MADISON CT — Today brought good news to Mia (16), Mathew (16), and Sawyer (13).
A reprieve at least.
These three teenagers, who have been through torment for three years, now live with their mother, Karen Riordan – after running away from their father, Chris Ambrose, in the last few months.
Today, Ambrose took the mother to Family Court, seeking her arrest for allowing the runaway children to stay with her.
Judge Eddie Rodriguez denied Ambrose’s motion to force his daughter Mia to stay 100 yards away from her mother.
Then Judge Rodriguez recused himself from the case, calling a mistrial on all of Ambrose’s half dozen other motions, all seeking the arrest of his former wife.
Ambrose also sought the arrest of his teenage children, seeking the court to order Madison police to break down the doors of Riordan’s house, enter the house, armed and prepared to subdue the teens, handcuff and shackle them, and force them to return to his home.
Ambrose also sought an order to stop the teens and Riordan from speaking to the Frank Report.
Judge Rodriguez added he would no longer be involved in the case.
Frank Report had a correspondent on the scene, ready to live stream the arrest of the children if necessary.
The case was transferred to Judge Gladys Idelis Nieves in the same courthouse in Bridgeport.
Ambrose’s attorney, Chris Goulden, consulting with his client, told the judge they only had one motion they urgently needed – the immediate arrest of Riordan.
They were willing to drop the other motions if they could just have Riordan trundled off in cuffs on the spot.
Judge Nieves said she would hear his motion to arrest the mother but she was not going to force the teenagers to go to Ambrose.
The judge then told Goulden one of his motions did not make sense.
Ambrose wanted the court to declare he had custody of the children.
“He already has custody of the children. He is asking for something he already has,” the judge said.
Attorney Goulden told the judge that Ambrose, not he, filed the motion.
The judge said, “I know, but you are representing him.”
“We are willing to withdraw all the motions if the court schedules an emergency motion to arrest Riordan,” said Goulden.
When Goulden said this, Ambrose turned around in his chair and glared at Riordan.
“We want her incarcerated,” Ambrose said.
Ambrose is seeking Riordan’s arrest for not tossing her children out of her house and, therefore, violating Judge Gerard Adelman’s orders that she must never see her children.
Judge Nieves told Riordan she should get an attorney or, if she could not afford one, the court would assign her an attorney.
Goulden pressed for a date to argue for Riordan’s arrest.
The judge refused to schedule it on the spot.
When he got the news, Matthew told Frank Report, “We are relieved.”
Mia said she was thankful to Judge Rodriguez for not forcing her to stay 100 yards away from her mother.
Sawyer said, “I’ll be able to sleep peacefully tonight,” then added, “Does this mean Chris will stop sending the police to the house?”
While pressing for Riordan’s arrest, Goulden sought to evoke sympathy for the forlorn father.
“He has not seen his children for three months, and we are running out of options,” the attorney said.
He failed to mention that the children did not want to see him and that thanks to Ambrose, they had not seen their mother for three years – until they ran away.
“Out of the court’s power,” the judge said
The judge also said she would not hear their motion to arrest Riordan for allegedly speaking to Frank Report.
“This court is not going to hear that.”
The only motion Goulden demanded was Riordan’s arrest for allowing the teens to live at her house.
“We will set a date; you have a right to a hearing date, and it will be set.”
An eager Goulden said, “Should we go to case flow and schedule it as soon as possible?”
“No, we will get back to you.”
Neither Ambrose nor Goulden alleged the teens wanted to return to their father.
As they said some five or six times, they only sought Riordan’s arrest.
When it became apparent the judge was not going to arrest the mother, Ambrose tried to speak to the judge.
Goulden had to tell Ambrose to stop talking to the judge.
At some point, the court will schedule a hearing on Ambrose’s motion to jail the mother of his children for taking them in when they ran away from his alleged sexual and psychological abuse.
The teenagers have come home, and Frank Report is going to do everything in its power to see it that they stay there.
Stay tuned.
