When Justice Betrays Survivors: The Incarceration of Julie Valadez and the Family Court Crisis
In a nation that prides itself on liberty, fairness, and equal justice under the law, a tragic paradox is unfolding in Walworth County, Wisconsin. Julie Valadez—a mother of four, a domestic violence survivor, and a vocal advocate for family court reform—is sitting behind bars tonight. Her crime? Being the mother her son allegedly ran toward in desperation, fleeing abuse.
Valadez did not abduct her son. She did not defy a court order to incite chaos. Her teenage child acted independently—trying to escape an allegedly abusive situation at his father’s home. And now, Julie is facing two felony counts of interfering with child custody and a $500,000 cash bail, an amount so excessive it is typically reserved for violent offenders or flight risks.
Judicial Overreach: When Family Court Judges Play Prosecutor
This case is not simply about one parent. It is about a systemic failure rooted in family court culture—a culture where due process is often ignored, and protective parents are treated as criminals without the rights and safeguards of a criminal defendant.
The legal chaos began in Waukesha County, where Judge Michael J. Aprahamian stripped Julie of custody and banned contact with her children despite evidence of domestic violence. That decision was overturned in 2024 by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, which found Aprahamian had unlawfully violated Julie’s parental rights and demonstrated bias against her as a survivor.
This wasn’t a one-time lapse. In 2022, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Aprahamian had previously been rebuked by the appellate court for similar misconduct in another case involving a domestic abuse victim. The court found that he showed bias, disregarded evidence, and acted improperly in denying protection to a mother and child.
🔗 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 25, 2022
“Waukesha County judge showed bias against domestic violence victim, appeals court finds”
Despite this, the case was passed to Judge Jennifer Dorow, who has allowed the underlying orders to stand. Julie’s children remain out of reach. Now, Walworth County prosecutors are seeking to imprison her for up to 25 years—for a situation she did not create.
Criminalizing Mothers for Survival: A National Pattern
Julie’s teenage son reportedly fled his father’s custody and crossed into Canada to find safety with his mother. That act—by a minor—has now been reframed as a criminal offense by Julie, despite no evidence she orchestrated it.
According to a June 10, 2025 report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Julie was extradited from Canada and booked into Walworth County Jail, where she now awaits trial under a $500,000 cash bond.
🔗 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 10, 2025
“Waukesha's Julie Valadez held on $500K cash bond in child custody case”
Unfortunately, Julie’s experience is not unique.
A 2022 investigation by ProPublica titled “She Said Her Husband Was Abusive. A Judge Took Away Her Kids and Ordered Her Arrest” documented a disturbingly similar pattern. Mothers reporting domestic violence are frequently disbelieved, punished, or jailed, while abusers are rewarded with custody or court sympathy. The piece exposed judicial retaliation, lack of trauma-informed practice, and a system that flips the script—treating survivors as offenders.
🔗 Source: ProPublica, Feb. 2022
“She Said Her Husband Was Abusive. A Judge Took Away Her Kids and Ordered Her Arrest.”
Julie’s case fits squarely into this growing national pattern. As in the ProPublica story, she is now suffering both legal punishment and public isolation for trying to protect her children—while enduring further trauma in a jail cell.
The Voices of Advocates and Witnesses
In a recent op-ed on Medium, organizer Luz Sosa called the charges against Julie “a political and punitive prosecution designed to break a protective mother.” Sosa has rallied public attention, describing Julie’s detention as “a state-backed retribution campaign against a woman who refused to be silent.”
🔗 Source: Luz Sosa on Medium, May 2025
“When a Mother Protects Her Children, the System Puts Her in Jail”
Her account details years of retaliatory court actions, unjust contempt orders, denial of accommodations, and failures to enforce due process—all of which have now escalated into felony charges.
Conclusion: Free Julie Valadez
Julie Valadez’s story is no longer just a local custody matter. It is now a test of the credibility of the family and criminal justice systems. She is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on July 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM in Walworth County. She is being held in a jail cell for a situation her child initiated—a child who allegedly fled abuse.
The American justice system is not meant to punish survival. It is not meant to ignore abuse, silence witnesses, and incarcerate those asking for help.
But unless this case is stopped—unless charges are dropped, and judges held accountable—that’s exactly what it will continue to do.
To support Julie Valadez:
Julie Valadez (18214)
Walworth County Jail
1770 County Road NN
Elkhorn, WI 53121
Donate to Julie’s legal defense fund:
👉 GoFundMe – Justice for Julie Valadez: Help a Mother Fight for Freedom
This isn’t just about one mother. It’s about whether justice can survive in a courtroom that silences the abused and rewards the abuser. Free Julie Valadez.
Unbelievable, the exploitation machine , they just don’t stop putting the hurt on people. We really need Divorce to sever economic attachment. Once the spicket is off , the weeds will die .