On May 20, 2024, Alec and Lydia Mater were murdered by their father, Brock Mater, who then killed himself.
Alec and Lydia’s mother, Hope Hooten, turned her grief into purpose.
This wasn’t only a senseless killing. This happened because Arizona Judge Michael Valenzuela ignored Hope’s pleas.
“He {Brock Mater} had major mental health issues. He admitted to that,” Arizona Republican State Representative Rachel Keshel told us. “He was I believe bi-polar, potentially schizophrenic. He was hearing voices. He was worried he was going to hurt the children.”
Despite hearing this evidence, Judge Valenzuela granted 50/50 custody and allowed overnight visits.
During one of those overnight visits, Brock killed his kids and himself.
Hope turned tragedy into purpose and lobbied for a family court reform bill named in her kids’ honor.
Among the legislators she met with was Representative Keshel.
Representative Keshel approached State Representative Lisa Fink- both were members of the ad hoc joint committee on family court orders- who then sponsored HB 2995.
HB 2995 was named the Alec and Lydia Act.
The bill passed with bi-partisan support and signed into law by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, however, Representative Keshel told us it was a long and arduous process to get it into law. She explained further below.
The Alec and Lydia Act is similar to another bill Rich and I covered, Colorado’s HB 26-1309. Below are the two bill’s language on coercive control.
Both bills define domestic violence, and both bills state that if there’s a finding of domestic violence then there is a “rebuttable presumption” that it’s not in the child’s best interest to spend time with the abusing parent. That portion of both bills is below.
As with the Colorado law, my main objection was regarding coercive control- a concept I find vague and nebulous.
Discerning if someone was deliberately isolated, financially controlled, and other forms of coercive control is often subjective.
If one party moves to another state to start a relationship, they are by nature isolated. Does that mean this was deliberate?
Both Rich and I challenged Rachel on this. She pushed back, arguing that a “pattern” must be established, but that coercive control is abuse and must be considered. The discussion is below.
