The Myth of Harm and the Reality of Legal Trafficking
By Michael Phillips
Where is the actual abuse?
That’s the question no judge, no attorney, and no court-appointed “expert” has ever answered in the case of Jeff Reichert, a Maryland father who has spent nearly four years fighting to see his son, Grant.
Jeff has no criminal conviction, no sustained finding of harm, and no credible evidence of abuse—yet he has been systematically erased from his child’s life.
Meanwhile, both Sarah Hornbeck and John Michel have a record of proven misconduct, including documented abuse, violations of court orders, and public criminal histories.
This isn’t a custody dispute.
It’s state-sanctioned child trafficking under the color of law—enabled by a system that punishes protective parents and rewards fabricators.
The allegations against Jeff were completely fabricated. The real abuse—emotional, legal, and psychological—has been inflicted by Sarah and John, yet ignored by judges, CPS, and state authorities.
All of this has played out in Anne Arundel County Family Court, under the judicial authority of Judge Alison Asti, Judge Elizabeth Morris, and Judge Donna Schaeffer—three Republican judges in a deep-blue county. The case is riddled with procedural abuse, suppression of evidence, and court-enabled parental alienation.
But make no mistake:
This is not a red vs. blue problem. This is a red-and-blue failing together.
It began under Republican Governor Larry Hogan and continues under Democratic silence and complicity. The “RINOs” laid the tracks, and the Democrats just keep the train running.
Both sides talk about protecting families. Both claim to care about children.
But neither side has lifted a finger to help Jeff—or to stop the destruction of his son’s life.
Why? Because both parties are exposed by this case.
And in a polarized system where truth is inconvenient, no one has an incentive to act.
So here’s the challenge:
Let’s see which side actually cares about children more—enough to drop the charade and fix the problem.
False Allegations, Real Consequences
The allegations against Jeff were never proven. In fact, they were contradicted by court transcripts, dismissed in other jurisdictions, and often mirrored the actual abusive behavior of the accusers.
And yet, Maryland courts accepted these claims without question.
So again: Where is the harm?
- No trauma report
- No diagnosis
- No therapy record
- No mandated reporter complaint
- No behavioral red flags at school
Meanwhile, the system ignored overwhelming evidence that Jeff is the opposite of how he’s been portrayed. His only “crime” was being a father who wouldn’t give up.
Arrested for Being a Father
Jeff was violently arrested four times in one month, shackled in front of his son, and jailed for 19 days, including 8 in solitary confinement—all while having full legal custody.
Grant was left home alone during these arrests. No one from the state even checked on him. These weren’t arrests for abuse. This was punishment for refusing to surrender his rights.
Key Incidents:
- July 10, 2020: Slammed to the ground after Sarah falsely claimed Jeff “put a gun to her head while pregnant” (a decade earlier).
- August 17 & 19, 2020: Arrested again, including while watching basketball with Grant.
- September 4, 2020: Arrested during a cookout—full tactical raid.
- August 2021: Jailed while leaving court, intentionally causing him to miss a Virginia protective order hearing. This could have ended the case. He was placed in solitary confinement on a “Body Attachment” while leaving District Court in Glen Burnie to have the last of the fraudulent criminal charges dismissed.
- Multiple arrests and re-arrests: One release turned into another arrest to stack jail time.
- Multiple Contempt Findings: For emailing his son, for allegedly discussing the case with Grant, and for failing to appear in court despite having a valid protective order from Virginia.
In total, 52 police officers entered his property in a single month. Some just walked inside. One day, two officers entered through his back door while he was sitting in the basement.
There was no conviction. No trial. Just fabricated allegations, law enforcement overkill, and a court system determined to destroy him.
These actions were permitted—and in many cases ordered—by Anne Arundel Family Court judges, particularly Asti, Morris, and Schaeffer.
Criminalizing Custody Through Contempt
Jeff was held in contempt five times—not for violating custody orders, but under a mutual protective order that explicitly stated custody was governed by the Final Consent Order (FCO).
The court ignored the FCO. Instead, it invented a visitation schedule and punished Jeff for allegedly failing to comply—even when he brought Grant, and Grant refused to exit the vehicle, as seen on film.
Adding to the injustice:
- Grant had an active protective order against Sarah during much of this time (July–August 2020 and October–November 2020).
- Jeff attempted to press charges when Sarah violated the PO. He was kicked out of the commissioner’s office—twice.
- The state refused to hold Sarah accountable, even though she was on probation and in violation of multiple orders.
This is how the system was abused. These contempt charges were not about compliance—they were orchestrated retaliation, designed to silence Jeff and break his custody rights.
A Pattern With No Proof
In 15 years of litigation, not a single piece of medical, forensic, or psychological evidence has been introduced showing that Jeff harmed Grant. No bruises. No ER visits. No school concerns.
Yet there are years of documented abuse and legal violations by Sarah—publicly available—and still ignored.
Meanwhile:
- Jeff was deemed “not credible” on day one by Judge Asti without basis
- 37 witnesses prepared to testify were blocked, several who showed up daily to testify but were shut out, eliminating Grant’s voice from the start.
- Helen Laird, the court-appointed therapist, refused to speak to any of them and never met with Grant
- Therapists who treated Grant during Jeff’s custody were prohibited from testifying
- Jeff’s own therapist was barred from testifying, while the court attempted to force him to attend sessions with a provider in Maryland—someone he is currently suing for gross negligence
And now, Grant is entirely cut off from his father.
