{Note, the podcast is a short interview with Karl Weiskopf, father of Karlton Weiskopf. Karl explained their names are different, and thus, they aren’t junior and senior.}
On March 17, 2025, Karlton Weiskopf, a former Marine, had his life turned upside down.
He had a child custody hearing, and he was representing himself.
The case was presided over by Judge Mary Kreber Varipapa, the nepo baby who has a habit of closing courtrooms.
The excitement was building, as I was one of several observers, along with the lawyers and parents, participating.
Quickly, there was a letdown.
Judge Varipapa paid lip service to open courtrooms, before announcing that whatever was about to happen was guided by privacy and HIPAA, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act.
HIPAA, among other things, forbids doctors from sharing medical information with anyone besides the patient and anyone else who is authorized.
In the case above- Evan Grant Vs Kara Grant- Varipapa gave temporary custody to the paternal grandparents.
On this March day, Judge Varipapa also closed the courtroom. All that remains is the minute order, which I received from the Orange County Clerk of Courts online system (at a cost of $7.50)
The parties were there to respond to a custody evaluation- referred to as a 730 evaluation in California- done by Dr. Sue Tonkins.
Dr. Tonkins- who didn’t respond to an email for comment- was one of five authors of a webinar presented to members of the California Bar, which I referred to as a racketeering manual.
The whole thing becomes even more nefarious when you consider what the report means by “options”. By options, the report lists a bunch of court appointees.
The options in this report are: minor’s counsel, co-parent therapist, reunification therapist, special master, and custody evaluator.
One theme is the need for a court appointee for parents who can’t communicate with each other.
Dr. Tonkins was also cited by an Orange County Judge, Julie Palafox, for making orders, something court appointees aren’t supposed to do.
In this same hearing, Judge Palafox also chastised Dr. Tonkins for micromanaging the child custody case.
“Because what the Special Master {Dr. Tonkins} was having them do was email her and then talking to the other side,” a lawyer noted.
“You know, I’ve got to tell you what, the Special Master was- had a good employment gig going,” Judge Palafox noted; Judge Palafox got into her own trouble. She was head of the family law division in Orange County but has since been moved to probate.
In Karlton’s case, Dr. Tonkins evaluation was deleterious, but that’s all I know, because Judge Varipapa sealed the evaluation as well.
Karlton and his ex-wife, Melissa Weiskopf, initially settled their child custody case in 2023.
Karlton only got approximately 20% of the child custody time, however, neither party was found in that agreement to be abusive or neglectful.
Their children, twins, were born in 2016.
Karl told me that months after the initial settlement was reached his grandchildren asked to spend more time with their father.
Karlton broached the subject with his ex-wife, who, rather than agreeing, filed a request for order, the equivalent of motion to modify custody.
The children asked to spend more time with their father, and Melissa responded by asking to cut his time.
That request for order started the process which led to Dr. Tonkins being appointed as the evaluator.
Dr. Tonkins was appointed in January 2024. The report didn’t get completed until March 2025; in the interim, neither party accused the other of abuse or neglect of the children.
Melissa is represented by Michael Monarch, of Castle and Monarch; he is the brother of notorious divorce attorney, David Monarch. David Monarch once cried to a judge after I wrote mean things about his physically abusive client, William Holburn.
Michael Monarch took a page from his brother’s playbook and tried similar heavy-handed tactics.
Dr. Tonkins's evaluation was filed on March 14, 2025, and he got a hearing three days later.
Based on Dr. Tonkins sealed report, he asked for a draconian modification of custody.
On the online clerk of courts system, the events of March 17, 2025, are listed as a hearing.
Karlton told me there was some confusion; he thought it would be a status conference, where no major decisions are made.
The hearing was perfunctory. According to the minute order, Monarch spoke, Karlton responded; the parties discussed the matter some more before Judge Varipapa issued her decision.
Karlton asked for a continuance to hire a lawyer; Judge Varipapa granted it, while changing custody temporarily. She granted Melissa temporary sole custody.
Changing custody like this violates Karlton’s due process rights. No witnesses were called. The report in question is sealed, and according to the minute order, Karlton said he had not been able to properly review it.
Courts are given leeway to change custody in violation of a parent’s due process rights, temporarily, but only in extreme situations.
Accusations that a parent threw scalding hot water at the children, drove drunk, was starving them, or other allegations of extreme acts of abuse or neglect would qualify.
Conclusions in a report would not.
In a subsequent hearing, Monarch let slip that Dr. Tonkins may have sent a letter to the judge which may also have prejudiced Judge Varipapa.
The letter was not shared with Karlton or his counsel, who he’d hired by then.
His current counsel, Raja Gill, has argued that Dr. Tonkins’s evaluation is so restricted that he can’t prepare a proper defense.
Mr. Gill did not respond to an email for comment.
Karlton goes back in front of Judge Varipapa next week for a child custody hearing to determine permanent custody.
