Bill Holburn none too happy with my recent coverage

I am at the center of another motion in California

A bloodied Bill Holburn speaking with a Costa Mesa Sheriff’s Officer after a confrontation during a custody exchange

I just can’t stop winding up being mentioned in courts, particularly in California. Previously, Mikale Bendian- in a case from San Francisco County- became obsessed with me.

In August, I published an article about Julie Holburn, who worried that because police were willfully ignoring her ex-husband’s, Bill Holburn, ongoing abuse she may end up like Gaby Petito.

The article paints Bill as a violent and out of control physical abuser.

Every time her kids are in his care, she fears for their lives. She has good reason since her ex-husband has a long history of abuse.

One doctor’s report stated as follows, “{Their son} stated that his father recently was talking to him about ‘religion’ and {their son} did not want to hear it so he covered his ears and made sounds so as to not hear dad. Dad became angry and told him to raise his head and listen. According to {their son} his dad then grabbed his left ear and hit him on the head (demonstrating an open hand slap on his head). {Their son} also said his grandmother was there and saw it and that his grandmother is ‘afraid’ of his dad.”

A letter written by a therapist in June 2021, stated in part, “This letter is being written on behalf of {their daughter} Holburn with her and her mother’s knowledge and with their permission. I am the family therapist and see her alone and with her brother. She has indicated to me that she does not like visiting with her dad because he is mean to her brother and hit their mom when they were running away from him.”

Despite this- or maybe because of it- Bill’s counsel, David Monarch, filed a motion asking for emergency custody, citing the article as one reason.

While Bill Holburn argues that reports I cite were allegedly confidential, he doesn’t note that what is cited in those reports, shows him to be physically abusive. Here is part of one report I cited.

11yo girl… Has white discoloration without fall, noted about 1 month ago. No eye pain or joint pain. No vomiting, abdominal pain. Fully vaccinated. being grabbed forcefully by father over the forearms 'out of anger', last was March 2021. He used 'a lot of mean words' and has threatened to give 'us cigars so it stops our growth. Children back with mother as of today.

Mother reports father has pulled her hair and punched {their daughter} in the mouth causing a loose tooth which was reported to Costa Mesa PD on3/13/21

Along with citing my article, the motion also claims that Julie took her children to doctors unnecessarily.

a. August 31, 2022: Respondent took {their son} out of school at 1:00 p.m. to

see a “new” dentist. Respondent and her counsel have failed to provide any

information on this provider or visit.

b. September 7, 2022: Respondent took both children out of school to see a

doctor on my custody day. Neither Respondent or her counsel provided any

information about this visit.

c. September 9, 2022: Respondent took both children out of school at 10:00

a.m. on my custody day and kept them for 8 hours, not returning them until 6:20

p.m. She claimed she was “following orders of the court, pediatrician and social

worker.” There are no orders that I am aware of allowing Respondent to take

our children to any appointment (or on my custodial time) without the consent

and approval of Minor’s Counsel. I was extremely fearful that Respondent

would not return the children as she has withheld them from me for months in

the past. Respondent finally returned them to me at 6:20 p.m. that night after

significant efforts were made to retrieve the children for my custodial time, as

set forth in further detail below.

I reached out to Monarch at his law firm but received no response. As I described in the previous article, this custody case has an unusual arrangement with the court ordering the minor’s counsel (akin to a guardian ad litem) to have sole custody, while the parents share physical custody.

The minor’s counsel is Tracy Willis and I reached out to her by email but also received no response.

I previously interviewed Julie on the podcast, and she described how she maintained physical custody throughout until a new judge entered the case: Judge Sandy Leal.

Judge Sandy Leal

With Judge Leal on the case, Willis was given sole custody, Julie was deemed a parent alienator, and Bill has been emboldened. Bill used to be the non-custodial parent, now they share custody time equally.

That may be why his attorney thought an article which paints his client as a physical abuser along with trips to a doctor were reason enough to ask for emergency custody.

Here is more from the motion.

Sole legal and physical custody to Petitioner and suspend Respondent’s

parenting time, pending further of the court to prevent further mental detriment

to the children.

b. The minor child, {their son} to attend counseling with Jessica St. Clair MS,

MFT.

c. Amended specifications for 730 evaluation, including orders for limited

document review for Dr. Peterson and enforcement of order for Respondent to

pay her one-half of fees to Dr. Peterson, including Dr. Peterson’s request for a

replenished retainer in order to complete his evaluation.

d. Termination of Petitioner’s Restraining Order against Respondent initially

issued on February 6, 2018.

Something peculiar happened this time: it might have something to do with me. The judge denied his motion pending a hearing, but she was then removed from the case.

Judge Leal was reassigned by the presiding judge, Julie Palafox: Palafox was involved in her own corruption in Daniel Greenberg’s case.

Julie also wrote to Judge Palafox about this case.

Whatever the reason, when a family law case is still ongoing, as this one is, ten years after it started, the failure lies first and foremost with the court: in this case Orange County.

Post-Script

Check out the previous articles in this series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8. Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25. Part 26, Part 27, and Part 28.

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