Determining the Best Interests of the Child

According to the Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS courts make a variety of decisions that affect children, including placement and custody determinations, safety and permanency planning, and proceedings for termination of parental rights. Whenever a court makes such a determination, it must weigh whether its decision will be in the “best interests” of the child.

In the state of Illinois, the 750 ILCS 5/602 is clear, Sec. 602. Best Interest of Child.

1. The court shall determine allocation of parenting time formally custody in accordance with the best interest of the child. The court shall consider all relevant factors including:
1. The wishes of the child’s parent or parent’s as to his custody;
2. The wishes of the child as to his custodian;
3. The interaction and interrelationship of the child with his parent or parents, his siblings and any other person who may significantly affect the child’s best interest;
4. The child’s adjustment to his home, school and community;
5. The mental and physical health of all individuals involved;
6. The physical violence or threat of physical violence by the child’s potential custodian, whether directed against the child or directed against another person;
7. The occurrence of ongoing or repeated abuse as defined in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 [750 ILCS 60/103], whether directed against the child or directed against another person;
8. The willingness and ability of each parent to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing relationship between the other parent and the child;
9. Whether one of the parents is a sex offender; and
10. The terms of a parent’s military family-care plan that a parent must complete before deployment if a parent is a member of the United States Armed Forces who is being deployed.

In the case of a custody proceeding in which a stepparent has standing under Section 601 [750 ILCS 5/601], it is presumed to be in the best interest of the minor child unless the presumption is rebutted by stepparent.

2. The court shall not consider conduct of a present or proposed custodian that does not affect his relationship to the child
3. Unless the court find the occurrence of ongoing abuse as defined in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 [750 ILCS 60/103], the court shall presume that the maximum involvement and cooperation of both parents regarding the physical, mental, moral, and emotional well-being of their child is in the best interest of the child. There shall be no presumption in favor of or against joint custody.

Now on May 31st, 2018 Judge Susan Kennedy-Sullivan-2051 looked Mr. Muhammad and his family in the face (after locking him up in the cook county Jail) and said to them that in the past 12 years they had taken excellent care of Zion, he is an all A student, was accepted into Stem for 7th grade and his a very high IQ. However, the Birth mother has an apt that she has lived in for one month and for that reason I am giving him back to her.

Now, Zion told the Judge and he GAL Attorney David Gotzh (who was placed in this case by CVLS and is a Racist) that he wanted to go back home with his family; the only family he has to know all his life, the family that has loved him and made him into the man he is. The wishes of Zion were never considered in this case as this was a personal attack on Mr. Muhammad due to the fact that early on in the case he files a complaint on the Judge and the GAL in the case.

One month ago, both the Judge and the GAL said that it was no way that the birth mother could get Zion back and the only thing that change was that complaint.  Now, the GAL said some of the racist things to Mr. Muhammad and the Judge did not follow the laws on the land, and she made laws from the bench, and that is why she was reported.

Both the Judge and the GAL spoke to the Judge and the GAL in the Adoption case to muddy up that case; they told them both that Mr. Muhammad was a problem person and they made untrue remarks about Mr. Muhammad to interfere with that case.  Once more this is unheard of, a probate case should take a back door to an adoption case, and the Judge said that she did not care about that or the appeal that was pending as she played GOD from the bench.

So, Zion is living in an apt in one of the most dangerous parts of Chicago, he is living with a woman that is facing eviction, he is living with a woman that still out selling sex for money, he is living with a woman that has a history of mental issues, he does not have his medicine, he can not talk to Mr. Muhammad and the sport he loves he can no longer play it. So, I ask the question is this in the best interest of Zion?

The family that Zion called mom and dad, brothers and sister all have gone, graduation or will go to Jackson State University. They all have their master’s degrees or better and or working toward it now. Zion was going to JSU in 6 years as he wanted to play baseball from them and get his degree in a Stem program and go on to play for the White Sox.

This year Zion was going to play baseball overseas to work on his game, he was taking a family trip in July, he was helping his dad build the building they have, he was looking at new houses to live in down in Cordova Tn. Zion had mapped out his 10 and 20-year goals and wrote them down and can tell them to you.  All that came to an end on May 31st, 2018 at 11:40 am in courtroom 1806.

You all keep asking me why I keep sending these emails and handing out flyers; well I want to make sure that for the rest of your life you never forget the name, I want to make sure that you never forget how you played in this as to do nothing is the same as to help it be done.

750 ILCS 5/602, Sec. 602. Best Interest of Child.