NOTE: This is a version of a piece first published on Frank Report.
Sara Young, a California mother, lost the chance to say goodbye to her three young children last week after Ventura County Superior Court Judge JoAnn Johnson coldly denied her request for a final farewell. Young’s children, Alessandra, Luca, and Romeo, U.S. citizens, were handed over to her estranged husband, Daniel Bichanich, despite his failure to comply with court orders and unresolved abuse allegations.
Bichanich is now using his financial resources and legal maneuvering to take the children to Italy and Jordan, where Young will have little recourse to see them.
“The court ordered my children be turned over to my ex today, even though he didn’t comply with any of the court’s orders,” Young said.
Bichanich, who has greater financial resources and powerful legal representation, manipulates the legal system using the Hague Convention. Young, who represents herself, has been devastated by the decision.
Judge Johnson allowed Bichanich to take the children and waived his obligations to pay $5,000 in unpaid child support, purchase a plane ticket for Young to accompany the children to Italy, and provide itineraries for the children’s travel. After Young’s request for a stay pending appeal was denied, Judge Johnson ordered her to remain in the courtroom while Bichanich collected the children from a separate waiting room.
"She also denied my request to say goodbye to my children," Young said, describing the judge’s actions as callous. "She ordered me to sit in the courtroom while my husband collected the children and left the courthouse."
Bichanich then took the children to Italy. The likely next destination is Jordan, where Young fears she will have no access to them. Jordan is not a member of the Hague Convention, which further limits Young's legal options.
Bichanich has already secured full custody of the children through Italian courts by filing for divorce there without Young's knowledge. Because Young was unaware of the proceedings, the Italian courts labeled the case "uncontested," granting Bichanich sole custody and allowing him to take the children abroad.
Bichanich’s legal tactics have made it nearly impossible for Young to maintain any relationship with her children. On September 3, he departed the U.S. with the children, and Young quickly followed to Italy to protect them.
"He has manipulated the Italian courts to grant him full custody, deny me access to the family home, and only let me see the kids via Skype," Young said.
Bichanich’s February 2022 custody order, which was fraudulently obtained while the family resided in Jordan, has left Young homeless and without access to marital assets.
“He managed to push through those orders and strip me of all custody and access to the house,” Young stated. “I have no access to any marital assets, so I’m homeless and can’t see my young children through his fraudulent litigation.”
Bichanich’s use of the Hague Convention—a treaty intended to prevent international child abduction—has raised concerns about how abusers can weaponize the legal system to harm protective parents. Critics argue that the Convention, originally designed to reunite families, is frequently misused in custody battles to the detriment of children and their protective caregivers.
As Young arrived in Italy on September 6, Bichanich continued his games, sending a chilling message that warned her not to come to the family home or attempt to see the children.
"Do NOT come to the house or try to take the children. If you come to the house, I will call the police immediately," Bichanich wrote in an email, threatening legal action against Young.
Bichanich added that he would leave some of Young’s personal items outside the house and that she could speak to the children daily on Skype, but under his strict conditions.
“If we are going to be out of the house, I will message you when they should be free,” he wrote, dictating the terms of her interaction with their children.
Young has received no court orders regarding her supposed access to the children, leaving her unsure whether Bichanich is bluffing about his legal authority.
"I’m going to the house to be with my kids," Young said. “Cops will be called. I’ll keep you posted.”
This outlet has not received any further updates.
Young’s case highlights the devastating impact of unequal financial resources and the abuse of international legal systems. Bichanich, with the help of his American and Italian lawyers, has maneuvered the legal system in multiple countries to his advantage, leaving Young with little recourse and few options. While he enjoys the benefits of his financial status and legal representation, Young fights an uphill battle to protect her children from being permanently removed from her life.
Ventura County Judge Johnson’s ruling left Young to fend for herself in a foreign country, fighting against a system stacked against her. The situation has sparked outrage among those following her case, as many see it as a clear example of how abusers can manipulate the Hague Convention to their advantage.
As the legal battle continues, Sara Young remains determined to reunite with her children and expose the corruption that has led to their separation.
For now, though, her fight continues, and her children remain out of reach, victims of a legal system that seems more focused on procedural technicalities than on their well-being.
Seeking Information on Family Court Rogues
This outlet continually seeks information about Family Court Rogues. If you can provide details about crooked judges, lawyers, and family court personnel, please send the information to richard.luthmann@protonmail.com.
Here are some of the rogues we are currently investigating (the list is not exhaustive):
Judge JoAnn Johnson (Ventura County, California)
Judge Jane K. Grossman (New Haven, Connecticut)
Judge Erika M. Tindill (New Haven, Connecticut)
Judge Thomas J. O'Neill (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Judge William S. Boyd (Cook County, Illinois)
Judge Renee G. Goldfarb (Cook County, Illinois)
Judge Jane Gallina-Mecca (Bergen County, New Jersey)
Justice Lorna J. McAllister (Brooklyn, New York)
Justice Tandra L. Dawson (New York, New York)
Justice Kathleen Waterman-Marshall (New York, New York)
Justice Sherri L. Eisenpress (Rockland County, New York)
Justice Ronald Castorina, Jr. (Staten Island, New York)
Attorney Peter A. Lauzon (Los Angeles, California)
Attorney Gretchen Z. Boger (San Jose, California)
Attorney Marianne J. Charles (Cos Cob, Connecticut)
Attorney Edward Nusbaum (Westport, Connecticut)
Attorney Alexander J. Cuda (Westport, Connecticut)
Attorney Jocelyn B. Hurwitz (Westport, Connecticut)
Attorney Reuben A. Doupé (Naples, Florida)
Attorney John M. D'Arco (Chicago, Illinois)
Attorney James M. Quigley (Bannockburn, Illinois)
Attorney Daniel B. Nottes (New York, New York)
Attorney John Z. Marangos (Staten Island, New York)
Attorney Gary C. Angiuli (Staten Island, New York)
Attorney Evelyn Nissirios (Montvale, New Jersey)
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