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We The Parents, Atlanta, GA (2026)

09/01/2026

Family Court judge back on the bench after domestic violence charges withdrawn.

He is now seeking expungement. A hearing is set for September 11.

WTPP News will have case details and continued judicial accountability coverage.

Follow for updates.

09/01/2026

FAMILY COURT JUDGE BACK ON THE BENCH AFTER DOMESTIC ASSAULT CASE WITHDRAWN, NOW SEEKING EXPUNGEMENT

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Family Court Judge Michael Fanning is back on the bench after being arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife and daughter.

On March 10, 2026, Fanning, 60, was arrested at his Torresdale home. Prosecutors allege he hit his wife in the face, strangled her, threw her to the floor and dragged his 30 year old daughter to the ground by her hair causing facial injuries when she tried to intervene.

He was released on 200,000 dollars unsecured bail and barred from contact through an emergency protection order. His attorney said he would plead not guilty.

He was charged with four offenses. All were withdrawn on July 16, 2026 by Judge Jeffrey K. Sprecher.

CHARGES WITHDRAWN:

• AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

• STRANGULATION

• SIMPLE ASSAULT

• RECKLESSLY ENDANGERING ANOTHER PERSON

The cases are listed as closed under docket numbers MC-51-CR-0004241-2026 and MC-51-CR-0004242-2026.

Fanning was suspended without pay and his Family Division cases were reassigned at the time of arrest.

On August 11, 2026, Fanning filed a Motion for Expungement to erase the arrest from his record.

On August 28, 2026, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed an objection to the expungement.

An expungement hearing is now scheduled for September 11, 2026 at 9:00 AM in room 805 before Judge Lawrence M. Farnese Jr.

As of this month, the First Judicial District website lists Honorable Michael Fanning as an active judge at 1501 Arch Street. That is the same court that decides custody, divorce and domestic violence cases.

Advocates and researchers say strangulation is one of the most dangerous red flags in domestic violence.

National studies have documented it as a leading predictor of future homicide.

So the question many victims and domestic violence groups are asking today is simple: How does a judge charged with strangling his own wife and dragging his daughter by her hair end up back on the bench deciding domestic violence cases for other families, with no trial, no public hearing, and now a push to erase the case entirely?

WTPP NEWS JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

08/31/2026

ATTORNEY SUES FAMILY COURT JUDGES UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 1983 - CASE STILL PENDING

Montgomery County, Maryland

Nathan Charles is an attorney, a father, and a former DOJ National Security Division attorney. He sued Montgomery County family court Judges Bonifant, Fogleman, and Leibowitz in federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claiming retaliation in his own divorce case. The case is still active as of today, August 31, 2026.

On August 7, a magistrate recommended dismissal. On August 19, Charles filed a 20-page objection. On August 20, District Judge Paula Xinis said she will decide it by separate decision.

42 U.S.C. § 1983 is the federal law that lets you sue state officials in federal court when you claim they violated your constitutional rights. Charles filed on October 3, 2025, as 8:25-cv-03302 in Maryland District Court. He represents himself.

Here is what he says happened:

SANCTIONED FOR BEING GREEDY.

Charles offered his ex-wife more money to settle than she was awarded at trial. The court did not allow him to show those settlement offers to prove good faith, then sanctioned him for litigating in bad faith to deny her reasonable relief.

SANCTIONED $23,680 FOR AN ANGRY ATTITUDE.

The magistrate's report describes a warning that Charles would be ordered to pay fees if he continued what it called an "angry attitude." Charles argues that being angry is not a sanctionable offense, and that courts can punish frivolous filings, not tone or viewpoint.

SANCTIONED $68,588.39 TWICE FOR THE SAME AMOUNT.

The Appellate Court vacated the financial awards and ordered the trial court to recalculate actual income and justify any fees. In July 2026, Judge Fogleman reinstated the same $68,588.39 without new calculations and without identifying what conduct was sanctionable.

$1,221 FEE FOR CONTEMPT, BUT NO CONTEMPT FINDING.

His ex-wife filed a contempt petition over bank accounts. Charles transferred the accounts. She withdrew the petition. No judge found him in contempt. On July 23, 2026, the court reinstated a $1,221 fee tied to that withdrawn petition.

EVALUATOR SAID FIT DAD, COURT KEPT SUPERVISED VISITS.

The custody evaluator found Charles to be a fit and loving parent and did not recommend heavy supervision. No qualified professional found him dangerous. The court ordered supervised visits anyway. Charles completed both therapy options the court gave him, and the court kept supervision in place.

VA DOCTOR OFFERED TO TESTIFY, COURT SAID NO.

When his VA treatment provider offered to testify that he is stable and fit, the court required in-person testimony that the VA does not allow and refused to allow remote testimony.

