Note: the audio of this exchange is in the podcast.
The audio recording from an exchange on July 10,2026, in which two kids refused to go with their abusive dad leaves no doubt that a California judge is violating Piqui’s Law.
For several weeks, I have covered the custody case between Courtney Clifford and Bryan Mineo involving their two children, ages five and six.
For approximately two months the presiding judge, San Diego County Judge Renee Stackhouse, has threatened to do the unthinkable.
She wants to forcefully change custody and have the two kids live with Bryan’s parents- Greg and Dru Mineo.
The kids currently live in Arizona, Greg and Dru live in Maine, while Bryan lives in California.
Bryan has previously broken his daughter’s leg and made her eat dirt.
During this exchange, his daughter continued to make spontaneous disclosures.
“You hurt my body,” she said repeatedly. “He makes me eat dirt.”
The children were inconsolable throughout, begging to leave and be with their mom.
Clifford wasn’t at the exchange, but her uncle was.
Each of the two parents sent a supervisor to oversee- Tanya Salazar for mom and Karen Hukill for dad.
Hukill, who runs Parental Dynamics, is a member of the notorious pro-abuser trade group the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).
Bryan, Dru, Greg, and Tanya did not provide statements for this article. '
Hukill hung up when I reached her at her office.
Bryan’s attorney is Catie Young, and she didn’t return an email for comment.
Art LaCilento is Courtney’s attorney, and he didn’t return an email; instead, he ordered Courtney to ask me not to come to an upcoming hearing. Below is part of my response.
I definitely didn't reach out to your attorney to ask for permission to attend your hearing. I don't need permission, certainly not from your attorney, to attend your hearing. All hearings are open to the public. That said, given that I live in Chicago, I'm not attending your hearing. Anyone suggesting I asked for permission is not providing accurate information.
There’s an upcoming hearing in this case on August 31, 2026, in courtroom N18. It’s available virtually.
Part of Piqui’s Law forbids the following, “The use of threats of physical force, undue coercion, verbal abuse, isolation from the child’s family, community, or other sources of support, or other acutely distressing circumstances.”
The audio makes clear that the kids were under “undue coercion” and going with their dad would be, “acutely distressing circumstances.”
LaCilento has inexplicably refused to cite Piqui’s Law or warn Judge Stackhouse that she is violating it.
Despite the clarity of the recording, the reports from each of the supervisors- Salazar and Hukill- paints pictures of wildly different exchanges. Hukill- who consoled the children in the audio- wrote in her report their stress was due to Salazar.
Ms. Hukill did try to calm the children down by asking about their height, however, they only calmed down when they left.
Bryan did not sit there quietly, as she claimed. For about twenty minutes, he said little however, after hearing his children screaming to go home and begging not to see him, he spent about three and a half minutes telling them he’d see them soon, denying he abused them, and telling them he was looking forward to a video call the next day. That portion of the exchange is below.
Salazar, in her report, said the children’s outburst was real and not the result of coaching.
For months, the judge has blamed Courtney for Bryan’s lack of relationship with his children.
Since June, Judge Stackhouse has threatened extreme action by granting temporary custody to Bryan’s parents, who have agreed to move to California if an order is done.
The audio from this exchange was submitted prior to a hearing in this case on July 20, 2026. Courtney was not at the July 10, 2026, exchange, sending her uncle instead.
Judge Stackhouse and Ms. Young found a way to blame her anyway at this July 20 hearing.
“And if we do nothing today, your Honor, all it is going to do is further this harm to the children and this relationship,” Young said melodramatically.
“There is nothing in the record that substantiates or supports the extreme reactions to father,” Judge Stackhouse stated, ignoring the disclosures in the audio and the report submitted by Ms. Salazar.
Judge Stackhouse cited the lack of progress in the July 20 hearing and nearly switched custody then before being talked out of it by LaCilento.
Judge Stackhouse has a hearing set for August 31, 2026. Judge Stackhouse said she would wait for reports but indicated she would hatch her scheme at this hearing.
