Help..Advice...

[divorcebound]

What is the name of your state?TN
The story goes......
X and I were meeting in town to dropoff/pickup children. Someone we both have known for a long time pulled up while I was picking up children and was talking with X as I left with children. After me leaving they apparently had words and X was punched. X brought simple assault charges against this person and now he and his current wife are telling our son (8) that they want to video tape him and his dad to reinact how his dad got hit and they told him they are taking him to court with them so he can speak to the judge in chambers and tell the judge what happened. I have it on recording of what son said they are wanting to do and told him they are doing this so they can so this person. I explained to my son that he did not see this happen and if he goes into Judge Chambers and lies for his dad he will be in big trouble. He started to cry and said when it comes time to go to court he don't want to go and if he does go he does not want to say anything. What can I do for my son? I told my son I am here for him and he can talk to me about things and that I would not tell anyone what he tells me. I feel so bad for him and I hate that his father and step mom are putting him in this situation. It is not right. What can I do?

 

[casa]

What is the name of your state?TN
The story goes......
X and I were meeting in town to dropoff/pickup children. Someone we both have known for a long time pulled up while I was picking up children and was talking with X as I left with children. After me leaving they apparently had words and X was punched. X brought simple assault charges against this person and now he and his current wife are telling our son (8) that they want to video tape him and his dad to reinact how his dad got hit and they told him they are taking him to court with them so he can speak to the judge in chambers and tell the judge what happened. I have it on recording of what son said they are wanting to do and told him they are doing this so they can so this person. I explained to my son that he did not see this happen and if he goes into Judge Chambers and lies for his dad he will be in big trouble. He started to cry and said when it comes time to go to court he don't want to go and if he does go he does not want to say anything. What can I do for my son? I told my son I am here for him and he can talk to me about things and that I would not tell anyone what he tells me. I feel so bad for him and I hate that his father and step mom are putting him in this situation. It is not right. What can I do?

You can just reinforce (like in any situation) that if the judge asks him questions- He is to answer honestly. Aside from that, there isn't much you can do. I'm not so sure a judge would question a child about this, or that the child would even be at the hearing.

What I would not do, is tell your son his father will be "in big trouble"- that will only confuse him and make him frightened for his father, possibly encouraging him to lie to protect him. He probably won't be in "big trouble" anyway, just possibly may lose his case, or have the son's testimony- if any- thrown out, or admonished for involving his son.

The stepmother is a witness- I don't think they'll need a child witness also, unless the father is saying it's done some kind of damage to the son by witnessing it (which he didn't even do)

You will probably get better answers to this on the other forums on this site- It isn't a custody question. Sounds like a civil suit question.