SUED IN FEDERAL COURT, 8 DAYS LATER FACED A FILING BAN.

Charles filed this federal civil rights case in October 2025. Eight days later, Judge Bonifant started the process to limit his filings in his divorce case. After three hearings, the court went silent for five months. Then, less than 48 hours after Charles filed a motion criticizing Judge Fogleman for reinstating the $68,000 fee, Judge Bonifant issued the filing ban.

BANNED TO ONE MOTION A WEEK, FOREVER.

Judge Bonifant issued an order limiting Charles to one motion per week, with no deadline for a ruling, no emergency exception, and indefinite duration. It applies to future cases as well. The court ordered Charles to defend about 90 prior filings without identifying which ones were considered excessive. The specific filings were only named in the final order, after he no longer had a chance to respond.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:

District Judge Paula Xinis will now review the magistrate's recommendation de novo. She will decide whether the case moves forward on the 162-page Fifth Amended Complaint, which now includes Charles's two minor children as plaintiffs identified only by their initials to protect their privacy, and adds new allegations of retaliation continuing through July 2026.

WHY THIS CASE MATTERS:

This is bigger than one father. This is a national crisis. Across the country, pro se litigants in family court are turning to federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to sue judges. It is happening more and more because parents feel they have nowhere else to go.

For years, they have been waiting for an attorney to actually do it and to take it all the way through. Not to settle. Not to quit.

Nathan Charles is a father who happens to be an attorney, and a former DOJ National Security Division attorney, who is representing himself and refusing to back down.

Pro se litigants will be following this case closely. If he can get justice, they may be able to follow suit.

Have your civil rights been violated by a family court judge? Are you thinking about filing a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 lawsuit? We want to hear from you.

WTPP News - Federal Court Watch

08/29/2026

DISTRICT ATTORNEY JIMMY DUNN BUSTED FOR 6 FELONIES DAYS BEFORE RETIREMENT

SEVIER COUNTY, TN, August 27, 2026 District Attorney James Jimmy Dunn was arrested 4 days before retirement for having a citizen arrested for trying to report a crime.

Dunn is 79. He is the District Attorney for Sevier, Cocke, Jefferson and Grainger counties.

A Sevier County Grand Jury indicted him on August 27, 2026. Sevier County Jail records show he was booked at 4:18 p.m. and released at 4:51 p.m.

His retirement was set for August 31. He has been District Attorney since 2006.

What Dunn is charged with

• Official Misconduct
• Official Oppression
• Retaliation for Past Action Against a Witness
• Conspiracy to Commit Official Oppression
• Coercion of a Witness
• Civil Rights Intimidation

What Assistant District Attorney William Brownlow Marsh is charged with

• Official Oppression
• Conspiracy to Commit Official Oppression

What the grand jury says happened

In May 2023 a citizen named Erik Cooper tried to report a potential crime. He said an assistant district attorney committed misconduct. He was scheduled to testify about it to the grand jury.

Dunn did not want that testimony to happen. So before Cooper went into the grand jury room Dunn had his staff pull an old arrest warrant for Cooper.

The court clerk told them the warrant was incomplete and not legal. A judge had not signed off on bond. It could not be used.

Dunn and Marsh used it anyway. Marsh told the clerk it was "for his file" and that "no one would see it." He took the incomplete warrant and handed it to Dunn. Dunn handed it to a deputy and stationed him outside the grand jury room.

Dunn texted the deputy to confirm they were ready and asked "We are ready, correct?" The deputy replied "Yes, sir."

Cooper went in to report the potential crime. The second he walked out he was arrested with the incomplete warrant.

The grand jury says Dunn then covered it up from May 2023 until August 2026 by making it look like a normal legal arrest.

What happens next

The case will now move through Sevier County Circuit Court. No next court date has been announced yet.

In Tennessee each of these felony counts carries 1 to 12 years depending on the charge. If convicted Dunn could face anywhere from 1 to 12 years per count.

Why this matters to everyone

If a citizen can be arrested for trying to report a potential crime to a grand jury then no citizen is safe to report anything. The grand jury is supposed to be the place you go when the system fails. If the District Attorney can have you arrested for using it then the system is rigged against the people it is supposed to protect.

This is not about one man. This is about whether people in Sevier County can report misconduct without fear of being arrested for it.

Do you feel safe reporting a crime in your county?

WTPP NEWS PROSECUTORIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

08/28/2026

BREAKING: Suspended Clerk Granted Bail Today Can Return To Palm Beach And Still Be On November Ballot

ORANGE COUNTY, FL Aug 28, 2026

Suspended Palm Beach Clerk of Court Mike Caruso was granted $160K bail today by Circuit Judge A. James Craner of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. Judge Craner rejected the state's bid to hold him without bond, citing concerns with the investigation report.

