Press release:The mother of two children involved in a guardianship case in the Macon County courts has filed a complaint against the judge handling the case, charging him with misconduct and racial bias.The judge was originally appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court but was re-elected in 2002.
Amy Joan Schneider of Normal, is asking the state's Judicial Inquiry Board to investigate Albert G. Webber IV of the Sixth Judicial Circuit. Schneider has been in court trying to regain possession of her two oldest children, Kaela Elizabeth Sliney-Schneider and Joshua Matthew Sliney-Schneider, both Caucasian.
"I want my children to be returned to their family," Schneider says. "This judge is segregating inside the family. He'll let me have my Black children, but he won't let me see my White children."
According to the document filed 12/29/04 with the Judicial Inquiry Board, "Probate Judge Albert G. Webber IV has established a clear and consistent pattern of bias and discrimination based on race and ethnicity." Schneider's three younger children are African Americans who live with their Mother in Normal. Schneider owns her home and has run her child photography business for the past 13 years. Schneider attends Epiphany Catholic Church in Normal and sends her two Black children to its grade school.
Schneider filed the complaint in part because Webber in June 2004 found that if the mother had contact with her two older children it "would endanger seriously their physical and emotional health," yet made no effort to protect or have Illinois child protection officials investigate the safety of the three younger Black children.
Following Webber's order of June 2004, Schneider submitted a report from a licensed medical doctor of Psychiatry that determined she "was not unfit to parent her children." Nevertheless, she still is not allowed to even have contact with her older children, who are currently with a relative in San Angelo, Texas.
In the inquiry board complaint, Schneider also claims that Judge Webber intentionally falsified the record in court proceedings on August 9, 2004, and September 2, 2004.
"His actions have affected my ability to get a full and fair review," Schneider says. She has had little success in appealing previous decisions against her to higher levels of the Illinois court system.
"My ten and six year old children are the unfortunate victims of this 'Jim Crow' style racial segregation; my fight for my children will continue," Schneider declares.
These are some serious charges being levelled against this judge.
I have been unable to gain additional insight to either the judge or this case. I do find it rather curious that Amy Schneider has formed an organization already...but that in no way reflects upon the judge. Quite simply, we need more information that what we have available to us. For instance, we don't know the particulars of the case Judge Webber presided over...
