This is not an all-inclusive list of judicial color of law violations, but here are examples based on our experience:
Denying Due Process Based on Bias: A judge consistently and intentionally refuses to allow one party (e.g., a mother in a custody case, or a member of a specific ethnic group in a civil suit) to present relevant evidence, witnesses, or arguments specifically because of the judge’s personal bias against that person or group, effectively denying them a fair hearing (violating Due Process rights).
Willfully Ignoring Mandatory Law: A judge deliberately ignores clear, mandatory laws designed to protect parties’ rights, like the UCCJEA’s rules about which state has jurisdiction in a custody case, with the specific intent to achieve a desired outcome that harms one party and benefits another, knowing it violates the rightful jurisdiction and potentially the parent’s right to custody established elsewhere.
Issuing Orders for Punitive or Corrupt Purposes: A judge issues rulings (like extreme sanctions, baseless contempt findings, or unwarranted custody changes) not based on the law or facts, but specifically to punish a litigant they dislike, to retaliate against someone who filed a complaint, or potentially for a corrupt reason, thereby depriving the litigant of property or liberty (like custody rights) without proper legal basis.
Coercing Waiver of Rights: A judge uses threats or intimidation from the bench (e.g., threatening jail time or loss of all parental rights) to coerce a litigant into giving up fundamental constitutional rights, such as the right to speak in court, the right to present evidence of abuse, or the right to seek a restraining order when warranted.
Discriminatory Application of Law: A judge systematically applies laws or procedures differently based on a person’s race, gender, religion, or national origin, leading to disparate outcomes and violating Equal Protection rights. For example, consistently setting higher bail for litigants of one race compared to others in similar circumstances without justification.
It’s crucial to remember that proving a “color of law” violation requires showing the judge acted willfully (intentionally) to deprive someone of a known constitutional or federal right, and did so using their official authority. Simple legal errors, disagreements with rulings, or even abuse of discretion might constitute judicial misconduct or grounds for appeal, but they don’t automatically become federal criminal “color of law” violations unless that high standard of willful deprivation of rights is met.
File a Complaint with the FBI
If you believe Judge Christine Carringer has committed a color of law violation in your case, please submit your complaint here*: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights
Please also complete our form below to let us know you’ve submitted your case. We are tracking the complaints filed against Carringer so we can present a united front.
*Special Note
*Throughout years of advocacy we have received numerous submissions of people providing information about their cases. If there’s one thing I hope to impress upon you, it is this: our volunteer group has been active in judicial advocacy for over a decade.
We come across many people who believe they can just submit their case information (and often, not very much of it) and there’s a group of people “on the other side” who will pick up the baton and run with it. That doesn’t exist.
Our group of volunteers, and every group we work with, are understaffed, underresourced and overwhelmed. Judicial advocacy isn’t “done for you,” you have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard, overwhelming, seemingly impossible work.
If you submit a complaint to the FBI, or even give us information (we will not submit on your behalf), the information needs to be organized, thoughtful, logically presented and clear. There’s no person who will come across your complaint and champion your cause across the finish line.
Over the years, this is the fundamental truth we have experienced.