3-1/2 Years of Living Hell

By Woody Jenkins, Editor Central City News

Three and a half years ago, the life of mother of twins Katherine Diamond turned to hell, and the torment has continued ever since. She has faced the East Baton Rouge Family Court system, which has all but destroyed her family, her home, her job, and her life.  

Ms. Diamond has never been arrested or charged with a crime. It would have been much better if she had, because then the allegations against her would have been held to a higher standard. After our two-year investigation, the Central City News has found the following:

1. Based on a false allegation of child abuse, Family Court Judge Pam Baker determined that Katherine Diamond abused her daughter. The only evidence of child abuse was a 20-second video that clearly showed there was no child abuse. (See link on Page 4)

2. Judge Baker failed to report the alleged abuse to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, and the allegation was never investigated at all. No investigator was assigned to the case, and no one, including the children, was ever questioned.

3. As a result of the false allegation of child abuse, Judge Baker and then Judge Erica Green refused to allow Ms. Diamond to see her children at all for two years.  They did this even though Ms. Diamond was in no sense a danger to her children. 

4. After Judge Jimmy Kuhn was assigned to the case, Ms. Diamond was allowed to see her children for a total of 14-1/4 hours over a six-month period.  

5. In the six months since May of this year, another judge, Judge Lilynn Cutrer has not allowed Ms. Diamond to see her children at all.

6. Judges Baker and Green ordered Ms. Diamond to pay her husband’s attorney fees, totalling  $72,086. Because she was unable to pay, Katherine Diamond was sentenced to 120 days in Parish Prison.  She has had to periodically report to Parish Prison whenever a judge orders her to do so.

7. Also because she was unable to pay her husband’s attorney fees, Ms. Diamond was sentenced to “community service” picking up garbage and trash on the levee and at the parish dump along with drug dealers and petty criminals.

8. As a result of years of harass-ment, Ms. Diamond’s savings have been depleted, she has lost her job, and her ex-husband is trying to take her interdicted mother’s home where Ms. Diamond is living and her belongings.

Despite these hardships, Kathe-rine Diamond is still not allowed to see her children. On Nov. 14, Judge Cutrer will hold a hearing which appears designed to take away her parental rights entirely. That hearing is at 9 a.m. on the 4th Floor of the 19th JDC courthouse.