Latest news with #Bevins
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Adopted son of former KY governor wins right to intervene in his parents' divorce
Jonah Bevin, right, and one of his lawyers, Melina Hettiaratchi, listen during a court hearing in Louisville, March 25, 2025. (Photo by Michael Clevenger, Courier Journal, via press pool) A judge has rejected efforts by former Gov. Matt Bevin and his ex-wife Glenna Bevin to keep their divorce settlement confidential, ruling in favor of their adopted son Jonah Bevin, 18, who had asked it be public. The judge noted the high-profile divorce and Jonah's allegations of abuse and neglect by his parents already have attracted widespread media coverage and that Matt Bevin, though no longer governor, is a public figure. 'He once held the highest office in this state,' Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson's order said of the one-term Republican. 'Whether he knew it at the time he chose to run for office, in doing so he chose to become a public figure for life.' 'Concealing the allocation of assets,' her order said, 'could generate speculation about political grift or other unethical conduct.' The Courier Journal also had argued the settlement should be public, citing his role as a public figure and his advocacy of adoption. Matt Bevin, a business entrepreneur whose wealth was estimated in the millions when he ran for governor in 2015, and his wife have owned several houses, each valued at more than $1 million. Bevin ran on a campaign of improving foster care and adoption in Kentucky, often holding up his family as an example. The Bevins have five biological children, all adults, and four adopted children, all but one over 18. Jonah was adopted by the Bevins at age 5 from Ethiopia along with the three other children. The judge's order noted the Bevins claimed to have provided for all their children in the divorce settlement. Johnson, in a 22-page order released Friday, also granted Jonah's request to intervene in the divorce case — which he had sought to protect his interests and which the Bevins had opposed. While it might be unusual for a child to intervene in his parents' divorce, so is this case, the judge said. 'This court would be remiss if it did not recognize this case is profoundly unique, unlike any other divorce case proceeding heard in this Commonwealth,' the order said. As part of the case, Jonah has obtained protective orders against his parents, alleging they abandoned him at age 17 in a brutally abusive facility in Jamaica closed last year by child welfare authorities. Also, the judge rejected Glenna Bevin's request to soften the terms of a restraining order against her. Jonhson, in her order, said terms of the protective orders were worked out in a settlement and she will not allow Glenna Bevin 'to walk away from the agreement she made.' In all, the order ruled in Jonah's favor on all measures he had sought in the pending family court case. He has said in court he is living on his own and spent his 18th birthday in a homeless shelter in Utah after returning to the United States from Jamaica with no assistance from his parents. The Bevins did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dawn J. Post, a lawyer and child advocate helping represent Jonah, hailed the judge's order as 'one important step forward' in his effort to find justice and stability. She said it also helps Jonah in his effort to give voice to other children from failed adoptions who find themselves abandoned, often in abusive facilities. 'This decision not only gives Jonah the opportunity to be heard but to stand fully in his truth after years of abandonment,' Post said. Jonah also is represented by Louisville lawyers John H. Helmers and Melina Hettiarachi. A key portion of the judge's order dealt with Jonah's education and whether he has a valid high school degree, as Matt Bevin has claimed. That determination could affect the Bevins' further obligations to him, it said. Jonah's lawyers have alleged he was in and out of various out-of-state residential facilities since age 13 and received no meaningful education, calling a diploma he received last year through an online Christian school based in Florida a 'sham.' The judge's order notes that one of the obligations of parents under state law is to provide a child with adequate care, supervision, food, clothing, shelter and education. Matt Bevin argued that the Florida-based Veritas Mission Academy is an accredited school in Florida. But the judge's order found no reliable verification of that claim. 'As far as the court is aware, there is no reputable entity vouching for the educational standards at Veritas Mission Academy,' it said. Jonah told the Lantern in an interview earlier this year he struggles with learning disabilities that affect his ability to read and write. The judge said Jonah's appearance in court led her to question his level of education, noting in court proceedings 'Jonah appeared to struggle with the vocabulary and communications skills necessary to articulate his thoughts, feelings and experiences.' 'This leads the court to believe his high school education has not adequately prepared him to live his life as an independent adult,' Johnson's order said. The judge also addressed another question in the case — whether Jonah turned 18 last November. In a recent court hearing, Jonah's lawyers said adoption records they recently obtained showed a discrepancy, with one indicating he might be 17. The judge concluded he is 18, noting the discrepancy occurred in only one of several records the Bevins produced and was likely an error. Still, that doesn't lessen his potential claims, including support, the order said, adding. 'If the court decides Jonah is entitled to some form of child support, it has the authority to craft an appropriate solution.'
