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Motion For Contempt Filed Against Father Of West Hartford Teen Justina Pelletier

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) has filed a motion for Lou Pelletier, the father of 15-year-old Justina Pelletier, to be held in con...
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Justina Pelletier is at the center of an ongoing legal custody battle between the State of Massachusetts and her parents in Connecticut.

She’s been away from her parents and under Massachusetts state custody since Feb. 14, 2013.

Judge Joseph Johnston issued a gag order on Nov. 7, 2013 when FOX CT was outside the courtroom asking questions.

After speaking exclusively with FOX CT before the gag order in October, Lou Pelletier began speaking publicly once again after the gag order following the most recent court hearing on February 4th.

Lou Pelletier has since made a national television appearance on the Glenn Beck Program and spoken on Glenn Beck’s radio show.

Sources say the motion for contempt references articles on www.theblaze.com and the NY Daily News, citing them as violations of the gag order.

It’s unclear what punishments Pelletier could face if the Judge decides to honor the motion for contempt.

Lou Pelletier has previously told FOX CT that the gag order surprised him because he believes that in April 2013, both DCF and Boston Children’s Hospital were aware that a Massachusetts newspaper was working on a story about Justina’s case.

Pelletier said it wasn’t until seven months later, when FOX CT was in the courthouse that the judge verbally issued the gag order.

Lou and Linda Pelletier lost custody of Justina after she was admitted to Boston Children’s Hospital on Feb. 10, 2013 with the flu.

She was diagnosed by physicians at Tufts Medical Center years earlier with Mitochondrial Disease, a condition that affects cells and presents itself as muscle pain in weakness in various parts of the body.

But according to internal documents obtained by FOX CT, Boston Children’s Hospital physicians said Justina had a mental condition called somatoform disorder.

After the Pelletiers asked to have her discharged, they were escorted out by hospital security.  A 51A form was filed by the hospital, beginning the process of transferring custody of Justina to DCF.

The Mass. DCF stepped in and by February 14th a judge had transferred custody of Pelletier to the state of Massachusetts DCF.

Pelletier remained inside Boston Children’s Hospital against her will and the will of her parents until mid-January 2014 at which time she was transferred to the Wayside Family and Youth Support Network facility in Framingham, Massachusetts.

The next scheduled court date is Monday February 24th.

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