Judge Craner ordered the following bond conditions:

• $160K bond
• Surrender passport
• No ankle monitor
• Remain out of Orange County except for court appearances
• Did NOT extend the prior Palm Beach County no-contact with children order

His wife Tracy Caruso was present in court and testified that they own fi****ms but voluntarily gave them up after his arrest. She said she will post bail and bring him home to Palm Beach County.

In a prepared statement Monday Tracy said, "I know my husband. I love Mike, I believe him, and I believe in his innocence. I stand firmly beside him as he faces these serious allegations and works to clear his name."

Tracy said she is resigning from three boards to support him, including Vice Chair of Palm Beach State College District Board of Trustees, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County Board, and the Palm Beach County Housing Finance Authority.

She said, "My place is beside Mike, and I intend to devote my attention and energy to standing with him through the fight ahead. It is a decision about where I need to be right now: Beside my husband."

Caruso pleads not guilty to 5 felonies and remains on the November ballot for Clerk of Court. He is charged with:

• Kidnapping
• Lewd or lascivious molestation
• Lewd or lascivious exhibition
• Luring or enticing a child
• Child abuse causing mental injury

Next hearing Sept 8, Orange County Courthouse, Judge Craner. More details to follow.

Should the Clerk of Court, who is accused of 5 felony charges involving a child, remain on the November ballot while his case is pending in another county?

WTPP News Court Watch Report | Orange County, Florida Edition

08/27/2026

WTPP NEWS COURT WATCH REPORT

We are on verdict watch. The jury is deliberating right now in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Closing arguments are done and it came down to two words.

CALCULATED.

The Commonwealth says she planned it. That she sent her husband out and waited until she was alone. That this was intent.

MANIPULATED.

The Defense says her mind was gone. That psychosis manipulated her reality. And that the State manipulated the evidence to make it look calculated.

Two stories. One jury.

Was it calculated or was she manipulated?

We want to know what you think. Who wins this? What is your prediction for the verdict?

Drop it below. We will update you the second it comes in.

We are watching.

WTPP News Court Watch Report
Massachusetts Edition

08/26/2026

Judge Busted for Racial Slurs, S*x Jokes, Harassment, Victim Shaming, Gun in Chambers and More Suspended Two Years Without Pay

FREMONT, Ohio. Judge Jon Ickes was just suspended for two years without pay.

The Ohio Supreme Court removed the Sandusky County Common Pleas judge on August 19, 2026 after finding 10 ethics violations.

The Court called it "childish, inappropriate and vulgar behavior" that caused "incalculable harm" to public trust.

The Board tried to give him a pass. 12 months, fully stayed, meaning no real punishment at all as long as he didn't do it again.

The Supreme Court said that's not good enough. In a 5 to 2 decision, they threw that out and hit him with a real two year suspension without pay.

Here is what the record says he did:

• Called a case involving an 18 month old baby victim the "baby c---sucker case" for eight months while the defendant faced life for allegedly ra**ng the toddler. Texted staff banana videos from the bench during trial and made jokes about jurors. Said he was trying to "lighten the air."

• Told a pregnant staffer "wait until the t***y fairy comes," told her to "man up and get some balls," and asked "Can we talk about the butt fairy?" When she complained, his wife called her about "the t***y fairy and stuff" and blamed "the hormone fairy." She ended up transferring to work for the other judge in the same building.

• Gave a probation officer a Bang energy drink and said she could tell everyone she "had been banged by a judge."

• Routinely told jurors not to post on "sn**ch chat" when he meant Snapchat.

• Called the HR specialist "pimple d---" and told staff she wouldn't do anything if they reported him. Called an employee "libtard" when she didn't laugh at his jokes.

• After someone mentioned Blazing Saddles was on Netflix, sang "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and recited a quote with the N word loud enough that a Black defendant in the hallway heard it. When a second Black defendant asked him to recuse, Ickes said "What I was doing was quoting a movie in chambers" and denied it was a "racial slur."

• He kept a firearm and a Nerf gun in his chambers and routinely used the Nerf gun to shoot staff and visitors, even firing it in the courtroom, with his real gun right there. Once he went to shoot the court administrator and grabbed his real gun by mistake, then joked "That would not have been good" and told staff "if you repeat this, I will shoot you in the pinky toe."

• Presided over two jury trials without disclosing his stepson, a police officer, was the arresting officer and witness. Both verdicts were overturned on appeal. Ickes said he acted that way because he wanted "to be liked."

This matters far beyond Ohio.

For parents sitting in family court, for victims, for employees who have been told to just take it, this is what accountability looks like.