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Nobody checking on me': Matt Bevin's adopted son asks for financial assistance
The adopted son of former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin is asking to intervene in his parents' divorce case in hopes of obtaining the financial support he says his parents did not give him after they sent him to an abusive facility in Jamaica. When Glenna Bevin, the former first lady, filed for divorce from the one-term governor in 2023, Jonah Bevin was 16 and living at Atlantis Leadership Academy in Jamaica. He was later held in the care of Jamaican child welfare services after they discovered facility staff were physically and emotionally abusive. The Bevins have five biological children. Jonah is one of four children the Bevins adopted from Ethiopia. 'My parents didn't tell the court anything about my circumstances in Jamaica at all,' Jonah wrote of the divorce in an April 21 filing. 'They didn't try to include me or even check on how I was doing. It's like I was invisible to them. Despite the fact that I was a minor, there were no provisions in the divorce that related to my support. There were no plans made for me to come home, no real guardian, and nobody checking on me. 'I'm asking the court to let me be a part of this divorce case because what's happened in it has affected my life in huge ways, ways that have been ignored, twisted or just left out by my parents, Matt and Glenna Bevin.' In a court hearing to weigh in on this request Monday, John Helmers, Jonah's attorney, said his client is seeking financial support until he can get his college diploma. 'There's an ongoing duty for the parties in this action to continue to contribute until (Jonah's) legal emancipation date,' Helmers said. But Matt Bevin's attorney called this request a ploy to 'garner media attention and invoke outrage,' but said the love he has for Jonah is 'unshakable.' Glenna also asked via her attorney that the court not to allow Jonah to intervene in the divorce case, saying in an April 18 filing, 'Glenna would like to make clear that she is very sad that it must be dealt with as it has. She loves her son Jonah and wants only the best for him. But she does not wish for her son to be able to debate parenting choices with her in court.' This petition from Jonah — and his parents' respective responses to that request — is the latest in a public display of familial friction relationship between Jonah and the Bevins, who adopted him at the age of 5. The Bevins in 2023 sent Jonah to the behavioral health facility in Jamaica, where some staff were later arrested and criminally charged with abuse. Jonah, who said he felt abandoned by the Bevins, was granted an emergency protective order in March against Matt and a restraining order against Glenna, after he said they pressured him in February, while providing few details, to board a flight to Ethiopia to meet family they'd otherwise told Jonah his whole life were dead, including his mother. In 2023, Glenna filed for divorce, and it was finalized last month. That case has become inextricably wrapped up in the family court case involving Jonah. But the Bevins have asked a judge to keep their divorce settlement under confidential seal. In a Monday afternoon hearing in the case, Matt Bevin's attorney, Jesse Mudd, said his client is not currently the governor, has been out of office for longer than the four years he served in office and therefore he and Glenna are 'private individuals.' But Michael Abate, counsel for the Courier Journal who is arguing for the settlement to be kept public, disagreed. 'This is not your average case by any stretch of the imagination. The public interest prong weighs more heavily here than it would in a routine case,' he said. 'We have a former governor and first lady who made adoption (and) child care the center of their political platform and career. And now we've seen very serious allegations that they failed to provide for one of their minor adopted children. 'If an average family has to see the terms of their divorce decree in the court record, (the Bevins) are asking for special treatment, because they were political leaders.' Helmers, Jonah's attorney, said his client is seeking financial compensation in part to help finish pay for his college education and to recoup his attorney's fees. 'There's an ongoing duty for the parties in this action to continue to contribute until (Jonah's) legal emancipation date,' Helmers said in the April 21 court hearing. 'I am seeking to have a word in the divorce because my parents abandoned me, both physically and financially,' Jonah wrote in a case filing. 'I am seeking the court's assistance for support and to allow me to complete my education.' Both Glenna and Matt asked Judge Angela Johnson not to allow Jonah to intervene in their divorce, arguing there's no legal basis for it. Mark Dobbins, Glenna's attorney, said Jonah's adoptive parents 'have spent more on Jonah probably than any of their children. We don't see any other children complaining to the court.' Jonah 'has difficulties (but) this divorce case is not the place for Jonah's difficulties to be addressed.' In addition to accusing Jonah and his attorneys of intending to 'garner media attention and invoke outrage,' Mudd said, 'the truth is entirely different, and it is heartbreaking to Matt to see his son being caught up in this web.' Mudd wrote, 'Jonah is deeply loved by his entire family and has always been cared for emotional and financially to the best of his parents' ability, just as has been done for every single one of their children. When all the noise fades away and the circus has moved on, his family will still be there to whatever extent Jonah needs or wants, because that is what family means and that is what family does.' Mudd added that the former Kentucky governor has 'unshakable love and commitment for his son.' In another court filing, Jonah said it 'saddens my heart to hear my father say that he loves me and supports me when I had to sleep under 24/7 security because of the threats made against us (in Jamaica), or that my mother says that she is sad about what happened. 