The Brennan Files: Maryland’s Most Dangerous Lawyer?

How a Family Court Attorney Became the Architect of Trauma, Alienation—and Possibly Trafficking

Introduction: From Prosecutor to Predator

If you're unfamiliar with Brennan McCarthy, that’s about to change. Brennan McCarthy is not just a family lawyer. He is the sole attorney Sarah Hornbeck has had since 2015—after her previous attorneys either sued her for nonpayment, fired her, or were disbarred. McCarthy took her case despite this history. He concurrently represented Jen Brandeen’s (Jeff’s ex-fiance) ex-husband, Dave Brandeen and his twin brother, Doug Brandeen- BOTH former romantic partners of Sarah Hornbeck.

This is not just a lawyer who feigns fighting hard for his clients. This is a man who used the law to destroy a father, silence a child, and game a judicial system that let him do it. This is a man who was later named as a defendant in a federal civil rights suit—and then became Sarah’s attorney in that same case. His continued presence isn’t just unethical. It’s criminal collusion. And his involvement is central to a case now regarded by many as a textbook example of court-enabled child trafficking. What’s worse is that he seems to enjoy it.

Exhibit A: The July 10 Ambush – How a Father Was Targeted Overnight

Additional Context:
Sarah Hornbeck had a history of defaulting on legal obligations. At the time of the July 10, 2020, ambush—a night when four police cars swarmed Jeff Reichert’s home, tackled him in front of his son, and began the false narrative that would upend their lives—Sarah Hornbeck had no legal or moral basis to seek custody. She was bound by a Final Consent Order, under a Protective Order, and on criminal probation.

Jeff chose not to press charges that likely would have resulted in prison time. Yet overnight, she filed a Custody Modification (July 9), a Protective Order (July 10), and a Missing Persons Report (early July 11) with assistance from Brennan McCarthy—who filed it himself. All of it in direct violation of multiple court orders. Sarah was under probation, a protective order, and a Final Consent Order. Yet she filed multiple actions with McCarthy’s help.

Jeff, in Connecticut, preparing for business meetings, received a call from the police at 2:00 a.m. The 'missing child' report was false—police confirmed Grant was safe. McCarthy’s 5:30 a.m. phone answer wasn’t random. It was coordinated legal warfare. Sarah Hornbeck—under criminal probation, a protective order, and bound by a Final Consent Order—not only knew where Grant was, but falsely reported him missing while launching a midnight ambush.

At 2:00 a.m., police arrived at Jeff’s house. By 5:30 a.m., Sarah’s phone was answered by Brennan McCarthy. A protective order had been filed overnight. Within days, they attempted to flip custody, illegally and unconstitutionally, without an evidentiary hearing or cause.

This event wasn’t an emergency—it was a setup. A custody modification had been filed the day prior. Everything else was staged to create just enough chaos to tip the court into granting an illegal transfer. McCarthy helped orchestrate it.

Jeff stated:

“It wasn’t just bizarre—it was a complete setup. Sarah had filed for a PO that night with McCarthy’s obvious assistance. They had filed a Modification of Custody on July 9th—one day earlier—and this was done to try to get some evidence to support it. ALL of it was done in violation of the PO, probation and FCO. She should have been arrested for attempting it. In fact, the officer who came to the door that night told me he was “going to escort her off the property—because she wasn’t allowed to be there—and arrest her. That never happened. Instead, when I came home with Grant, four cops cars followed me into my driveway (after driving 12 hours in a tropical storm) and slammed me on the driveway when I exited the vehicle and cuffed me in front of my son."

Why was McCarthy, reportedly not even her active counsel at the time, in possession of her phone during a family emergency?

The fallout was immediate: a false gun allegation, a courtroom ambush, and within days, the beginning of a completely fabricated five (5) year conspiracy to traffic Grant Reichert, take his father away from him, and negatively and permanently impact their lives forever.

Exhibit B: Tried Representing Both Sides—And the Silence It Bought

Last month, McCarthy filed to represent both Sarah and the child, Grant—without even speaking to Grant. A child he’d helped cut off from his father for years. A child who had never been told about the emancipation petition he wanted.

McCarthy’s attempt to insert himself as the child’s legal voice—after everything he’d done—goes beyond ethics. It reveals a sinister plan: file for de facto parent status, push an adoption, and legally sever the bond. All while acting as both the instigator and the court-appointed narrator.

Legal experts say this is an unwaivable conflict of interest. Jeff Reichert formally filed a motion to disqualify him and request that McCarthy withdraw. But even by then, the damage is already done: McCarthy had already inserted himself as “the voice of the child,” silencing the boy’s actual voice. He had given the court instructions on what needed to be done, as was the case with his ex parte letter in February that turned into a Custody Order two weeks later without a hearing or evidence presented.

Exhibit C: Brennan's Theater of Control

McCarthy is infamous in legal circles—not for brilliance, but for buffoonery. He wears sunglasses strapped around his neck in court, and his bar badge like he’s cosplaying law enforcement. Ask anyone who has faced McCarthy: He doesn't win with law. He wins with scripts.

He mocked Jeff’s shoes. He has compared Jeff to Osama bin Laden. But beyond the antics lies a dark truth: he controls the court through projection, repetition, and manipulation.

"He attempts to argue through fear and relies only on bullying, not fact,” says Reichert.

“He makes it completely obvious that this case is rigged by his over-aggressive courtroom demeanor and confidence. He knows he is going to win—and it’s not because of him. He is extremely unethical and an embarrassment to the profession as a result. He’s the courtroom jackass in a kangaroo court.”

