on you that you two idiots are the one's lacking in logic. Contract law is subordinate to the Constitution for one. For two, there is no evidence of an express contract in this case. Three, this guy bent over backwards for some JAP that ran off with some fifty year old black guy and took her daughter along while she got laid---great mother, there.

Both you and the following

Both you and the following commentator need to bother to learn something about the situation at hand. If conversion to Judaism was an issue, then there was a ketubah, a legally binding marriage contract signed by both parents, specifying that any children would be raised Jewish. So, what you're basically saying is that Mr. Reyes is basically allowed to flaunt the law. (I assume that's what you're saying, since the author made it explicitly clear that was the case.) No, breaking a court order to force the situation is not acceptable unless he wants to deal with the consequences. And the court order in question is not in violation of the Constitution, since his rights are not being violated, nor are their child's. And contract law is only subordinate to the Constitution insofar as rights are being violated or the literal legal text is being violated, since the Constitution was amended by the Bill of Rights to specifically address individual rights.

Further, you destroy any argument you might have had by being blatantly racist and offensive at the end of your comment; obviously, you cannot even manage to engage in civil discourse without insulting the Japanese as well as blacks and Jews and getting your facts totally wrong in the process. Why should race even matter, unless you're racist?

Actually, Reality Check, Mr

Actually, Reality Check, Mr Reyes did appeal the order thru the court system, but the appellate court and the Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal. Thus, the only way to ensure appellate review of the order is to breech it. That is exactly what Mr. Reyes did.

Neither you, nor Ms. Fears questions Ms. Reyes' integrity. She made the comment on 20/20 that she is the custodial parent so she has all the say. That sums it up in my eyes. She is really just a selfish brat using the couple's daughter as a conduit to control her husband. Also, I found it interesting that there was so much footage of Mr. Reyes caring for the daughter and none of Ms. Reyes. That speaks volumes, as does her request to jail her husband.

No, actually, the appeal was

No, actually, the appeal was in the system and there was a temporary restraining order in place. And, as far as the system is concerned, she does have all the say- that's why they call it sole custody rather than joint.

BTW, basing your opinion on how much footage you've seen of each parent is ridiculous. How does that even pertain to the discussion? So much for privacy and protecting one's family, I guess.

The very fact that you have

The very fact that you have not seen all of the footage coming from the mother proves that she is the one who cares about the child and that the sperm donor is merely using and exploiting the child as a weapon in his vendetta against his former wife.

As the other poster mentioned, the fact that she is the sole custodial parent does in fact mean that she, and she alone, has the rights to make decision regarding her daughter (and obviously the courts, and even the father agreed since he did not fight for custody and the court felt that he did not deserve it). Further, it has long been an accepted fact that, unless a mother is unfit, she is charged with the care and raising of her own children.

There is no control issue, and your tone certainly hints of a bitter sexist biased that you have, the fact is that he had already signed a contract, and custody issues were already settled which make it clear that he was in violation of both the law and of his contractual obligations.

Further, what he did was absolutely sickening and a violation of not only the law, but of both the mother's rights and the child's. He has no ground to stand on and is an spiteful little man who who will sink to any level, including anti-semitism to harass and hurt his ex-wife-- that alone makes him completely unfit.

Nikki Fears, in addition to

Nikki Fears, in addition to being an intolerant Jew, you are some misguided, fascist feminist spewing misandry.

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