The Tsimhoni custody battle that has been raging in the Oakland County Family Court since 2015, has resulted in more than just media scrutiny of the Tsimhoni family. The Judge overseeing the case, Lisa Gorcyca has drawn her fair share of acrimony and accusation in the matter as well. At the end of last year, the Judicial Tenure Committee filed a complaint against Judge Gorcyca. But she is not going anywhere without a fight.

 

It all began when Maya Tsimhoni filed for an emergency change of custody, and then did not bring the three children to their next scheduled visitation with their father. She claimed that her husband had abused their youngest son, and that the children were unsafe in his care. But according to Oakland County Family Court Judge Lisa Gorcyca, who has overseen this case from the very beginning, there has been no indication or evidence of abuse to substantiate her claim.

 

There are, however, CPS investigations into a number of incidents where Maya and the children claim that Omer abused them. The results of various CPS investigations have concluded that there was very likely abuse. Additionally, medical records prove that certain injuries on one child are consistent with prior claims of abuse. But Judge Gorcyca has gone on the record stating that she believes that this is a classic case of parental alienation, but not child abuse

 

The children then, possibly at their mother’s urging, refused to have lunch with their father in the jury room at a court hearing. This was in direct defiance of a court order, and the children were cited as being in contempt of court. Judge Gorcyca believed that this was not indicative of abuse, but rather of parental alienation. She ordered the three children to serve time in juvenile detention at Children’s Village

 

This decision, among many others, has come under fire recently, with the Judge being investigated for misconduct. At a recent misconduct hearing, Judge Gorcyca defended her decision to have the Tsimhoni children placed in a juvenile detention facility, saying that she had run out of other options.

 

The Judge has described the children’s behavior as cult-like, comparing them to the followers of Charles Manson because they would not look at or speak to their father, and refused to eat. Although the Tenure Committee is inquiring as to whether or not Gorcyca is guilty of abusing her power in this case, Gorcyca says she didn’t.

 

Judge Gorcyca is accused of judicial misconduct, and providing false information to the investigators assigned by the Judicial Tenure Committee during the course of the investigation. This case has received considerable media coverage as it plays out, and we will be waiting to hear what the JTC’s decision is, and how the Judge will handle it.