He flips the script constantly—arguing one thing in 2018, and the exact opposite today. His legal positions mutate with convenience, not conscience. That’s not advocacy. It’s a performance. And the script is rigged.

Exhibit D: Venue Shopping and Judicial Engineering

Additional Context:
For over two years, McCarthy helped Sarah use a fake address in Severna Park while also representing her using John Michel’s address in another county.
McCarthy’s father’s legacy and his own ties to Anne Arundel County impacts that rulings went his way. Judges ignored discovery violations and jurisdictional challenges.

McCarthy orchestrated the transfer of the case to Anne Arundel County—where he grew up, where his father was a legend, and where Sarah has never lived.

For two years, he helped her fake addresses. At the same time, he represented her in another county using a different address in a completely unrelated custody matter. He knew the real address would kill the case—so he hid it. He also signed the 2019 Final Consent Order agreeing to never return to court, then filed all this in 2020— nine months later with no material change, during COVID, and Grant was finally happy and thriving.

He admitted it in public: 'We're in my backyard now… we got him.'

If Sarah’s real address was used—this case would have been over four years ago. One of many instances of fraud that, if the court properly did its job, would have ended this case many times over.

Exhibit E: Legal Abuse as a Business Model

McCarthy has had over $140,000 in legal fees awarded against Jeff—who has now spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending himself. He’s weaponized child support demands into another form of control—despite Jeff voluntarily waiving support when he had full custody.

He knew Jeff waived child support when he had full custody. He knew Sarah was under a PO and on probation. He knew she shouldn’t have filed. But he filed anyway.

It’s not law. It’s fraud upon the court. It’s malicious prosecution. And it’s perjury—on paper and in open court.

Exhibit F: Vexatious Litigant—A Badge of Projection

Deeper Analysis:
McCarthy branded Jeff as vexatious—yet Jeff had no choice but to defend himself. McCarthy filed 26 criminal charges, sought repeated jailings, and continued on even after Jeff suffered a seizure while in custody.

Every motion Jeff filed, McCarthy objected to—even requests to appear remotely. If anyone fits the definition of a vexatious litigant—it’s Brennan McCarthy.

McCarthy has labeled Jeff a 'vexatious litigant'—but let’s look at the facts as it pertains to McCarthy’s “vexatious” actions:

1. He violated the Final Consent Order by filing again in 2020.

2. He helped Sarah file 26 criminal charges—none of which stuck.

3. He continued seeking Jeff’s arrest even after Jeff nearly died in custody from lack of medication.

4. He objected to every single motion Jeff filed, including non-adversarial ones.

5. He has participated in at least three false protective orders.

If anyone fits the definition, it’s Brennan.

Exhibit G: A Family Legacy of Misconduct?

It runs in the family. McCarthy’s brother, Thomas McCarthy Jr., was permanently disbarred by the Maryland Court of Appeals for fraud, lying to clients, and obstructing investigations. Meanwhile , Brennan continues to practice—despite being named in a federal civil rights lawsuit and having once been a defendant in a 2009 federal case while working as a county attorney in Prince George’s County.

Exhibit H: The Ramos Comparison

McCarthy once represented a victim of abuse in a lawsuit against Jarrod Ramos, who later became the perpetrator of a mass shooting at the Capital Gazette. At the time, McCarthy described Ramos as 'the most dangerous person I’ve ever dealt with.'

He represented the victim in that case with caution and dignity.

Yet in family court, McCarthy escalated conflict, accused Jeff Reichert of terrorism, and disregarded mental health accommodations and protections. The contrast between how he handled a real threat versus a peaceful father reveals a troubling double standard.

So why did he treat Jeff Reichert, an admired and respected basketball coach, a decorated Army veteran and loving father, like a terrorist? Why did he escalate instead of mediate? If McCarthy knows what real danger looks like—what does it say about his judgment when he chooses to inflame a custody case instead of seeking truth?

Exhibit I: Child Trafficking in a Suit and Tie

Systemic Pattern:
This isn’t family law. It’s child commodification. McCarthy and his wife Wendy Hartman, who have no children, have built a career taking children from their parents under legal guise.

Across Maryland, reports mirror these tactics: false protective orders, venue rigging, ex parte filings—all pointing to a court system being gamed for profit.

This isn’t about custody anymore. This is about control. About taking children from their fathers, manipulating courtrooms, and profiting from the pain. McCarthy does this professionally—with the help of his wife, Wendy Hartman—an attorney at his firm. Notably, the couple has no children of their own. But they’ve built a career deciding who gets to keep theirs.

From lies in court to backroom deals, McCarthy is not just any lawyer. He is a trafficker with a law degree.

Legal Terrorism and the Child Trafficking Question

Advocates have coined the term 'court-enabled child trafficking' to describe what happened in Reichert v. Hornbeck. Through manipulated filings, therapist coordination, and legal gamesmanship, a father was erased—and a child’s voice silenced.

Others call it lawfare: litigation used not to resolve conflict, but to inflict harm. He’s not the only one abusing the system—but he may be its boldest abuser.

Conclusion: The Real Motive

Jeff believes McCarthy’s obsession is personal. 'He knows I’m a better man. A good man. A man he wishes he could have been. And it eats him alive.'

McCarthy’s actions have kept a child from his father for nearly five years. And the court—thanks to his manipulation—has let it happen. His actions in this case have made it obvious to the objective observer that it is rigged and he knew the outcome when he filed this abomination of justice back in July 2020.

It’s time to say it plainly. Brennan McCarthy has no business practicing law. He belongs under investigation. And every ruling tied to his name deserves scrutiny. He has operated without consequence—until now.

This isn’t a hit piece. This is a warning.

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