Unlawfully held in contempt

[anniebear]

My husband filed a protection order against his daughter's mother because his daughter, who is 7 years old, told many people that her mother hits her, locks her in her bedroom and touches her private area. The PFA was denied and exceptions were filed. A second PFA was filed because the mother came to our home threatening to kill her daughter. This was witnessed by a neighbor. the exceptions to the first PFA and the new PFA were to be heard on the same day. the judge sent us his order a few days after the hearing. it stated that exceptions were heard and they were dismissed. Nothing about the second PFA was mentioned in the order. According to the temporary PFA it is in affect for one year until heard and notice given. the mother filed a contempt hearing for custody because her attorney was under the impression that the second PFA was dropped even though nobody had written proof of that. At the contempt hearing the judge(who was from a different county that the PFA judge) held my husband in contempt and fined him $500 and made him give his child back to the mother. He ordered this on the word of the mother's attorney even though he had no paperwork proving that. The judge said he assumes that the other judge just forgot to state anything about the new PFA but he meant to. We feel this was totally wrong and we need to know if anything can be done. Please help!!!!!

[aaron]

Consider petitioning the court to set aside the contempt finding. It will probably help considerably to use a lawyer.