For A Struggling Mother: New Mexico Land of Entrapment A Commentary by Jena Matise

When I think back on all the times I have been in a courtroom setting or involved in any legal matters in these Southern New Mexico courts, specifically The Twelfth Judicial courts, I think back to the 90’s when I first arrived here to this beautiful Land of Enchantment or as to what some would call, the Land of Entrapment

Soon after my arrival to Alamogordo I was given a warning from my then step-father.

His warning was that our local law enforcement and courts and CYFD are corrupt systems. I never paid any heed to his warnings. This sounded too much like a conspiracy theory. In my young, uninformed mind, I couldn’t wrap myself around the thought that law enforcement could be corrupt. It has always been known to me that law enforcement was there to serve and protect. As a parent, while raising my own children, I have personally witnessed the corruption and lies and abuse of power in the local police departments and the Twelfth Judicial courts, I never imagined in a million years that I would end up married and ultimately divorced in this same corrupt system. Divorce is always a horrific ordeal, especially when young children are involved. I knew right when the mental and emotional abuse started, that I would end up fighting against the corruption in these courts. Well, I am now divorced after representing myself in the proceedings.

FYI, I don’t recommend self-representation unless you have no other options. A Judge and a local attorney would claim that I represented myself successfully.

In this particular case, there was no success. My mother lied under oath, now weather that be maliciously or under some kind of ignorance of her own, the fact remains just that, a lie

My sister also falsely diagnosed me with a mental health decline while also ignoring my actual therapy and councilor’s statements, and medical diagnoses as if she knew better then those with actual mental health and medical degrees. It makes me wonder how a person who lives states away and has not laid eyes on me physically since July 2023 could make such a determination with out any fact in her narrative while also under oath.

The Judge ultimately awarded my abuser and the petitioner, sole interim custody of our minor child, and even went as far as stipulating that I have no physical contact with our daughter, only telephonic or video and to be supervised and monitored by those that enabled the mental and emotional abuse, until I complete a court ordered 11-706 evaluation with an expert to be paid by me. Over the past year I have completed numerous mental health evaluations and monthly medical evaluations that my insurance has covered

For what ever reason this particular expert does not take insurance, so now, I find myself in a situation where I have been court ordered to do a psychological assessment and parental evaluation. I have had my first appointment with the 11-706 evaluator, and I am so very determined to work with this court appointed expert. But where do I go from here

As I wait for the findings of our initial appointment, I still remain unable to see my daughter, I guess now is the time I request an emergency hearing, as I still am representing myself.

Now is the time that I continue to prove the abuse, as it turns out my evaluator is also a Criminal/Civil Forensic Expert, not sure what that means in the span of things, but I am starting to feel more positive that the real truth will be exposed.

Up until last year I was a stay at home mom and care taker for my elderly grandmother, until her death.

Since the unraveling of my personal life, and after so much loss, I am now back in the work field as well as still handling my household management, also still representing myself in the next steps of my divorce and custody; Mediation! I have faith that again the truth will finally be heard. The opposing attorney would make false claims in the court order that I have been investigated 3 times by CYFD, yet I was the one who reported my ex husband for Child abuse, neglect and medical negligence, and still his attorney would flip that and claim I was the one reported. The petitioner’s attorney would indicate that I only focused my energy into working on getting closure on my older son’s death.

That I would fail to parent our young daughter, yet no one ever bothered to check into all that I have actually done to both parent and protect her, not only from witnessing and hearing the abuse at home, I also was very busy in being instrumental in helping to create a safety plan that would protect all the students from a behavioral health crisis in our daughter’s school. I went to extraordinary lengths to not only protect mydaughter from the exposure of traumatic events this behavioral health crisis was causing, 

I also was in contact with other parents and representing other families in the school who would also be affected by this Behavioral health crisis. After numerous incidents of verbal and physical attacks in the school, and my young daughter being punched for simply delivering morning roll call, I addressed my concerns

numerous times with the petitioner and father of my children, who would then go on to claim I’m making a big deal out of nothing. In my frustrations I eventually approached the former principal and 2 members of the school board, and then went on to be invited to an executive school board meeting where I read “A Summary of Trauma”, a brief paper I wrote on the effects of repeated exposure to traumatic events and how these events could lead to later mental health issues in our young children. In the past public speaking has never been my forte, in fact I was always very scared to put myself out there, and expose my most inner, personal fears and traumatic experiences.

Through writing “A Summary of Trauma”, I was able to overcome some of those fears, if only to be able to convey the seriousness of this ongoing crisis to those in authority and in bringing awareness to the importance of being mindful of repeated exposure to traumatic events in our young children and the implications that this exposure can carry long term. The summer is now here, and our students are on a much needed break. I did verify periodically till the end of the year, that the safety plans the previous principle and I put in place, is still being implemented. I do hope for our children and educators, that it will remain for years to come.

July is now here and my follow up with the expert is right around the corner. I am so very relieved to get the first steps done and look forward to reading his finding

- Till Next Time Jena Matise

Note: Jena Matise is a community activist and mother, guest contributor and citizen journalist.