September, 2011 | Pennsylvania Family Law Blog - The Law Offices of Sheryl R. Rentz Archive

Former Major League Baseball Slugger Facing Criminal Prosecution on Charges of Domestic Violence

By Sheryl Rentz on September 30, 2011

Manny Ramirez, a former World Series MVP who retired this year after allegations of substance abuse, is facing domestic violence charges for allegedly slapping his wife during an argument, according to The Huffington Post. The former baseball star could be sentenced to up to one year in jail for misdemeanor domestic battery charges.

Domestic violence is against the law, whether it involves physical or emotional abuse, and whether it is directed at a spouse or a child. Ramirez was arrested after his wife called 911, stating that she had been hit in the face and head, which now had a bump, during an argument with her husband. She made the call for fear that the violence would escalate. After determining that she was safe from further harm, the dispatcher sent law enforcement to the home. It is unknown whether there have been previous incidents of domestic violence. Read the rest »

Actor Matt Roth Files for Divorce from Former Roseanne Star Wife Laurie Metcalf

By Sheryl Rentz on September 26, 2011

Laurie Metcalf, who played Roseanne’s sister Jackie Harris in the popular TV series Roseanne and most recently played the character of Sheldon’s mother on the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, is divorcing Mike Roth, her actor husband of six and a half years, according to People magazine. The couple had met on the set of Roseanne where Roth played the abusive younger boyfriend of Laurie Metcalf’s character. Read the rest »

U.S. Census Report Finds that Over 7 Million Children Live with Grandparents

By Sheryl Rentz on September 20, 2011

According to the U.S. Census Bureau report entitled “Living Arrangements of Children: 2009,” approximately 7.8 million children lived with at least one grandparent that year. This is a substantial increase from the 4.7 million that lived with at least one grandparent in 1991. According to a GoErie.com news article, social workers, nonprofit groups and demographers attribute this trend to high pregnancy and divorce rates, young adults struggling with the economy, increased alcohol and drug abuse, and various other factors.

Pennsylvania, which has one of the highest concentrations of grandparents in the U.S. according to the Census, is following this trend. In fact, in 2010, almost 200,000 children were living with a grandparent in Pennsylvania. In the same year, 4,221 children were living with a grandparent and no parent in Erie County with 50 percent of the children being younger than 5-years-old. Although raising children can be a struggle for some grandparents, many choose to pursue such an arrangement in the best interests of the child. Read the rest »

U.S. Census Counts Pennsylvania among States with Lowest Divorce Rates

By Sheryl Rentz on September 7, 2011

In a report entitled “Marital Events of Americans: 2009,” the U.S. Census Bureau identifies regional trends in divorce rates for men and women, according to The Huffington Post. The findings are based on 2009 data from the American Community Survey. The report concludes that the South has the highest divorce rates for men and women and the Northeast has the lowest.

According to the Census Bureau, the South includes Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Oklahoma. In this region, there are 10.2 divorces per 1,000 men and 11.1 per 1,000 women. These rates exceed the 2009 national averages for men and women, which are respectively 9.2 per 1,000 and 9.7 per 1,000. According to a Census family demographer, the higher divorce rates are largely due to the region’s higher marriage rates. Read the rest »