Felony Custodial Interference Not Charged – State v. Mr. M (DMC No. 13542) (Phoenix Police Department DR2014-00120362): Mr. M was friends with a couple who had a minor child.  The couple ended up getting divorced, and Mr. M was friends with the mother of the child and not the father or the paternal grandparents.  Ultimately, the father died in a car accident, and the paternal grandparents were seeking visitation rights.  The mother then fled to Canada with the child to begin a new life.

Once the mother was located with the child, an investigation began against the mother for Custodial Interference. Because Mr. M had been friends with the mother and had given her financial assistance in the past, he then became a target of the police Detectives to also be charged with Custodial Interference. We were able to show the Detectives that in no way had he provided financial aid or counseling for the purposes of fleeing the country.  We put together a packet of information which was forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and the case was turned down for charges against Mr. M.