Mother In Myers Ad Comments on Story - Response From Judge Langton

A news story on KGVO on Monday prompted a response from the woman who voiced a radio spot for Robert Myers who is running for the District Judge position now held by Jeffrey Langton.

KGVO is not revealing the woman's name to protect the identity of a minor child who is a main focus of the story, in which the woman blames Judge Langton for placing her 11 year-old child with a man who eventually caused her pregnancy.

The woman said she was living in Shelby when Ravalli County authorities came to take her children back to Hamilton, where they were placed under the guardianship of the man who was eventually prosecuted for sexually assaulting the child.

"I was called down to the police department and handed a stack of papers, and was told my children were gone and they were on their way to Ravalli County," she said. "The papers accused me of all kinds of stuff that came from my stepmother and my father, and there was no truth to that."

She said Judge Langton violated the law by removing her children and placing them in Ravalli County.

"He violated the law and just went with the one side, and I don't think he was very fair," she said. "There was no warning, no investigation, just some paperwork that said I've got your kids, and that's that."

What upset the woman in the story that was published over the weekend, was that she felt that the two county officials, Fulbright and Hoffman, revealed too much information about the victim.

"When Mr. Myers and I did this ad, he made sure to spare my daughter anything, so that nobody could pinpoint who it was, and what upset me was that they made sure to say it was her grandfather who did this," she said. "So now people can say 'I know who that little girl is', and when they blamed me, I was horrified."

KGVO asked why such an inflammatory story was made public just days before an election.

"I didn't know where to go with after leaving my children, and I didn't have any money, and I saw on Facebook and I started talking with Mr. Myers, and he gave me an opportunity for me to tell my story."

The woman did take some responsibility for leaving her children with her family, but said the county must also bear some responsibility for what happened to her daughter.

"I did let my children go live with my parents, that I did, and I thought that my father had changed, so I gave it a chance. That was my fault. But, as soon as I heard of the physical abuse, I called the DFS and Ravalli County Sheriff and nobody would do anything. I had to physically come down and break my order, and steal my children away from my father. I do want to give a shout out to Ravalli County Deputies Albright and Potter, they were just great."

In response, KGVO contacted Judge Jeffrey Langton, who related his history with the case.

"The grandfather and his wife and filed a parenting action, stating that the children had lived with them for quite some time, and that the mother had placed the children with them. The children had stayed with them long enough that they had developed a 'parental interest', which is something the courts recognize," Langton said. "The mother had an attorney, and never voiced any opposition to the venue being here in Ravalli County."

Langton said the initial accusation of sexual contact was investigated, and a social worker was dispatched to the home.

"The girl denied that it had occurred, he denied it occurred and they found it to be unsubstantiated, and closed the case," he said. "The first time I found out, from the mother, or anyone else for that matter, that this man had some history of sexual misconduct, was after he had committed the offense, been arrested, tried and convicted and was awaiting sentencing. That's when I first found out about it."

Langton said the mother's version of the hearing was untrue.

"I don't know what's motivating the mother to make these statements about what happened at the hearing, but I can tell you that that part is flat out false," he said. "Everything in the hearing was recorded, and her attorney never claimed that his client had been abused by her father."

Langton repeated the assertion that Robert Myers has a history of being dishonest.

"Mr. Myers had been out there trying to dredge up whatever vile rumors that he can and then he gives them legs and throws them out there as fact," he said. "He has a track record of being dishonest and this is the most recent manifestation. I don't know what's motivating this woman, but that's the way it is."

The election is Tuesday.