Grant has not received any court-ordered therapy for 3.5 years.
This court doesn’t care what’s true. It cares who has influence.
“Best Interest” or Best Excuse?
Maryland courts often hide behind the vague and malleable standard of the “best interest of the child.” But when that standard is used to justify removing a loving parent with no proof of wrongdoing and giving him to a known child abuser, it becomes not a tool of justice—but a tool of erasure.
In Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025), the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that vague state interests cannot override constitutional parental rights. The Court warned against governments using undefined standards to intrude on the family unit.
That’s exactly what happened here.
- Jeff lost access to his son without trial, without due process, and without the ability to defend himself
- Grant, for years, has said he wants to live with his father
- That voice has been silenced
- For 3.5 years, no evidence has been allowed into court about Grant’s well-being or actual best interest
Jeff was erased from the courtroom—and Grant was erased from the conversation.
That is unconstitutional.
The Abuse the Court Ignored
Sarah Hornbeck has repeatedly met the legal definition of child abuse and criminal fraud—but she’s never been held accountable.
- Filed false protective orders
- Triggered violent police raids
- Ignored court orders
- Blocked visitation
- Filed fabricated criminal charges
- Violated Jeff and Grant’s rights—even while under active protection orders
Jeff tried to file criminal charges. The state refused.
The Predator in the Courtroom
John Michel, Sarah’s current husband, has no biological or legal relationship to Grant—yet is now petitioning to adopt him as a “de facto father.”
Jeff had full custody until the court illegally stripped it away. Since then, Jeff alleges that:
- Michel has used intimidation and coercion to alienate Grant
- He has allegedly told Grant he will “never see your father again”
- He drinks heavily in Grant’s presence, despite the child’s trauma history
- He has taken Grant out of state, refused to communicate with Jeff, and is actively working to cut off all contact
Michel has now married Sarah and is using that marriage to gain legal standing to adopt Grant.
Under normal circumstances, this would be legally impossible—as both Jeff’s and Grant’s approval are required.
But in this case, the court has made it possible—and Grant may not even know it’s happening.
The Schools That Shut Out a Father
Two private Christian schools—Arundel Christian School (ACS) and Concordia Preparatory School—have actively blocked Jeff from any contact with his son.
- ACS filed a protective order against Jeff for trying to speak to Grant
- Concordia (formerly Baltimore Lutheran) is involved in a Supreme Court case for failing to investigate sexual abuse
- Both schools financially benefited from Grant’s enrollment
- Both refused to honor court orders allowing Jeff access
- Stephen Berger, Concordia’s admissions director, has personal ties to Sarah and allegedly assisted in enrolling Grant illegally and in secret
These are not schools supporting a child’s well-being.
They are complicit institutions aiding in his erasure.
The Brennan McCarthy Effect
None of this would have been possible without attorney Brennan McCarthy.
McCarthy has:
- Pushed manufactured narratives in court
- Ignored contradictory court orders from other states
- Used alienation as a legal strategy, not a concern
He has no children—but has spent years dictating the destruction of Jeff’s relationship with his son.
Jeff believes McCarthy’s aggression may not be about parenting at all—but about silencing him due to what he knows from his legal career in Maryland.
The secret isn’t what Jeff knows.
The secret is what the court has done to him—and his son.
The Legal Trafficking Pipeline
Let’s be clear:
This is not family law.
This is legal trafficking, sanitized through court orders.
The pipeline:
- False allegations
- Emergency relief without evidence
- Arrest and incarceration of the fit parent
- Biased or unlicensed “experts”
- Contradictory court orders ignored
- Alienating parent rewarded
- Fit parent jailed for contempt
- Child removed permanently
- System profits
Judges. Therapists. Attorneys. GALs. Everyone gets paid. Except the child—who loses a parent forever.
A Civil Rights Emergency
Under the Constitution, no parent may be deprived of their child without due process and proof of unfitness. Yet Jeff has been stripped of all rights, all access, and all legal protections.
This is not custody. It’s not justice.
This is a civil rights crisis disguised in black robes.
Call to Action
We demand answers:
- Where is the actual abuse?
- Why were Sarah Hornbeck’s crimes ignored?
- Why was Jeff jailed under a PO that had nothing to do with custody?
- Why were his witnesses silenced and his evidence buried?
- Why is a non-parent being allowed to adopt Grant?
- Why have private schools enabled this erasure?
- Why have Judges Asti, Morris, and Schaefer violated the law and the Final Consent Order?
- How can this happen to someone with Jeff’s background, spotless record, and long history of helping kids?
This is not partisan.
This began under Republican Governor Larry Hogan, was allowed by Republican judges, and continues under Democratic leadership.
Both sides failed. Both are complicit.
If Jeff Reichert—an innocent father—can lose his child like this, so can you.
Politicians love to praise “Maryland Dads” for Father’s Day photo ops.
But a real Maryland dad has had his dignity, his son, and his rights ripped away—by the very state they claim to represent.
Family court is not just broken—it’s become a mechanism for trafficking children for profit through legal semantics.
The time for silence is over. The time for transparency and accountability is now.
The Final Question
Where is the actual abuse?
Because without proof, this isn’t justice.
For a child to lose his father—the only parent he trusted—there should be overwhelming proof.
But there is none.
If Jeff had stayed in jail, he might have seen his son more.
So what is this really about?
Profit. Punishment. And power.
This is not custody.
This is not law.
This is legal child trafficking.
This is tyranny in a black robe.
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