Yakima WA family court system

Many people have wondered how such a thing could happen to me. To them, as it was to me…the whole concept of the allegations and court decision is inconceivable to them.


Below is from the court forum website and is the grading and comments on the commissioner that ruled in my case.

Take a look and fully understand that with a mother crying about abuse and threats, how the court can just ignore the evidence, Swanhart had a predisposed judgment in my case (perhaps she did not like my cowboy appearance) and it was clear to all the attorneys present in the court room. I have been there many times and many times, attorneys have spoken to me about my case and my chances of making a change in Swanhart court room.

Read below and understand;


24 complaints have recently been made against this commissioner Lani-Kai Swanhart and are available at the court forum site. 17 times they not only completed the survey of this commissioner but also left the comments below from attorneys, witness, staff members and litigants;


This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

This Commissioner is completely clueless. I watched her now for a few years, and the best interest of children somehow always is never taken into consideration, and by the way she ruled, she was probably a less than adequate parent. This commissioner appears to lack any understanding of running a business, and therefore, she makes a complete idiot of herself on the bench. She has a strong biased towards men. She should not be on the bench, as her personal past, gets in the way of her ruling fairly. I give her a failing grade.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

This commissioner, was extremely biased towards me. Because of her lack of knowledge, she took the easy way out....This commissioner should not hold the position she does. Clearly, she also does not like the male figures, that have gone in front of her....I have sat in her court room several times and watched her, put the screws to men, time, and time again.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Commissioner Swanhart makes decisions with broad brushes and fails to understand or be able to cope with the complex dynamics involved in family law proceedings. She make rushed decisions, misunderstanding things and placing them in inappropriate categories and then doesn't want to hear things that do not fit into the model of the situation she has constructed. It is as if she is saying, "Don't bug me with facts, I have made up my mind." I also do not appreciate the way she treats people in general. She treats people as if she is an aristocrat and everyone before her, especially small and confused people, with little to no respect. In some instances, this is exemplified by pointless and cutting remarks directed at poor, misfortunate, people in an emotionally charged situation they are having difficulty understanding. Commissioner Swanhart is a fairly intelligent person, it is too bad she stoops to these cheap shots at people before her. In my opinion, she is burned out and has outlived her utility as a Commissioner and should move on.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

I have been in Commissioner Swanharts court room for many months now and have observed her rulings on issues that goes against evidence that was presented before her. It is personally appalling to me to see the court system abused in this manner. Many times she shows a pre conceived notion and bias towards and in favor of women. I have seen documents submitted for her review ignored in her decisions. I have witnessed a tongue lashing of a man accused of abusing his children and custody completely changed based on an interview of alienated children without any attempt by her court to investigate the allegations. In this case where the children were ordered into counseling with a Dr. and the mother refused and indeed violated 3 court orders for the mother to take the boys to treatment, Commissioner Swanhart did not find the mother in contempt. Commissioner Swanhart ordered for the mother to again seek treatment for the children with the Dr. and then, put situations on the Dr. and how he could conduct his sessions in his private practice. This was to appease the mother that did not want the Doctors finds or report to be submitted to the court. For commissioner Swanhart to limit a Doctors standard means of treatment after she ordered the children into treatment with him is outrageous behavior from a court commissioner. It seems that the input from a professional in child psychology is not permitted in her court room. Commissioner Swanhart shows no regard towards men, evidence or their side of any story. Indeed, she limits that input and refuses to rule in an unbiased and professional manner. Commissioner Swanhart is one of the reasons that common citizens have a deep mistrust of our court system.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

