In 2004, the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness In The Judicial Process found disparities by race and ethnicity in various parts of the Maryland judicial system, including family courts.Recent complaints by Black fathers cite bias in determining custody rights and child support payments.Little has been done to remedy the biases that exist in the judicial
process. In addition to seeing limitations in access to legal remedies, many Black fathers experience bias in the manner that certain judges view and adjudicate on their cases.The Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities found a 76% increase in complaints towards family courts in 2022. Many of these complaints came from Baltimore City and Baltimore County [https://www.courts.state.md.us/sites/default/files/import/cjd/pdfs/annualreport22.pdf]Black community leaders call upon the Maryland General Assembly and the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a joint state/federal systematic review of judicial bias in family courts.Summit on Racial/Ethnic Bias in Family Courts: The Case for Empowering Black Families
Summit will focus on:
Ways that bias affects outcomes in family courts: Need professor or scholar of family law
Complaint process by Black fathers: Need testimony by father who has filed a complaint against a judge or judicial system
Monitoring body/mechanism to address complaints towards judicial processes: Need delegate or state senator
Impact of Bias on Black Families: Testimony of Black mother affected by bias in judicial process
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