Punished for Parenting: How the Family Court System Destroys the Very People It Claims to Protect

Part 10 of the “Court of Ruin: The William Sewell Files” series

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“I thought if I followed the rules, told the truth, and showed up, I’d be okay. Instead, I got a bill I couldn’t pay and a threat of jail time.” — William H. Sewell

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Introduction: Love, Law, and Loss

It begins with love—and ends in financial ruin, alienation, and threats of incarceration. In family court, it is not uncommon for parents who once provided for their children to become targets of a legal system designed less around fairness and more around control. In Part 10 of the “Court of Ruin” series, we examine how William Sewell’s attempt to be a loving, involved father resulted in threats to his liberty, loss of custody, and a mountain of fees he could never afford.

This is not just William’s story. It is the story of thousands of parents punished for doing what the system pretends to encourage—staying present in their children’s lives.

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From Custody to Contempt: How the Trap Is Set

William Sewell entered the family court system hoping to secure joint custody of his daughter. What followed was a barrage of legal maneuvers that stripped him of that hope, drained his savings, and threatened his freedom.

• He was threatened with a $25,000 Guardian ad Litem fee.

• He was denied access to his child after a hearing; one he says he was never properly served, despite having an attorney.

• He received a court order with no explanation or hearing that stripped him of his legal custody rights.

• He was never provided with a pre-trial hearing before his trial that begins on Monday, June 9th.

When William tried to explain to the court that he could not afford the GAL fees, no one listened. When he presented clean toxicology tests to dispute false drug accusations, the court ignored them. At every turn, it seemed the process was not about fact-finding—but about forcing him into submission.

“I didn’t commit a crime. I asked to see my daughter. That was my mistake.” — William H. Sewell

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Courtroom, Collection Agency, or Coercion Center?

Family courts are civil, not criminal, but the consequences are no less severe. Through civil contempt, a parent can be jailed without a jury, without legal representation, and often without a proper ability-to-pay hearing. This violates the Supreme Court’s decision in Turner v. Rogers—but in counties like Dorchester, South Carolina, such protections are routinely ignored.

Judge Mandy Kimmons, at the last hearing, approved threats to incarcerate William for failure to pay GAL fees. GAL Jason Wheeler, who privately admitted both parents were fit, never filed a report or intervened. And Donnie Gamache, his ex-wife’s attorney and a former sheriff, orchestrated much of the narrative that made William out to be dangerous, broke, or unstable—despite evidence to the contrary.

In jurisdictions like Dorchester County—where Judge Mandy Kimmons signs orders without hearings, GAL Jason Wheeler fails to report findings, and attorney Donnie Gamache rigs the rules—parents are not just disempowered. They’re destroyed.

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DSS and the “Daily Work with Donnie”: A Closed Door Before It Opens

When William tried to report legitimate concerns about his daughter’s safety—dog bites, injuries, and alleged underage alcohol exposure—he turned to the Department of Social Services (DSS). He documented incidents with photographs and attempted to escalate the matter to Kaneisha Gilson, the head of investigations for the Dorchester County DSS office.

But just before one of his key interviews with law enforcement, William learned that Donnie Gamache had already called ahead. A Sergeant Baker allegedly received that call—and the tone of the interaction shifted immediately. William believes this call was designed to preemptively discredit him or control the narrative.

Text messages between William and Kaneisha reveal mounting frustration and confusion. DSS acknowledged receiving William’s information and stated that Ms. Baker was investigating. But soon after, the story changed. A sheriff’s deputy told William DSS had flagged him for refusing to provide his ex-wife’s phone number—something he had already explained wasn’t available at the time.

In a later message, William expressed shock that Donnie Gamache appeared to know confidential information from the DSS file. Gamache had accused William in court of making ‘unwarranted reports’ to gain custody. DSS staff claimed anonymity laws were still in place, but couldn’t explain how the information got back to Gamache.

One DSS staffer told William bluntly: “We know Donnie. We work with him daily.”

By the end of it, William had received no protection, no report in his favor, and no investigation results he could access. His concerns were effectively nullified—not through due process, but through proximity and power.

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A National Pattern of Coercion

According to a 2011 study cited by the ACLU, tens of thousands of parents are jailed every year over civil contempt in family court—many without proper ability-to-pay hearings, in violation of Turner v. Rogers. Fathers, especially those without lawyers, are disproportionately affected.

William’s case follows this same trajectory: a father with documented evidence, clean test results, and a history of involvement in his child’s life—railroaded by silence, fees, and false narratives.

“Even when I had proof, they didn’t care. I wasn’t the parent they wanted.” — William H. Sewell

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Conclusion: From Love to Liability

What begins as a custody petition often becomes a financial and emotional death sentence for the parent least equipped to fight back. And the system is fine with that. The fees fund insiders. The silence protects misconduct. And the child becomes just another pawn in a power game.

Even when William documented harm and turned to DSS for help, the agency echoed the same silence he found in court—another institution seemingly aligned with his ex-wife’s attorney.

This is not justice. This is punishment—for parenting. And it won’t stop until we expose every courtroom, every judge, every lawyer that profits from it.

Stay tuned for Part 11: “No Counsel, No Time, No Chance — A Father's Impossible Trial.”

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All claims in this article are based on the personal experiences and allegations made by William H. Sewell. This article includes opinions and reporting based on interviews, court documents, and publicly available information. Any named parties are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless proven otherwise.