My attorneys think Rita’s lawyers, Laura Robbins and then Tonia Torquato, are the people I should blame for setting everything in motion. Laura didn’t represent Rita for very long, but I believe she is the one that talked Rita into using a protective order to get what she wanted. Tonia was going through her own messy divorce at the time (the petitions for a protective order she filed against her estranged husband can be found here**) and had been reprimand by her law firm for having an intimate relationship with one of her clients whose estranged wife had a protective order against him. My attorneys feel she should not have been involved in divorce and custody cases during this time because she could not remain objective and seemed to take her anger out in the courtroom. I think she burned a lot of bridges with other divorce attorneys. I know she did with one of my attorneys as she frequently reneged on verbal agreements they had made. In my opinion, she was doing her job, maybe with a bit too much zeal, but she got Rita what she wanted.
I blame Pennsylvania’s legal system the most, particularly its system for trying to prevent domestic abuse/violence. That being said, the men who have abused and continue to abuse their families are the fundamental problem. The system we have is a direct result of these terrible people.