THE NEW JERSEY DEVIL IN THE COURTROOM?
Former DCPP Employee and Professional Court-Ordered Babysitter Diane Womer Blames Journalist Richard Luthmann for Exposing Morris County Family Court Corruption
NOTE: This piece first appeared on TheFamilyCourtCircus.com.
By Rick LaRivière with Richard Luthmann
‘HE’S THE DEVIL’
In a stunning outburst on the witness stand in a Sussex County, New Jersey Family Court on May 8 before Judge James Farber, Diane Womer—the director of Family Matters of Morris County—labeled journalist Richard Luthmann “the devil.”
Womer wasn’t responding to cross-examination about child abuse or visitation violations. She was blaming Luthmann for her troubles.
“His hit piece articles are destroying my work,” Womer said, her voice rising as she testified. “He’s wrecked multiple of my clients’ cases in Morris County.”
Womer didn’t mention which articles—or which cases—Luthmann had allegedly sabotaged. But the meaning was clear: a journalist shining light on New Jersey’s corrupt family court system had become a threat to her business.
Luthmann, a former attorney and now investigative journalist, exposes family court corruption through hard-hitting investigative reports published on Substack and TheFamilyCourtCircus.com, a platform dedicated to unmasking judicial misconduct, financial exploitation, and systemic abuse in custody cases.
He also co-hosts The Unknown Podcast with veteran journalist Michael Volpe, where the pair dive deep into underreported stories, featuring whistleblowers, victims, and legal experts to uncover how courts, therapists, and appointees profit from tearing families apart. Their reporting has become a rallying point for reform advocates nationwide.
Luthmann published multiple exposés alleging favoritism, cover-ups, and court-appointed profiteering acros the country, and in New Jersey’s broken family court system. And Womer, whose company profits from supervising court-mandated parent-child visits, is feeling the heat.
THE NEW JERSEY DEVIL: BABYSITTER TO THE COURT—AND THE JUDGES
Womer runs Family Matters of Morris County, a private company that charges parents—many desperate to see their children—for supervised visits ordered by family court judges.
On paper, she provides a “safe, nurturing environment” for children caught in custody battles.
But critics say Womer isn’t a neutral third party. Her operation thrives on conflict, not resolution.
“She’s not a harmless babysitter—she’s an evil gatekeeper,” said a parent whose case was derailed after a court ordered him to use Womer’s services. “If you don’t play along, you don’t see your kid. And if she doesn’t like you, she’ll tell the judge you’re dangerous.”
Court insiders say Womer is more than just a provider of visitation supervision.
She regularly hosts social events for local judges, handing out business cards and cultivating relationships with key players like Judge Peter Bogaard, who’s been criticized for using court orders to enrich a favored network of professionals.
A GRAVY TRAIN PROTECTED BY COURT ORDER
Womer’s business is booming thanks to court mandates. In high-conflict custody cases involving accusations of abuse, addiction, or mental illness, judges often order “supervised visitation.” That means a parent can’t see their child unless someone like Womer is present.
According to her own promotional materials, Womer is credentialed in everything from supervised visitation to “parent coordination,” “adolescent advocacy,” and “guardian ad litem” work.
But it’s her political connections—not her credentials—that critics say keep her in business.
“She wines and dines the judges,” said a former family court litigant. “Then they send her clients—parents who are forced to pay for her services or risk losing all contact with their kids.”
Parents often describe the process as humiliating and coercive. “You have to meet with her before you even see your kid,” said another parent. “She decides if you’re fit to sit in a room with your own child.”
Family Matters’ intake process includes a lengthy in-person evaluation by Womer herself, with no transparency or recourse.
THE NEW JERSEY DEVIL: WHO’S REALLY THE PROBLEM?
Womer may call Luthmann “the devil,” but families say his reporting has done more to expose injustice than the courts themselves.
Through his coverage, Luthmann has highlighted how supervised visitation centers like Womer’s operate in the shadows of family court, unchecked by oversight.
He’s revealed how judges like Peter Bogaard channel business to preferred vendors, creating a corrupt ecosystem where financial incentives often override children’s best interests.
“She’s afraid because people are finally watching,” Luthmann said in response to Womer’s courtroom rant. “For too long, people like her have profited from broken families and secret courts. That ends now.”
David Weigel, founder of the Family Court Fraud Warrior Project, defended Luthmann’s reporting.
“Richard Luthmann is shining a spotlight where corrupt actors want darkness,” Weigel said. “He’s giving victims of family court a voice they’ve never had. That scares the hell out of these people.”
Weigel recently organized a Morris County protest, and helped to free Family Court Hostage Monica Ciardi.
Jill Jones Soderman, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Child Victims of the Family Courts, agreed.
“Luthmann’s work is essential to dismantling the machinery of judicial abuse,” Soderman said. “His reports cut through the lies and expose the real harm being done to children and families by unethical appointees and compromised judges. That’s not the devil—that’s journalism doing its job.”
The FCVFC advocates for abused children and protective parents, providing educational, care coordination, and investigative support to expose and combat systemic family court corruption.
THE NEW JERSEY DEVIL: THE SYSTEM STRIKES BACK
Womer’s tirade may not just be personal—it may be strategic. Her attack on Luthmann comes as public criticism of New Jersey’s family court system grows.
Multiple lawsuits and legislative efforts are underway to investigate judicial misconduct, forced reunification therapy, and alleged collusion between judges and court-appointed professionals.
Womer’s company, built on referrals from these very judges, stands to lose if reform comes.
Calling a critic “the devil” might seem dramatic, but in family court, drama pays.
Luthmann, undeterred, says the attacks won’t stop his reporting.
“If they’re calling me names, I must be right over the target,” he said. “If Womer wants to find the New Jersey Devil, maybe she should look in the mirror.”
Well, if they would do the right thing, then reporters would have nothing to expose. When they are corrupt, they should be exposed. That’s their problem.
What do these court actors expect us to do when they kidnap our children?? They are disguising their legal abuse as a custody battle!!! It’s insane!!