Judges are not immune. They wear the robe, but they are not above the rules.

When complaints are filed, when people speak up even after being intimidated, discipline does happen.

This two year suspension without pay sends a message to every courtroom in the country: the bench is not a playground, and public trust has to be earned back one ethical decision at a time.

WTPP News Judicial Accountable

08/25/2026

PROSECUTION PAID EXPERT $54,000 FOR 10 HOURS WITH LINDSAY BUT BILLED 180 HOURS

Day 20, Court Watch Massachusetts.

Dr. Kirk Heilbrun took the stand. He is the forensic psychologist hired by the prosecution to evaluate criminal responsibility.

He testified he examined Lindsay over 3 days in April. He said he spent 10 hours total with her.

Then he testified to his bill.

$300 an hour. 180 hours billed. $54,000 paid by the Commonwealth as of today, August 24th, 2026.

10 hours with Lindsay. 180 hours billed. $54,000.

Does that sound right to you?

Court Watch Report | WTPP News Massachusetts Edition

08/25/2026

ONE private group controlled every lawyer since 1952. The monopoly just ended.

BREAKING: The U.S. Department of Education just moved to end the American Bar Association's monopoly as the sole accreditor of American law schools, a role it has held since 1952.

What happened:
On Friday August 22, the Department released a staff report finding the ABA Council of Legal Education is not separate and independent as required by federal law and is out of compliance with federal accreditation regulations.

The report also cited the ABA diversity standard that requires law schools to demonstrate commitment to diversity in admissions and recruitment, a rule the Trump Administration has called unlawful DEI requirements.

What this means:
If finalized, the ABA would no longer be the only gatekeeper for law school accreditation. The Federal Trade Commission has already endorsed ending the monopoly, saying ABA requirements raise prices and block more affordable models.

The decision is not final yet. A bipartisan committee will review it in September. Texas and Florida Supreme Courts have already ended ABA exclusivity for bar exam eligibility.

For 73 years, every accredited law school needed ABA approval for federal loans and bar eligibility. That era is ending.

08/24/2026

Day 19: Commonwealth's Second Rebuttal Witness Interrupted Mid-Testimony, Jury Told to Disregard

Plymouth, MA - The Commonwealth's second rebuttal witness was stopped in the middle of his testimony Monday, leading to a sidebar, a mistrial request, and an instruction for the jury to disregard his last statement.

Dr. Kirk Heilbrun, a forensic psychologist and professor at Drexel University, was testifying as the Commonwealth's second rebuttal witness. He evaluated Lindsay Clancy in April 2026 and also interviewed Patrick Clancy and his mother Susan as part of his evaluation.

Heilbrun testified that during the killings, Lindsay said "Go to God, baby. Go to God" and that was part of her expectation she and her children would be together in Heaven. He noted she was raised as a Catholic. He then began discussing his own view of being Catholic and the concept of mortal sin.

Kevin Reddington objected. Judge Sullivan called a sidebar, excused the jury, denied the mistrial request, and instructed the jury to disregard.

A similar question was struck on August 18th during the defense case when Susan Clancy was asked if murder is considered a mortal sin.

First rebuttal witness:

Dr. Avram Mack finished his testimony Monday morning. His only diagnosis for January 2023 was a major depressive episode as part of a major depressive disorder. He found no mania, no hypomania, and no psychosis.

On cross, Mack testified that under the DSM-5, postpartum depression must occur within four weeks of birth. Reddington challenged that, saying it can occur within a year. Mack also testified postpartum psychosis is not recognized as its own diagnosis by the American Psychiatric Association.

Court records show Callan was born in May 2022. Lindsay stopped breastfeeding in October 2022 when Callan was about 5 months old. A note on her phone from early November 2022 described concerns about stopping breastfeeding and sleep training. In her journal that month she wrote she was sad she stopped breastfeeding, felt not as connected with him, and felt incredibly sad and guilty about not breastfeeding.

She was 8 months postpartum in January 2023.

Four other providers who evaluated Lindsay - Rebecca Jollotta, Dr. Paul Zeizel, Dr. Margaret Spinelli, and Dr. Phillip Resnick - raised or made diagnoses of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis.

Advocates across the country who have been watching this trial have been raising the same question all week - how evaluations like these can be trusted when a mother who is 8 months postpartum, who just stopped breastfeeding, who documented guilt about not breastfeeding and feeling disconnected, who was actively seeking help for months, is evaluated and given only a diagnosis of major depression with no postpartum specifier. For many mothers watching, to not diagnose her postpartum is what they are calling insane.

Heilbrun will return to the stand Tuesday morning. We will be there.

WTPP Court Watch Report - Plymouth County, Massachusetts Edition. We will continue to cover this story gavel to gavel.

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