Divorce disputes escalate as men challenge the Tarrant County District Clerk's authority
Tarrant County, Texas, is at the centre of a heated legal dispute involving three men embroiled in lengthy divorce and child support battles, and the Tarrant County District Clerk, Thomas "Tom" Wilder. The men, Lewis Brooks McKenzie, Conghua "Arnold" Yan, and Jose Portalatin, have accused Wilder of unlawfully rejecting documents they submitted in their cases, thereby interfering with their court proceedings.
In a recent turn of events, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman dismissed Yan's case and barred him from continuing to file certain motions against the groups involved. Yan is now appealing the dismissal in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
McKenzie, who is listed as a Tarrant County Republican Precinct Chair representing West Arlington, operates a group called "Molae Ministeria" with the goal to dismantle the Texas family court system. He has been in a divorce case since 2018 and has since become an advocate for this cause. McKenzie drives the "Magic Bus," what he calls his car, to courts across Texas to deliver criminal affidavits against judges and public officials on behalf of other people. He refers to himself as "Baba-Yaga," a reference to the main character in the movie "John Wick" who goes after bad guys.
Portalatin, the author of "Dirty Tricks Attorneys Don't Want You to Know About Exposing the Tactics That Tilt the Scales of Justice," filed his case against Wilder in June. He argues that Wilder wrongly blocked his submission of certain documents to his divorce court case. Yan filed a petition for removal of Tarrant County District Clerk Thomas "Tom" Wilder on Aug 4. Yan's petition alleges that Wilder mislabeled, disorganized, and deleted his files when they were transferred to a new court.
Wilder, in response, has characterized these men as "disgruntled court litigants who are refusing to pay child support and/or legislatively mandated fees," denying any merit to their claims. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 to hire legal counsel to defend Wilder, with costs capped at $30,000. Wilder's lawyer will be paid $400 an hour with the total cost not to exceed $30,000.
The Tarrant County District Clerk's office oversees the administrative aspect of these divorce-related litigations. Yan's allegations against these groups stem from his belief they interfered in his divorce case. Portalatin and McKenzie have joined Yan in the attempt to remove Wilder from office.
This conflict appears to be centred on the handling of case documents and fees in divorce-related litigation overseen by the District Clerk's office. The three men are filing pro se, meaning without a lawyer. The outcome of this dispute could have significant implications for the Tarrant County District Clerk's office and the wider Texas family court system.
The ongoing dispute in Tarrant County, Texas, revolves around the Tarrant County District Clerk's office and their handling of case documents and fees in divorce-related litigation, raising concerns within the wider Texas family court system. The conflict has led politically engaged individuals, such as Lewis McKenzie who operates the group "Molae Ministeria" to advocate for dismantling the Texas family court system. The news of this heated legal battle between the three men, McKenzie, Yan, and Portalatin, and the District Clerk, Thomas "Tom" Wilder, is a topic of general-news interest, with the men alleging unlawful rejection of documents submitted to their court proceedings by Wilder.
