Customer Reviews

Hilary's Trial: The Elizabeth Morgan Case : A Child's Ordeal in America's Legal System

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Groner's book is a painstakingly detailed, but highly readable account of the history of the custody dispute which riveted America in the late eighties and early nineties. The principals were a successful DC area plastic surgeon--Elizabeth Morgan--and an almost equally successful dental surgeon--Eric Foretich. Almost as important as the principals in the case were the army of lawyers and experts each enlisted to support their cause.

Groner does not conceal his conclusions about where the truth lay in the dispute. I think if one had to rely on what the parents or their experts said it would be nearly impossible to decide what was true. Both sets of grandparents were actively involved with Hilary and with the dispute, however. The contrast between the role, character and testimony of Eric's parents and Elizabeth's was persuasive for me.

I'm sorry to see this book is now remaindered or available only used. I think it would be worth reprinting.

HILARY'S TRIAL is Jonathan Groner's densely researched and professionally written account of what has to be among the worst child custody cases ever. The combatants, D.C. area doctors Elizabeth Morgan and Eric Foretich were married in 1982 shortly before the birth of their - thankfully - only child, Hilary. They separated in 1983 and Morgan filed for custody and child support. This was the first shot in a war that lasted 7 years and consisted of court cases, and appeals of court cases, and appeals of the appeals so numerous and simultaneous that it becomes impossible to separate one from the other.
The main thrust of the case became Morgan's certainty - a certainty that court cases failed to substantiate and the book implies was baseless - that Foretich was sexually abusing Hilary, an infant at the time. And to make matters more confusing, a year or so after Morgan's campaign began, Sharon Foretich, Eric's second wife who had also been involved in visitation disputes with Eric over their daughter, Heather, began claiming that Eric had sexually abused Heather as well. This led to more court cases during the same period of time as those involving Morgan and Hilary.

HILARY'S TRIAL is a thoroughly frustrating book. The main players are not likable. Sharon Foretich seems ditzy, less than bright, and probably in it for the money, once she saw what Morgan's strategy.
Eric is a serial husband.
And Elizabeth Morgan is the main piece of lunatic work in the story. She is portrayed as delusional, histrionic, smug, narcissistic, and as self-righteous as one can get. And though she professed to be concerned only with Hilary's welfare, she refused to compromise with Eric in the smallest detail; sabotaged Hilary's visitation with Eric; made increasingly outrageous charges against Eric and his family; and would not accept any professional opinion that did not fit her preconceived scenario of Eric as a child-abusing monster.

To try to provide a brief summary, this book includes numerous psychiatric and psychological visits for both Hilary and Heather most of them for the purposes of providing ammunition for the parents' cases rather than to effect any positive benefit to the children. Not to mention, the inordinate number of times both little girls had to suffer the indignities of being poked, prodded, and measured by gynecologists and "child sex abuse experts" Remember that these girls were about 2 and 7 when this 6-year nightmare began.
It includes fabricated charges of incest between Eric and his father and considerable information about both the Foretich and Morgan families. Elizabeth's father, William, comes across as an angry and out of control nut case, who at one point - when one of the many professionals with whom Hilary dealt said to her, "See you later, alligator," - screamed, "Don't ever call Hilary an alligator again!"
And it also includes the incarceration of Elizabeth Morgan for contempt of court for over 2 years.
And this only skims the surface.

This book is a thoroughly researched look at a battle which seemingly became more a fight between the adults which is interesting on a number of levels: the amazing selfishness of the parents involved; the massive drain on and manipulation of the legal system; and - most of all - the years of madness visited on two innocent young girls.
Hence the title, HILARY'S TRIAL, as Hilary and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Heather were, in psychological and emotional terms, the real victims in the war between their parents.

This is an incredible book written by an attorney about the long, bitter, and pathetic custody battle over a young girl named Hilary. The parents are both surgeons but act like two buzzards fighting over a piece of meat. The book pulls you in and each turn of event becomes more shocking and egregious. I would recommend this to any one with an interest in child custody and as a cautionary tale for parents about to begin this process. I can just see the esteemed Dr. Elizabeth Morgan chasing after her husband down the driveway with a tape recorder thrust in his face trying to capture him saying anything she could use against him. Dr. Morgan was clearly a weirdo, sharing bath time with her 68 year old mother. Her father, even as a psychologist, gets in on all the action diagnosing child molestations all over the place. What a bunch of dysfunctional lunatics but it makes for very interesting reading.

this is an appalling, but fascinating story about the child custody case from hell. the massive-ness and unbelievable bitterness of the litigation, with various suits proceeding simultaneously in d.c., virginia, and federal courts, is truly astounding to read about. and elizabeth morgan, the cause celebre at the center of it all, comes across as flat-out nuts. the dad is not very likeable himself, but he gets screwed so royally, it's hard not to end up feeling sorry for him. especially since he never did end up getting any visitation w/ the daughter and was permanently written out of her life.

of course the girl herself, obviously, was the huge loser in this dickens-like custody case, which spanned the decades and the various courts. the sheer number of psychiatric tests, court-ordered evaluations, and vaginal exams makes you weep for the this toddler.

in a postscript to the case, a federal appeals court finally ruled in 2003 that the Congressional act freeing morgan was unconstitutional. which was a victory for the dad, but only a symbolic one, since he never did get any sort of relationship w/ the daughter.

the girl at the center of the dispute is 22, as of 2004, and goes by the name ellen morgan (birth name was hilary foretich). it's incredible story, and an excellent non-fiction book. there's also a fascinating side angle about the d.c. superior court judge, a young african-american named herbert dixon jr., who wound up in the stalemate w/ elizabeth morgan. he refused to budge, even in the face of a national firestorm over his contempt order. i don't know what kind of judge he has turned out to be, but he was right on the money in this case and caught a lot of flak for it.