kylebenzle/ohiofamilycourtwatching

Grab daily court schedule from drj.fccourts.org for Franklin County Family Court

Ohio Family Court Watch Project

Introduction

Ohio's family court system is among the most unequal in the United States, with a notable disparity in custody laws and outcomes. Achieving fairness and equity in these crucial legal proceedings is not just a matter of legal reform, but also of public oversight and accountability. The only way to instigate real change in this broken system is by vigilant monitoring of the courts, documenting any biases, and proactively filing grievances with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, The Supreme Court of Ohio, using the form available at ODC Grievance Form.

This repository hosts a Python-based web scraper designed to extract daily schedules from Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division. By providing transparent and accessible information about court proceedings, we empower citizens to be a part of the solution. We encourage you to use this tool to stay informed about the daily court schedules. When and where possible, please consider showing up in support of equal parenting time and to help hold judges and attorneys accountable.

Project Description

This web scraper automatically navigates to the specified URL, extracts the daily schedule for "Judge Browne - COURTROOM 67", and saves it in a CSV file. This data can be used to track court proceedings, analyze trends, and identify potential areas of bias or inequality in custody cases.

What Can I Do to Help

The best thing any of us can do is to:

1. Understand the System: Try to understand the system and its flaws. The upcoming documentary "We The Parents" is a great resource. Learn more at We The Parents Movie.
2. Join a Community: Connect with like-minded fathers. We are building an online community at Stop Alienation.
3. Advocate for Change: Push for the passage of Ohio House Bill 14, sponsored by Rep. Rodney Creech. Read more about the bill here.
4. Support Lawmakers: Back lawmakers like Rep. Rodney Creech who are fighting for positive change. Learn more about his work here.
5. Court Watching: Sit in on court cases of other parents to show support. Your presence can make a difference.
6. File Grievances: If you encounter any unethical judges or attorneys, file a grievance with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel The Supreme Court of Ohio. The grievance form is available here.

How to Use

1. Installation: Clone this repository and install the required Python packages.
2. Running the Scraper: Execute the script to retrieve the latest court schedule. The data will be saved in a CSV file for easy access and analysis.

Legal Compliance

Before using this tool, please ensure you are in compliance with all relevant legal guidelines and the website's terms of service. This project is meant for educational and monitoring purposes and should be used responsibly.

Support and Collaboration

We welcome collaboration and support from legal experts, data analysts, and activists. If you have suggestions or want to contribute to the project, please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is open-source and available under LICENSE.

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to all volunteers and contributors who dedicate their time and effort to ensure fairness and transparency in the Ohio family court system.

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Together, we can work towards a more equitable legal system and ensure that the rights and interests of all parties are fairly represented and protected.