North Carolina residents may remember media reports in January 2015 concerning Sarah Palin’s oldest son Track. At that time, he was charged with assaulting his girlfriend Jordan Loewe following an alcohol-fueled domestic dispute on the same day that his mother faced the cameras to give her support to Donald Trump’s presidential bid, and he is now making headlines again.
Loewe filed papers in an Anchorage court on Dec. 28 seeking full custody of the unmarried couple’s infant child. Observers have concluded that Loewe has not forgotten the assault or the events leading up to it and is taking proactive action to protect her newborn child. This will not be the first child custody dispute for him. He is still embroiled in a dispute with his former wife over custody of the couple’s 4-year-old girl. Palin is currently only able to spend four days each month with his daughter and is not permitted to keep her overnight.
The Palin family has had more than their share of media attention in recent years, and Sarah Palin has said that her oldest son’s problems are largely the result of post-traumatic stress disorder related to his military service in Iraq. Police reports indicate that Palin was intoxicated a year ago when he punched his pregnant girlfriend in the face and threatened to end his own life with an assault rifle. Police say that they discovered Loewe cowering under a bed.
Experienced family law attorneys may argue fiercely against any custody or visitation arrangements that leave young children in the company of individuals with a history of substance abuse and domestic violence. Courts make these decisions with the best interests of the child in mind, and attorneys may urge judges to allow supervised parenting time only in situations where noncustodial parents have behaved in ways that could raise serious questions about their temperament and judgment.