'Where was the love that my parents said they had for me? Because they didn't show it when they left and ignored me. Other parents came and got their kids. My parents either lied or left out the truth over and over. Because of that, I've been on my own. The court can't just let this go like it didn't happen. I'm not just a name on paper, I'm a real person,' Jonah said. 'I've been trying to survive by myself. Now I'm trying to speak up because nobody has done it for me.' As a stipulation of the protective and restraining orders Jonah was granted against his adoptive parents after he said he felt coerced to fly to Ethiopia, the Bevins are required turn over any documentation they have about Jonah's biological family, if it exists, so Jonah can contact his family. Specifically in the restraining order against Glenna, she was mandated to provide to Jonah's attorneys 'any and all information in her possession regarding Jonah's adoption, including but not limited to documents, communications and notes related to his adoption by or between herself and the respondent and the adoption agency or biological family.' Glenna's attorneys turned over 'all the records she has about the adoption,' Dobbins said Monday in court. That documentation includes Jonah's original adoption records, including the names of his parents. But it did not include recent or identifiable information about his family members, leading Jonah's attorneys to believe that information does not exist, they told the Herald-Leader. 'We now fear that the proposed trip to Ethiopia was never legitimate, that Jonah was nearly sent away with no safeguards, no answers, and no way back,' child advocate Dawn Post, one of Jonah's attorneys, told the Herald-Leader. 'This is exactly why the (restraining) order remains necessary,' she said. 'The person who should have protected Jonah — his own adoptive mother — was involved in sending him to Ethiopia without providing any identifying information. 'Jonah may not fear his mother directly, but he does fear how she acts under the influence of Matt Bevin.' As for the notion that the Bevins have spent more money on Jonah than their other children, Post said, 'the money spent on Jonah was not too much; it was misused. Those resources were wasted on programs that traumatized him, not healed him. They paid for pain, not protection. 'That is not Jonah's fault.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Local police can soon charge $75/hour for body cam video. But will they? Here's what we found
Mar. 21—Despite a new Ohio law permitting law enforcement agencies to charge up to $75 an hour for police video records starting April 2, most of the region's biggest departments are still mulling their own policies. Those internal policies will be critical for public records access. In December, the state passed a law permitting, but not requiring, departments to charge up to $75 an hour, but not more than $750 total, for dash cam and body camera footage. As this outlet reported, the scantly-debated law was meant to help departments dissuade, or at least recoup the labor costs associated with, content creators that lodge mass public records requests and post those videos online in search of commercial profit. But the law has sparked concern among First Amendment advocates who note the law could put video public records out of reach for journalists or everyday citizens. Here are some of the responses this outlet has received from Miami Valley law enforcement agencies. Dayton Police "The Dayton Police Department is reviewing the legislation that allows agencies to charge for body and in-car camera video requests," Police Information Specialist James Rider told this outlet. Rider said Dayton PD has seen a "sharp increase" in video records requests, "often from individuals operating social media channels." In 2023, the department processed 1,300 such requests; in 2024 it processed over 3,000. Rider noted that the process for actually turning these videos — Ohio law requires them to protect the identity of crime victims and uncharged suspects — is "labor-intensive and costly." Montgomery County Sheriff Agency spokeswoman Christine Bevins told this outlet that the Montgomery County Sheriff's office has no immediate plans to divert from its policy — which most departments have today — of charging requestors only for the material the videos are provided on. "At this point we are waiting to see if the law itself reduces the number of requests we get from those whose only interest in the videos is to post the material online for monetary gain," Bevins said. She noted that the department isn't fully confident the law will stay as-is. The video requests have been so abundant, Bevins said, that the county hired a full-time employee for the department's redaction unit to help with the approximately 20 requests the unit fields each day. "We get lots of requests that we either know or suspect are destined to be used online for commercial purposes. It's not unusual to get a list of a dozen of more incidents from a single requestor and it's not uncommon for a single incident to have multiple deputies and vehicles involved," Bevins said. "Some would suggest that we should start charging those with a commercial interest and not charge citizens with a demonstrated need for the videos. At times, it could be difficult to differentiate the two and I imagine that those with commercial