Court Stops Christian Father from Taking Jewish Baby to Church on Christmas

Joseph Reyes wants to take his daughter with him to church on Christmas but a judge says no.

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Rebecca Reyes and Howard Shapiro. Joseph Reyes blames his father-in-law's influence for the problems between he and his estranged wife.

(PRNewsChannel) / December 24, 2009 / Chicago, Ill. / This Christmas Joseph Reyes will have to go to church without his baby daughter.

Reyes, 35, who had converted to Judaism, is now divorcing his Jewish wife and reverting back to Catholicism.

But, in a restraining order sought by his estranged wife, a judge has ordered that Reyes not take his daughter to church.

After the couple split, Reyes baptized his daughter.

Rebecca Reyes says she wants her daughter raised Jewish, and that her husband promised to do so.

He says that's not true.

Rebecca Reyes argues that if he's allowed to raise the child in any faith other than Judaism, he will cause their daughter irreparable harm.

"I wouldn't harm my daughter simply to somehow spite my soon to-be ex-wife," Joseph Reyes says. "She's my daughter too and I should be allowed to take her to church with me."

Joel Brodsky, known in Chicago as a criminal defense attorney, says he took the case because Joseph was being denied any visitation at all and he felt obliged to help this father and veteran who fought for his country in Afghanistan.

Brodsky went to court and got Joseph's visitation rights restored. However, after Joseph took his daughter to church during a visitation period, the mother objected and filed for a restraining order. When Brodsky saw the restraining order he couldn't believe what he was reading.

"This is America not the Taliban in Afghanistan. There is freedom of religion in this country, and Joseph fought for that freedom as a member of the military. In America, Joseph can change religions any time he wants, and he is free to practice his religion in the presence of his daughter without government interference. A person's religion is not the business of the courts or judges, unless it is harmful to the child. That is the law. Is the court saying that the Catholic religion is harmful? I hope not."

Despite Brodsky's objections, an appellate court just upheld the restraining order.

"Christmas time is supposed to be a time for family," says Brodsky, who happens to be Jewish. "And my client is being barred from sharing church with his young daughter."

Circuit Court of Illinois Supporting Documents:
Appellate Petition: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Appellate_Petition.pdf
Response Brief: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Response_Brief.pdf
Supporting Record: https://prnewschannel.com/pdf/Supporting_Record.pdf

To schedule an interview with Joel Brodsky and Joseph Reyes, please use media contacts below:

Media Contacts:
Glenn Selig
PR Firm: The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7777 or cell: (813) 300-5454
Email:
Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/publicityagency
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tampa-FL/The-Publicity-Agency/155443751151

Justin Herndon
PR Firm: The Publicity Agency
Phone: (813) 708-1220 x7778 or cell: (813) 528-6815
Email:
Web site: www.thepublicityagency.com

Source: thepublicityagency.com

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