A Mother Asked for Protection. The Courts Rewarded Calvin R. Alberternst.
I built this archive so the public can see—day by day—how two state courts and a federal court are positioning a documented abuser to take permanent custody of a terrified child.
How You Can Help →Primary Statement from Jennifer DeAngelis
Protective Mother, Civil Rights Plaintiff
I am a protective mother with a formal autism diagnosis. For over a decade I raised my daughter with stability, full-time care, and a commitment to her safety and emotional well-being. Today I am being silenced by a Missouri court and my daughter has been taken from her home against her will.
On June 12, 2025 my 11-year-old daughter was taken from the courthouse in Colorado and forced into the custody of the man she fears most. She was not allowed to go home. She had no shoes. No change of clothes. No medication. Only a stuffed animal her stepfather bought her that morning. Her phone was taken and handed to me because the Missouri court has barred her from contacting me at all.
- Overridden valid emergency custody orders issued by Colorado
- Ignored therapist warnings that unsupervised contact with her father could cause lasting harm
- Dismissed my daughter’s sworn statement about exposure to a convicted sex offender
- Denied all ADA accommodations despite medical documentation of my autism diagnosis
- Held off-the-record hearings and disregarded critical filings, including evidence of abuse
A final trial is scheduled for June 18 in St. Charles County, Missouri. If the court rules against me again, I may lose my daughter permanently.
I am not asking for pity. I am asking for witnesses. For justice. For people to care.
This is a civil rights case. It is a child protection case. It is a case about power, accountability, and whether family courts will protect a child or abandon her to harm. I have provided documentation to legal experts, journalists, and national advocacy groups. Everything I have said here is supported by records, transcripts, and firsthand evidence.
Download Full Statement (PDF) How You Can Help
— Jennifer DeAngelis, Protective Mother and Civil Rights Plaintiff
Missouri Family Court Delivered a Child to Her Abuser. They Called It “Justice.”
On June 12, 2025, a terrified 11-year-old girl was taken from her safe home in Colorado, banned from speaking to her mother, and forced into a car with the man she fears the most.
- She had no shoes.
- No medication.
- No phone.
- Just a stuffed animal her stepdad bought her that morning.
This wasn’t an accident. It was the direct result of judicial orders from Missouri’s 11th Circuit.
Judge Erin Burlison issued the original order on May 16.
Judge Matthew Thornhill was assigned to the case on June 1.
And on June 12, after Colorado recognized the Missouri restraining order, the handover was executed.
Missouri Law Requires the Court to Protect Children. This Court Did the Opposite.
- Prioritizing a child’s safety and emotional well-being
- Considering the child’s own voice when they are old enough
- Protecting against known abuse
- Supporting contact with both parents—when it’s healthy and safe
The child had lived in Colorado since August 2024. She had school, therapy, a home, and stability.
She had expressed her fear of her father multiple times, including to her therapist.
She had endured threats, intimidation, and coercive control.
The court was presented with this evidence. The court ignored it.
This Was Not Custody. This Was Institutional Betrayal.
“I’ll kill all of you before I let you take my daughter to Colorado.”
I wasn’t recording when he said it. But I’ll never forget it.
He said it during a phone call on July 1, 2023 — while we were 1,000 miles away, on vacation in Colorado. I didn’t know how to report it. We weren’t in court at the time. We didn’t think anyone would believe us.
But a few minutes later, he sent a text message that made it clear he meant what he said.
Almost a year later, during his sworn deposition, he was asked about that call. Not only did he not deny the threat — he claimed he didn’t recall anything except asking for our daughter.
That’s all he had to say. And still, the court gave him custody.
Next Hearing: June 18, 2025
This is the final custody trial. The outcome may permanently sever this child from her protective mother. Every voice, every share, every witness matters.
Case Summary (Verified by First‐Hand Witness)
• January 2024 — Jennifer De Angelis and her daughter relocate legally to Colorado.
• April 2024 — Calvin R. Alberternst admits in deposition he exposed the child to a convicted sex‑offender uncle.
• May 16 2025 — Missouri court holds an off‑record hearing; orders interstate child transfer.
• June 6 2025 — Colorado Civil Protection Order re‑filed; still undocketed as of June 11.
All entries are backed by court filings, transcripts, or digital evidence.
Emergency TRO in U.S. District Court (Filed May 29 → Amended June 7)
The motion cites ADA violations and Fourteenth‑Amendment deprivation, warning that Missouri relied solely on Jennifer’s filings to declare her “mentally unfit”—a label Calvin has repeated in court to undermine her credibility.
Off-Record Hearing, No Transcript, No Safeguards. The Court Called It Justice.
On May 16, 2025, the Missouri family court convened a hearing with no transcript, no official record, and no accountability. Jennifer appeared remotely from Colorado and legally recorded the session under Colorado law. That recording is now one of the only surviving records of what took place. The court does not know it exists.
At the time of the hearing, Jennifer still had custody. The child had lived in Colorado for nine months. During that time, she began to speak about the fear she felt around her father. She expressed it to her therapist. She expressed it at home. Colorado courts responded with emergency orders that placed her in her mother’s care. By May, those orders had expired. Missouri took control.
The May 16 hearing did not revisit the child’s disclosures. It did not consider therapist concerns. It did not include any sworn testimony. The court made no space for the child’s voice. Guardian ad Litem Lauren Reiche falsely claimed she had spoken to the child’s therapist. The therapist later confirmed she had not.
No transcript. No opposition. No child advocate on record. At the end of that silent session, the judge ordered Jennifer to send her daughter on a one-way flight selected by the father.
Jennifer’s filings were dismissed without discussion. Her presence in the courtroom was treated as a technicality. The hearing is now a key focus of federal litigation, raising questions about due process, institutional bias, and the erasure of protective voices.
Colorado’s Civil Protection Order Filing (June 6 → No Docket as of June 11)
Colorado law requires emergency CPO hearings “without delay.” Five days later the case still isn’t on the docket. A postal letter from the court is arriving June 11; experience suggests it is a denial. Meanwhile, Calvin R. Alberternst continues to petition Missouri for full custody.
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Key Individuals in the Case
- Judge Erin Burlison – Issued original transport order
- Judge Matthew Thornhill – Currently presiding
- Lauren Reiche – Guardian ad Litem, 2025–present
- Kathryn Dudley – Prior GAL, 2023–2024
- Michael Greenberg – Counsel for Calvin R. Alberternst
Have You Witnessed Anything?
If you have encountered Calvin R. Alberternst’s abusive behavior, or observed misconduct by the courts, your testimony can make a difference. Please reach out confidentially.