interests would just change the way they make their requests in an attempt to avoid the fees." Springfield, Clark County Sheriff On Thursday, the newly-minted Clark County Sheriff Chris Clark told this outlet that there are no immediate plans to change policy. "We have not changed our pricing on that, as of yet," Clark said. "We're looking at, but it's not something that I'm real hot-to-trot on changing just yet." Clark said he expects the mere existence of the law to cut down on frivolous requests. "I'm not saying it won't change in the near future. It's on my agenda, it's just on the back burner for right now," he said. Springfield is among many cities that have not adopted a policy under the new law, maintaining the status quo — allowing departments to charge for materials such as flash drives or disks, but not labor — for the time being. Kettering, Hamilton, others holding off This news outlet reached out to law enforcement agencies across this nine-county region of southwest Ohio. Most said they have no immediate plans to start charging for police videos, but could do so if the burden of fulfilling requests becomes or stays too high. In an email, Kettering Police Department's Public Information Officer Cynthia James told this outlet that city "has not adopted a policy yet," but they are still reviewing the state legislation. The same is true in Hamilton, where Assistant Chief of Police Brian Robinson told this outlet, "We have no policies in place or in development at this time." In the Butler County's Sheriffs Office, Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer told this outlet that he expects more video requests to come in as more people become aware of the department's adoption of body cameras. "We have discussed charging for videos but we have not finalized that decision," Dwyer said. This news outlet received similar responses from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Fairfield Twp., Middletown, Monroe, Troy, Piqua and others. Miami County targets commercial requests Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak told this outlet that his department's policies will only impact "those who operate commercialized businesses and exploit the open records law for profit." Duchak said the rate will include the hourly wage of support staff and their benefits. He hopes it will "dissuade the abuse of Ohio's open record laws." "(Commercial requests) are a burden to the system and do not align with the purpose of public records, which is transparency," Duchak said. "This is an issue that should have been dealt with by the legislature a long time ago." Some cities charging everyone Not all departments have been tentative. Oakwood Law Director Robert Jacques, for example, told this outlet the department would begin charging journalists, citizens and content creators alike for police video records. "The city has not finalized the hourly rate that will be charged to cover administrative expenses when (the law) goes into effect in April," Jacques said. "We anticipate that fees will be based on the wage and fringe benefit costs for a records clerk, converted to an hourly rate, plus any actual reimbursables such as flash drives or other storage media." Jacques said Oakwood typically receives fewer than 10 video records requests a year. In Tipp City, it's been determined that they'll charge the same way no matter the requestor. "Our policy will reflect the (law) changes and charge $75 an hour up to $750 for preparing the video," Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins told this outlet. "This charge covers the employee's time, benefits, and material costs." Adkins said the department will not charge if "an involved party" wants to sit down and review video records. Otherwise, he said, "We will not direct a policy that allows the release to specific organizations at no cost and to other organizations at full price. We will be fair across all spectrums of requests." ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Gov. Matt Bevin's divorce final though issues remain to be resolved
Then-Gov. Matt Bevin and his now estranged wife Glenna Bevin talk on KET in 2017 about their experiences with adoption. (Screenshot) Former Gov. Matt Bevin and his wife, Glenna, are now divorced. Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson entered an order Tuesday granting a 'limited decree of dissolution of marriage,' finalizing the divorce Glenna Bevin sought in 2023. The two-page order means all other issues pending in the divorce remain unresolved, including a proposed settlement the Bevins have asked to keep confidential. The Bevins did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The divorce order comes as the Bevins' adopted son Jonah Bevin is seeking to intervene in the case, asking to protect his interests. Now 18, Jonah alleges his parents abandoned him at age 17 in a brutally abusive youth facility in Jamaica. He said he now is living on his own with no support and few assets. Jonah also has obtained an emergency protective order against Matt Bevin, alleging he experienced abuse and neglect in the home. He is one of four children the Bevins adopted from Ethiopia; the couple also has five biological children. All but one are 18 or older. Also unresolved is whether the Bevins, who are wealthy and live in Anchorage, can keep confidential a divorce settlement they reached last month, involving property, finances and parental responsibilities. They have asked the judge to do so, asking it 'remain private and protected from public access and disclosure.' But on Tuesday, The Courier Journal filed a motion objecting to a confidential settlement, saying such court records are generally open in Kentucky and should remain so. The motion, filed by lawyer Michal Abate, also says that the Bevins, as former governor and first lady, are public figures and recent developments, including disclosure of alleged abandonment, abuse and neglect, merit public scrutiny. In particular, Jonah has filed a police report alleging child abandonment, which is a Class D felony in Kentucky, Abate's motion said. Keeping the Bevins' settlement public 'will shed light on these important matters of public concern and provide Kentuckians with vital information about the potential criminal activity of their former governor,' it said. The judge has not ruled on whether to allow the settlement to remain confidential. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Adopted son seeks to intervene in Bevins' divorce case to protect his interests
