Amber Frey Commits Paternity Fraud,
Gloria Allred Makes Excuses
During the Scott Peterson murder trial, Amber Frey was called the conscience of the courtroom, an angel who helped bring a despicable murderer to justice. But for Anthony Flores, she's a liar who assassinated his character, emotionally abused him, and damaged his career.
According to the New York Daily News article Man Amber hit for child support told he's not daddy after all (9/20/05):
"More than four years after Frey swore that a 29-year-old Fresno, Calif., man fathered her first child, and she nailed him for child support, a DNA test says it isn't so.
"Hairstylist Anthony Flores is off the hook for [child support]...after a genetic test showed a local nightclub owner is actually the 4-year-old girl's daddy.
"'Amber Frey belongs on one of those Maury Povich Who's my baby's daddy? shows,' Flores' lawyer Glenn Wilson said yesterday. Flores said he feels 'foolish' and 'betrayed.'"
"'She was very convincing when she told me I was the only person who could be the father. ... I want an apology.'"
"Court Commissioner Nancy Staggs ordered the county to stop collecting support from Flores...Frey took Flores to court for support and when he fell behind at times, the state took away his driver's license. Frey also called him 'a deadbeat dad' in interviews.
"Flores, who still calls the child 'my daughter,' fought for visitation with the child. When Frey refused, Wilson says he notified the court he planned to seek a paternity test.
"Anthony is hurt and stunned by this," Wilson says. "He still refers to the child as 'my daughter.' And his mother thought she had a grandchild. They were lied to."
Flores was publicly humiliated, had his driver's license seized, was forced to pay child support, and was also denied a role in the life of "his" daughter by Frey. What will Frey's punishment be for her perjury, emotional abuse, and use of the state against an innocent man? Nothing, of course. As I've said before, in family law punishments and court orders are for men--women need not be concerned with them.
However, there is the possibility for a happy ending here. Frey has made a bundle off of her bestselling book Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson. I hope Flores sues her for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress and Amber is forced to write him a big, fat check.
It should be noted that had this case occurred a couple years ago, Flores would not have been able to successfully fight Frey, and would have been on the hook for 18 years of child support for a child who is not his. A decade long struggle by California activists resulted in two big wins for paternity fraud victims last year--AB 252 and the Navarro decision.
Among those deserving credit for this are the California Alliance for Families and Children, the American Coalition for Fathers and Children, the National Coalition of Free Men Los Angeles, Veterans Fighting Paternity Fraud, paternity fraud victim/crusaders Bert Rid**** and Carnell Smith, former Assemblyman Rod Wright and his chief of staff San Diorio, and countless others. To learn more about paternity fraud, see my column Paternity Fraud Victims Need Justice (Los Angeles Daily News, 3/15/02), and my co-authored columns Preserving Paternity Fraud (Orange County Register, 10/3/02) and Defrauded Veterans Have Mixed Emotions on Veterans Day (Daily Breeze [Los Angeles], 11/11/03).
Gloria Allred: Some Trains Are Never Late
Not surprisingly, feminist attorney Gloria Allred, Frey's lawyer, defended Frey's behavior and returned the blame to the child's (non) father. She said:
"Only after the results of a recent DNA test taken by the true biological father did Amber realize that Mr. Flores was not the father of her child. To the best of Amber's knowledge, Mr. Flores did not [take a test] and... he needs to take responsibility for his failure to do so."
In other words, Frey is not responsible for lying and claiming that Flores was the father, or not at least acknowledging that Flores might not be the father. However, Flores is at fault for (allegedly) not taking a DNA test fast enough to suit poor Amber. I'll say one thing for Allred--she's consistent. Whenever there's a problem, she always blames the man. Some trains are never late...
To hear Gloria's appearances on His Side, see Gloria Allred vs. LaMusga's Attorney on Move-Aways (5/16/04) and Is Parental Alienation Syndrome a Fathers' Rights Hoax? (6/27/04).