(Correction) Connie Reguli, Middle Tennessee attorney, DCS critic, active Republican, goes on trial July 12.

by Rod Williams, July 8, 2021- If you are active in middle Tennesee conservative and Republican political activities you probably have met Connie Reguli.  She is an attorney who practices family law.  She is a regular attendee at First Tuesday and other Republican gatherings.  At the recent contentious convention of the Tennessee Republican Assembly, she served as the legal advisor for the convention. 

Connie Reguli also heads a national group called Family Forward Foundation. The mission statement of the organization says: "The Family Forward Foundation is a national organization dedicated to the rights of familial integrity, and the rights of parents and children to be free from unreasonable intrusion of the government, as protected by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution."  

Connie Reguli has been an outspoken critic of the Department of Children's Services and has testified before state lawmakers, calling for DCS reform. She also is a national spokesman for children and parental rights and often speaks at conferences across the country. 

Connie Reguli will be in court on Monday, July 12, in Williamson County.  Being in court is common for a lawyer, however, in this instance, Reguli is not defending an accused or representing a client, she is on trial. 

In July, 2019 Connie was representing Wendy Hancock who was fighting DCS in an attempt to regain custody of her children.  Connie had let Wendy and one of her children move in with her or maybe Wendy was just visiting Connie to discuss her case. Available information reports it both ways.  In any event, Connie Hancock had an outstanding warrant and she was arrested at Connie's house and Connie was charged with a crime.  She was arrested for "custodial interference."

Connie says she was doing nothing more than assuring her client's due process rights were protected. Connie claims her arrest is retaliation for her role as a critic of DHS calling for reform. 

Connie posted to Facebook, "So for y'all who watched this debacle....the case goes to the jury on Monday, July 12, at 9:00 in the Williamson County Courthouse. We should let FOX news local know. It is a public court, so anyone who wants to wander in can do so. I know I have a few who wanted to and can show up. 135 4th Ave. N, Franklin TN,"

From what I can gather, Connie Reguli was arrested for doing no more than what a good lawyer should do to represent their client. Having heard horror stories about how DCS fails to protect children and how abusive the system can be of the rights of parents, I tend to believe Connie's charge that she is a victim of DCS retaliation.  I think I will attend her jury trial.  

For more on this story see, link, link, link, link, link.

Correction, July 15, 2021 -It was not Connie Reguli who was on trial. It was Wendy Handcock. She was charged with custodial interference and Connie was her attorney at the time.  Connie was charged with accessory to custodial interference or abetting custodial interference or some such charge. Connie had to testify at Wendy's trial.  If Wendy would have been found not guilty, then charges would have been dropped against Connie because that would mean there was no custodial interference and thus no crime to which Connie would have been an accessory. Wendy was found guilty.  Connie will now go on trial. Look for an update. 

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