Jonah Bevin, who was 5 when Matt and Glenna Bevin adopted him in Ethiopia, is asking for a voice in the former governor's divorce case in Jefferson Family Court. (Photo provided) Jonah Bevin, the adopted son of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and his wife, Glenna, has filed a legal action asking to intervene in their pending divorce case, which the couple told the court this week they are ready to settle. Now 18, Jonah — who alleges he was abandoned at age 17 by the Bevins at a brutally abusive youth facility in Jamaica — is asking for a voice in the divorce case in Jefferson Family Court he said could impact him. 'At present, no one who has Jonah's interest is involved in the litigation,' said the motion filed Wednesday by Louisville lawyers John Helmers Jr. and Melina Hettiaratchi. 'Jonah's best guess is that his parents never revealed their abuse and neglect of him to this court, including their failure to meet his basic needs and to provide a safe home and a complete education as required by law.' The Bevins did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dawn J. Post, a New York lawyer and child advocate also representing Jonah, said he has been 'denied the basic support and recognition owed to him' and seeks to ensure some provision is made for his welfare as part of the divorce settlement the couple has asked the court to keep confidential. Matt Bevin is a business entrepreneur whose wealth was estimated in millions of dollars when he ran for governor in 2015. Glenna Bevin does not work outside the home, according to court records. The couple has owned several homes in Louisville, each valued at more than $1 million, according to property tax records. Post said Jonah should be considered in any settlement. 'While they attempt to divide their assets, Jonah has been left to fend for himself in abusive programs and was abandoned in Jamaica during the pendency of the divorce when he was a minor under the court's jurisdiction,' she said. 'No parent should be allowed to abandon their child without consequence,' Post added. Jonah's motion is the latest twist in a flurry of legal activity since he went public about his experiences in a Feb. 28 story in the Kentucky Lantern. On March 7, Jonah — who has been living on his own since he turned 18 — obtained an emergency protective order against Matt Bevin, alleging he experienced neglect, physical abuse and threats after he was adopted at age 5 by the couple. He said he was first sent to a series of out-of-state residential facilities at age 13. After he returned from Jamaica, he was placed in a residential facility until he turned 18 last year. Since then, Jonah said he has been living out of state, with no permanent home, working part-time construction jobs to support himself He also has filed a report with Louisville Metro Police, alleging the Bevins abandoned him at age 17 at the facility closed last year by Jamaican authorities. The Bevins declined to respond to authorities seeking to return him to the United States, he said. Jonah is one of four children adopted from Ethiopia by the Bevins, who as governor and first lady, promoted adoption and child welfare as their priorities. The couple also have five biological children; all but one are adults. Matt Bevin, a one-term Republican governor and conservative Christian, campaigned on reforming the state's adoption and foster care system, which he said obstructed the Bevins' effort to adopt a child in Kentucky, prompting them to adopt from overseas. Jonah's motion filed Wednesday alleges that the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which investigates child abuse and neglect, currently is conducting 'an active' investigation involving child welfare. As a candidate for governor, Bevin, in a 2015 interview, denounced the cabinet as a 'convoluted, backward broken machine' and blamed one of its employees — 'someone with a clipboard and a notebook'— for rejecting the Bevins as adoptive parents because they already had five children. Jonah's motion follows the Bevins' report to the court on March 11 that they had reached a 'marital settlement agreement' in the divorce action initiated by Glenna Bevin in May 2023 and asking that the court keep it confidential. 'Allowing the media and public to access the parties' personal financial information and terms of settlement would be contrary to this goal and detrimental to the Bevin family,' it said. Further, making the settlement public 'would only serve idle curiosity and gossip and not legitimate public interest.' But Jonah's pleading argues that he should be allowed to intervene in the case and have access to the information to protect his interests as well as those of a minor child still with the Bevins. 'The current parties, Jonah's parents, have repeatedly shown they have little interest in protecting him and his rights to a safe home and a complete education,' it said. 'In fact, their interests may be diametrically opposed to Jonah's.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
