Michael Volpe Investigates update: the emancipation gambit
Jeff Reichert explained the latest in his never-ending legal drama.
This was the fourth time I’ve interviewed Jeff Reichert. I sometimes wonder how far someone can be pushed before they break.
Jeff has been jailed multiple times- arrested in front of his son- even though eventually those charges were dropped.
Since I’ve started covering the case in 2024, he’s been threatened with arrest at least twice.
He hasn’t seen his son since 2022, and he’s spoken to him twice on the phone since late 2023.
That blatantly violates a corrupt court order which gave his ex-wife, Sarah Hornbeck, near complete control.
Thus far, Sarah has not been held in contempt of court, instead, judge have scrutinized Jeff’s behavior during most court hearings.
Despite it all, Jeff keeps fighting. In fact, maybe, rather than breaking him, Jeff is in the metaphorical sense channeling Eminem from 8 Mile and, “still standing here screaming fuck the Free World.”
In his latest gambit, Jeff hopes to free his son from the torture he alleges his mom is subjecting him to by filing a petition for emancipation.
Jeff’s son turned fifteen a few months ago, however, in Maryland, there is no clear-cut statute on the subject.
{I erroneously stated the minimum age was fifteen in the interview}
“This means I won’t be a father,” Jeff told me in the broadcast.
It’s not quite that ominous, but if this petition is granted, Jeff’s son will not be under the thumb of the courts which have haphazardly severed the father and son relationship.
The most serious allegation is that Sarah falsely imprisoned her son.
Along with the petition, Jeff filed numerous exhibits which paint a very stark picture of his son’s life under the control of Ms. Hornbeck.
I reached out to Ms. Hornbeck and her attorney, Brennan McCarthy, but neither responded to emails for comment. An affidavit filed by Jeff’s mom recounted a conversation she had with her grandson in which he stated that he didn’t call his dad because his mom said he’s not allowed.
In one email from June 2023, Jeff’s son stated that his mom confiscated his laptop and notably referred to her as “Sarah.”
In another email, Jeff’s son stated that he called the cops and Child Protective Services (CPS) about his mom’s abuse, however, these calls never led to a substantiated finding.
Emancipation is a novel way to try and save kids from especially corrupt child custody cases, but it’s not totally unheard of.
Kent Girard’s two daughters also filed for emancipation.
The problem with the emancipation petition is that Jeff is required to go in front of the same corrupt judges who have made this situation happen.
At the end of the interview, Jeff said the courts have- at least temporarily- made this petition disappear.
It was filed in Baltimore County, where Sarah resides.
Jeff said the case was transferred to Anne Arundel County, where neither party resides. According to the Baltimore County courts website, the file was closed the same day the emancipation petition was filed.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland was where Jeff’s troubles started; this was documented by Wayne Dolcefino in the second YouTube video {Family Injustice: The Alienation Game} in the post.