In this family case with extensive domestic violence and evidence to support it, Commissioner Swanhart found the mother in contempt for revealing the social workers, counselors, GALs, and other "friends of the court" were unethical, unprofessional, and noncompliant of court orders. It is a matter of litigants "keeping your mouth shut" when it comes to revealing the corruption running rampant in Yakima County Superior Court. Constitutional Due Process is something that she regularly ignores. The best interests of the children is a standard that she regularly ignores and, contrary to other postings, she is not biased just toward men. If a woman steps over the commissioner's line, she throws the gavel at her as readily as she would a man and will threaten with loss of custody if someone has the gumption to reveal the corruption of the courts to anyone.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Irresponsible, unparctical, and above all, biased, towards men in her court room. Swanharts, constant doodling, and unpleaseant personality, brings great concern to our Yakima county, Judicial system. Quite frankly, it is time for this commisioner, to step down, and seek, other employment.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Lani Kia Swanhart...I have been in this game for years, and it is always an unpleasant part of my day, to enter your court room. I would ask you to start reviewing the audios, of your bench time. I use a hearing device, that easily picks up everything you are saying, when you are on the bench. Your quiet, little conversations with these attorneys, is improper, and most of disgusting! Yakima county's SR judge should remove you, immediately. Your past, has clearly haunted you, over, and over. People ( men ), should not have to suffer, due to the infidelity, surrounding your personal life. You are washed up, your appearance is less than professional, as are your biased rulings.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Where do I begin!! I went with a friend that was going infront of this Judge....I got an eye opener that day!!! I must say, this Swanhart Judge is a poor excuse for our legal system....she is with out a doubt, a man hater, incompitent, and just a flat out poor excuse for a human being. I have heard stories of our Judges here in Yakima county, but I had no idea, it was this bad. I can say one thing is for sure, if Swanhart acted like that out in the real business world, she would be holding a sign, like the people on the street corners. As I watched people go infront of Swanhart this day, I felt such sorrow, for the familys that this Judge was affecting.....Two things come to mind, either this Judges childhood was severly scorned, or her adult life, has been riddled with failure. The sight of her turns my stomach now, as I know how wicked, and evil she is. I give her an F!!!!

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Yakima Counties Sr. Judge, needs to look into the practices of this Commissioner. Her blatant disregard for fairness, is overshadowed by her extreme biased behavior towards the male figure. Her rulings are, impractical, and are very damaging to family's involved, especially children. This Commissioner, undoubtedly, needs to be reviewed by the Judicial review board.In the future, I will avoid this Commissioner, as much as possible. I have given Commissioner Swanhart, a failing grade.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

I appeared before this commissioner recently. Not only was she overloaded, she was quite annoying, to say the least. Her draconian behavior, and oversight of facts, are all to familiar, to the pompous attitude of Yakima county courts. I have failed this commissioner, and enough, is enough, to say the least!!

Made by: Staff/Personnel This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Words cannot properly describe the arrogance, of this Females disposition.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

The games this commissioner likes to play with peoples lives. Every time I am around her, she makes me sick!!!

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Inconsistent, up and down, this commissioner is all over the place! Speaks down at you, has a negative outlook towards men, and was completely biased...Swanhart, you have made a mess of my kids life!!

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

I had heard allot of negative things about this commisioner over the past 6 months, but had not been infront oif her, untill a while back. Saddly everything I had heard, is true. I witnessed parents loosing parental rights, one after the other, in simple divorce cases.....I have come to understand that ccommisioners are basically hired/appointed by our Supior court Judges. November 2012, could be a chance to bring

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

She is an embarrassment and an example of all that is wrong with the court system! I appeared before and she not only did she not read the information in my case, she did not even have my file! In her own words, in her court, in front of everyone she stated “I don’t have the file but in this case I don’t think I need it.” This is a court? This is judgment made on information before her? I don’t think so. She has made her decision before reviewing the case. Unbelievable! Get her out!

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

Well, this idiot gave me a contempt and totally does not seem to understand what the true meaning of contempt is. She is sexist and rascist against Fathers. Definantely helps her county/state make money off of father's who are made into slaves of the system. Its time for men to step up and overthrow a crooked and corrupt system of slavery.

This respondent did not approve of this judge. Comments made by respondent:

This commissioner has to go. Yakima and the family court system would be much better off without a court, then with this commissioner destroying families and lives. After having to set and listen to her belittle the men she has contact with, I found myself sick, sick in my stomach for those men that are having her biased rulings rammed down their throats while their male attorneys just feed them to this female wolf. I understand the attorneys not wanting to be on the bad side of this commissioner but how in the world can they let this injustice continue? Is the revolving money door that important? The last time I was in this court, this sad excuse for a judge was totally out of control on the very 1st case. The attorney was stating his case when Swanhart interrupted him and said his client had a credibility problem. This caught the attorney off guard and you could hear him say “What”. Swanhart responded with a smirk laugh “what, am I mumbling today?” This is outrageous and yet knowing the man she was accusing, made this totally unbelievable. I myself sat down at the court computer and went through that whole case. This commissioner Swanhart is totally off base on the whole case. No reasonable person could look at the documentation and come to the same conclusion as she stated at the hearing. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT SHE HAS A PERSONAL VENDETTA AGAINST THIS MAN AND PERHAPS MEN IN GENERAL. If she was elected, we could vote her out. As it stands, she needs fired as an out of control employee!

Do you understand now how the courts can aid in PA and destroy a family?

If you don't get anything else from this blog, understand this...family court has nothing to do with fairness or what is right!


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