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Another Desperate Victim of Westchester’s Matrimonial Courts

Dear Editor:

I have been reading in The Westchester Guardian, with great interest, about the injustices in the courts of Westchester County, specifically the Matrimonial Part of Supreme Court. As the mother of a three-and-half-year-old child, and as one who has also been put through the mill, I want to share with your readers
the information that I passed along to the F.B.I., several months ago, thus far without result, as follows:

“A civil case began in June 2004. I was married to a firefighter who was defrauding the Yonkers system by telling them he lived in Yonkers when he actually lived in the Bronx with my son and I. He has political connections in Yonkers.

The bottom line is that before he began this civil case heThe bottom line is that before he began this civil case he planned it for two months in advance. He did an ex parte action in Westchester County Supreme Court with a Judge Donovan based on no actual facts, just strong allegations. I am surprised that the courts would allow such strong allegations to be processed without some sort of verification other than an ex-spouse’s word.

And, after I was surprised and served with papers, I went to court without a lawyer and was told by Judge Dillon that it didn’t matter, and that they would continue. Once again and again I asked continuously for a lawyer. I hired an attorney by the name of Charlie Wood.

When I met with Charlie Wood for Court on June 8, 2004 he was scared and warned me and informed me that my ex husband’s family had called a political consort to call him and threaten him that if "he tried to move my case to the Bronx he would have trouble in Yonkers politics.

Doug is a good old boy from Yonkers and don’t try to move the case to the Bronx’.’ Charlie Wood also advised my mother and I that he was positive that a call had been placed to the judge. The judge who signed the ex parte order was Judge Donovan and the Judge who continued the case when I asked over and over for an attorney was Judge Dillon.

Upon my own personal investigation I came to find out that Zehy Jeries is the GOP Chairman of Yonkers and that my ex-husband had indeed been calling Mr. Jeries a month before and that Jereis returned his calls before my big ex parte surprise.

During my custody battle my ex-husband used everything in his power with the Yonkers Police and Fire Dept. to run me into the ground. In fact, I tried to make a report against Yonkers Policemen who were inappropriate to me, chased me, then did not arrest me, but yet told my ex I was driving under the influence, but yet I was not arrested. I was thrown to the ground and kicked and shoved. I went to the hospital for an injury report.

Interestingly enough, my tape recorder, the one I used to tape exchanges between my ex and myself, was gone. They towed the car and I walked home. I went to Internal Investigations but the corruptness once again failed me. It was turned against me and they made it seem like it was my fault and that I was drunk. I still have yet to see the DUI even though I was pulled over and fined for a traffic infraction. During my civil trial my ex-husband had a Temporary Order of Protection against me and of course he used it to his benefit by once again using his family as leverage.

He was able to get this TOP from Westchester Courts by making false police reports about me in the Bronx. I would tell the Bronx squad that I didn’t do the things he said but somehow he convinced them. I guess since he is a firefighter he is a pretty slick guy. You can melt butter in his mouth. In one report I wasn’t even at the house and he made stuff up and made another report. He had me arrested four times for contempt in which he ended up dropping all in the end but not before I realized that the Chief Judge in Yonkers, Mr. Doran, is his Dad’s best friend.

So, he held onto this case for an entire year so my ex could have the leverage. Another incident was in November of 2004 when I supposedly broke my order. My ex did not make a report on that exact day but two days later. When the Sergeant of that precinct told him he would not do what he wished because it did not seem like an emergency, my ex had his Yonkers undercover detective brother, John "Sean" Donaghy and his brother-in-law Gary Whisker who is also employed by the Yonkers PD call and threaten him to make Sgt. Halpin at the 2nd Precinct in Yonkers write this false report.

I can go on and on but the fact is that now, once again, I am facing Family Court again and once again I am facing corruption for the fact that Family Court Judge Klein is also a friend of my ex husband’s dad. The bottom Line is that Zehy Jereis went to bat for Douglas Donaghy and my three-year-old son is suffering because of this corrupt political system. Because of Jereis I could never stand a chance of getting my son when there is nothing wrong with me as a mother. I plan to take this to Federal Court, if possible. All this being said I am dealing with a corrupt Yonkers government and a family who is associated with it. I am scared for my life. I live by myself and my entire family lives in Texas.

Every day I live in fear that something fateful will happen to me. My family lives in this fear as well as my friends. Doug Donaghy was a correction officer at Rikers Island and he mentioned to me that he had befriended an intmate and accommodated this said inmate for an exchange of favors and that there would be no limits once he was out. Doug Donaghy mentioned to me that this inmate "could take care of anyone if I ever had a problem with him or her." After Family Court on Aug. 4th, Doug had me arrested once again. This time he was using his current girlfriend to have a TOP against me alleging that I called and threatened her, which will be proven to be false.

I had two strange men pull up to my house and bang on my door and, I am guessing, call my cell phone. The first day was Sunday Aug. 13th, 2006 at about 6:10pm. After they banged on my door they called my cell phone. I did not answer and they waited outside my home for ten minutes before driving away. They called my cell phone again on Aug. 16th at 3:33pm. I had a friend answer to advise them that this wasn’t my phone.

I am assuming that they were at my house but I was not there. On Aug 17th at 10 am these two men once again were banging on my door but did not call my cell phone this time. If they were cops coming after me for another situation regarding my ex, I would think that they would identify themselves on a voicemail or something to that effect. Not knowing who is at my door or calling my cell phone has put me very on edge.

I cannot sleep at night and it is impairing my everyday living. The stress from his family’s political connections has altered my life and has taken away my son. I do not know when it may be my last day nor do I know who will be waiting for me when I leave my home or arrive. This man, Douglas Donaghy, has three guns that were registered to him when he was a CO at Rikers and at Yonkers City Jail. He claims he doesn’t have them but I know that his brother was holding on to them for a while. I urge this agency (FBI) to please help me in whatever way possible.

I cannot live my life fighting the corrupt court system in Yonkers nor my chances of having my son back so I know that he will not grow up in this system and end up like the rest of the Donaghys. I am Latina and Doug has made it a point to put my maiden name on reports even though I do not use that name nor is it on my New York driver’s license. It is clearly a racial issue as well as one of corruption.

Celinda Donaghy

Editor’s Note: Ordinarily we encourage readers to limit their responses to approximately 300 words. However, we decided to make an exception in the case of Ms. Donaghy’s letter because of the urgency and relevance of her circumstances, not too unlike numerous other situations reported in these pages