Welcome to Unveiled and Uncensored: Investigating Family Court Corruption
Welcome to my Substack, Unveiled and Uncensored, where I expose the hidden truths behind family court corruption, systemic failures, and the injustices perpetuated by agencies like DCFS/CPS. I’m Julie M. Anderson-Holburn, an investigative journalist committed to shedding light on the injustices affecting children, women, and families caught in abusive systems.
My journey into investigative journalism is personal. My case has been documented extensively by journalists Mike Volpe (starting in 2021) and Robert J. Hansen (starting in 2023), who helped expose troubling patterns within Orange County’s family court system. I’ve spoken before the Orange County Board of Supervisors, including Andrew Do ( view here, here, here, and here), and at the California State Capitol, advocating for reform and accountability.
After maintaining sole legal and primary physical custody of my two youngest children for 10 years through adjudicated rulings, everything changed in November 2022 when our case was reassigned to Judge James L. Waltz. In just 45 days, he reversed a decade of court decisions, vacating my renewed DVRO restraining order and sole custody. This reversal forced my children into the custody of their abuser. During a hearing, Waltz made alarming threats, including claims that he had the "pull" to use 20 sheriffs to intimidate my teenage children or send them to juvenile detention if they didn’t comply. His volatile and abusive behavior during the proceedings—including screaming at me while dismissing evidence of a 2021 assault we endured (view here)—was shocking and traumatic.
Jessica St. Clair, brought into our case by Minors Counsel Tracy Willis after the 2021 assault, lied to my teens (view here) and made significant misrepresentations to Waltz, further compounding the harm my children and I experienced. Despite overwhelming evidence, including video footage and body cam recordings, our cries for justice were ignored.
This personal experience, combined with my professional expertise, ignited my passion for investigative journalism. I first started publishing on NewsBreak, where I began exposing systemic failures in family courts, child protective services, officers of the court and judicial conduct. Since then, my work has been featured on platforms such as the Center for Judicial Excellence, and National Safe Parents.
Through this Substack, I aim to dig even deeper. I’ll share thorough investigations, survivor stories, and critical analyses of the policies and practices that perpetuate injustice. My mission is not just to report but to advocate for reform and hold people and institutions accountable.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Together, we can unmask injustice, amplify the voices of those who have been silenced, and push for meaningful change. Let’s make a difference.
Congrats Julie! Best of luck.