Injustice in OC: mom of tar's road to recovery faces unjust & prolonged separation from her kids
The Case of Taran Strong
Originally published on Newsbreak, July 2024.
In a harrowing tale of alleged judicial bias and systemic failure, a mother is fighting to reunite with her children amidst the turmoil and trauma inflicted by the OC Family Court, aka Lamoreaux Justice Center after a car accident left her a quadriplegic and took the life of her youngest daughter.
Taran (“Tar”) Nolan’s case ex‐ poses a distressing pattern of injustice Orange County mothers face and highlights the ur‐ gent need for reform in California family courts and courts nationwide.
The Case Background
Tar Nolan and her husband were married for approximately 15 years. She was the wife of local Costa Mesa, Harbor High School football coach Jimmy Nolan.
On September 10, 2020 Tar and three of her four children were involved in a car accident resulting in the death of the couple’s three year old daughter Micki, and causing Tar to be paralyzed from the neck down, suffering a traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Tar was not expected to ever walk again.
The accident also took the life of Glendora Holmes, a mother driving in the other car.
The Nolans separated in May 2022. After separating from her husband, Tar was granted visitation with the couple's remaining three children.
On July 14, 2022, Dr. Keith Peterson, a custody evaluator on the OC family court approved list, was appointed to conduct a 730 Custody Evaluation, public court records show.
On August 31, 2022 a public court minute order stated "Temporary Orders- Court Orders no visitation for Mother for at least a month to allow for all parties time to have initial therapy sessions. Court would then increase parenting time for Mother starting with 1 hour a day for 2-3 days per week."
This led to Tar’s parenting time never returning and to date she has not seen the children in almost 2 years.
A Mother's Struggle for Justice
Public Court documents stated Dr. Peterson’s custody evaluation was delayed by more than "a year and a half", and recommended "no contact" between Tar and her children, despite substantial evidence of her efforts and improvements. Peterson’s report ignored critical testimony and medical evidence supporting Taran’s capacity to parent and the established mother/child bonds. Findings of licensed medical professionals who treated Tar (not on the OC family court approved list ) were ignored.
These same court documents state that Tar endured severe trauma and experienced depression after the accident and her subsequent living conditions.
Allegedly, Taran’s attempts to secure adequate medical care and follow the court’s recommendations were met with continuous obstacles, including unresponsiveness from appointed OC family court professionals and unfounded accusations of substance abuse. Taran’s use of prescribed medical marijuana for pain management due to her spinal cord injury was significantly misrepresented to the court, and appears to have been used by the family court to prevent Tar from having contact with her children.
Social Media, Harassment and OCDA
Social media has played a con‐ tentious role in this case. Tar’s positive outreach through her Facebook page "Tar's Road to Recovery," which has over 275,000 followers and is aimed at inspiring others with similar brain and spinal cord injuries and struggles, was mischarac‐ terized by Peterson as harmful. Meanwhile, court documents alleged Taran’s ex-husband used social media to portray Tar negatively, contributing to the alienation of their children and compounding the emotional toll on the family.
Similar to the Tawny Minna Grossman case, there is also involvement by The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA). In this case a criminal misdemeanor charge is pending against Tar for speaking to her son. The next court date for this matter is September 10, 2024.
The Move Away Request
In a recent development, public court records reveal "On May 26, 2024, Dr. Peterson, after conducting a short further evaluation, issued his recommendation that Respondent be allowed to move to South Carolina with the children and again, recommended no visitation, no contact with Petitioner Mother," denying Taran contact and any right to parent. This recommendation comes despite Taran’s rigorous compliance with therapeutic rec‐ommendations and her incredi‐ ble strides in her recovery.
Public court minute orders, like the one pictured below, show Bettina Yanez and Barbara Fritz are the minors counsel appointed in this case.
A Superior Court minute order by Presiding Judge Julie Palafox dated June 25, 2024 stated, "Effective 7/15/2024, the assignment of this case to JUDGE SHERRI L. HONER is ordered vacated and the case is reassigned for all purposes to JUDGE GLENN R. SALTER in Department L64 at the Lamoreaux Justice Center."
A Call for Reform
Tar has requested a second evaluation and an evidentiary hearing to determine the best interests of the children, as mandated by law under Evidence Code §733. The next court date is July 16, 2024.
This case underscores the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and adherence to California and US law within the family law system.
The Lamoreaux Justice Center faces increasing scrutiny as more stories like Taran’s emerge, demanding a reevaluation of OC’s practices and policies to ensure that justice is served fairly and impartially.
Conclusion
Taran Nolan’s story is a powerful reminder of the horrors and hardships Orange County mothers face fighting for basic parental rights and to protect their children. And highlights the critical need for judicial reform to protect the rights of parents and ensure the well-being of children. Stay tuned for further updates on this case and other stories of family law injustice.
This ongoing series on the OC family court crisis aims to bring national attention to these systemic issues, advocating for immediate reform and accountability. The time for action is now. It is imperative that lawmakers, the media, and the public unite to demand justice and protection for all families involved.
What are California legislators and authorities doing about this crisis?
Are you for protecting American children and ensuring justice within our legal system?
Contact your legislative representatives, reach out to media outlets, and remember to vote.
Together, we can spark a national movement and bring about massive positive change.
Julie M. Anderson-Holburn is a California-based investigative journalist reporting on family court corruption, judicial abuse, and systemic failures. Her work has appeared in NewsBreak, Substack, the Center for Judicial Excellence, and National Safe Parents. She believes that exposing the truth is the first step to reform. Whistleblowers and victims of family court corruption, please contact this re‐porter at juliea005@proton.me.
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