Back in 2010 7-year-old Aiyana Jones was killed by a Detroit police officer during a home raid.  The officer who killed her has escaped conviction for now.

Officer Joseph Weekley was on trial for involuntary manslaughter for the shooting death of Aiyana Jones during a taping of the A & E reality show “The First 48″.  Wayne County Judge Cynthia Hathaway declared a mistrial in the case earlier this morning after the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict in the case. The judge chose July 25th as the date for the parties involved in the case to reconvene and discuss the possibility of a new trial.

Weekley was part of a team that raided Jones’ home during filming of the A&E reality show “The First 48” on May 16, 2010. Seconds after entering the home, Weekley shot Jones, who was asleep on her grandmother’s couch. During the trial Weekley testified that he shot Jones after her grandmother hit his gun from the couch, and he hadn’t realized he’d fired his weapon until after he returned to the room, MLive.com reported.

Hopefully this case will go back to trial with a  jury that will be able to come to a decision in the case.

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Things continue to go downhill for former NBA player Allen Iverson.  Iverson’s ex-wife Tawanna is accusing him of kidnapping their five children and refusing to tell her where they are.

Tawanna has had sole legal custody of the children since the couple’s divorce was finalized in February.  According to TMZ Tawanna agreed to allow the kids  to go on a vacation with their father to Charlotte, NC from May 22nd- May 26th.  According to her, May 26th came around and the children who range from age 3-16 were never returned to her care.

Tawanna says that she has attempted to set up meetings with her ex to get the kids, but he never shows up.  Tawanna told the court that she believes that Iverson never took the children on vacation, but instead took them to a Sheraton hotel in Georgia.  She is requesting that the courts force him to return the kids, as well as lay down a stiff punishment.

Allen Iverson has also filed documents with the same court disputing his ex-wife’s claims.

Prior to their divorce Tawanna and Allen were married for 11 years and have definitely been through their share of ups and downs.  The judge who presided over the couple’s divorce hearing ordered Allen to see a psychiatrist and attend Alcohol Anonymous meeting as provisions for being able to visit with his children.

It’s always sad when you see two parents fighting like this.  I don’t know every detail of this situation, but it’s plain to see that the kids are the ones who are hurting the most from this situation.  These two adults should be able to come up with an amicable agreement as to when and where each of them will spend time with the children.

There is a court order in place, and regardless of how unfair it may seem, each person has to abide by that order…It’s the law.

I just hope that these two can get it together and find some sort of happy medium for the best interest of their children.

UPDATE: 

A judge has sided with Iverson and decided that he did NOT kidnap his children and Tawanna had full access to the kids.

TMZ reports that Iverson appeared in court last week and told the judge his side of the story.

Allen appeared in Fulton County court in Georgia last Wednesday and told the judge his ex-wife had full access to their kids during their stay at the hotel … and therefore he wasn’t doing anything wrong. We’re told Tawanna also testified that she could have picked up the children from Allen but didn’t want to drive 45 minutes to his location. After A.I.’s testimony, the judge decided the former Philadelphia 76ers star didn’t deserve to be thrown in jail — despite his ex-wife’s request before the hearing. The kids — ranging from ages 3 to 16 — were returned to their mother following the hearing. In fact, sources connected to the case tell TMZ … Allen and his ex have worked out some of their issues … and she has already allowed Allen to spend more private time with the kids.

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Bill Cosby’s Son Honored By His Father (Video)

Bill Cosby’s son was murdered in 1997 during an armed robbery attempt.  Cosby  is one of the most notable fathers in the history of our country.  Through his role as Cliff Huxtable and as a stand up comedian Cosby has touched the lives of people for many decades.  Yesterday Cosby used social media to not only celebrate Father’s day, but to also honor the life of his late son Ennis in a video entitled “Ennis Gift”.  Even though Ennis was killed, his legacy has lived on through his mother, father, and other family members.

The video that Cosby posted is about his son’s struggles with dyslexia and gives information about overcoming the disorder. Folks who struggle with dyslexia can use this documentary as motivation to find their gifts and turn things around in their favor.

Cosby and his wife Camille  are honoring Ennis by shedding light on Dyslexia and helping people get the tools that they need to be successful.  In a statement on his website Cosby said “Ennis William Cosby was our gift.  And his gift is for you.”

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Oprah’s OWN Network Will Premiere “Dark Girls” Documentary

The documentary “Dark Girls”  tackles the controversial topic of skin complexion in the black community.
The film dives deep into the issues of color among African Americans by interviewing dark skinned African Americans who talk about how their own skin color has affected their lives.

The women in the film discuss the obstacles and prejudices that they have come across because of the complexion of their skin.

“Dark Girls” was directed by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry who wanted to give these women the opportunity to tell their stories.  ”Dark Girls” also features interviews with White men who discuss having intimate relationships with Black women as well as conversations with women of Latin and Panamanian descent.

“Dark Girls” will premiere on OWN Sunday, june 23rd at 10pm EST.

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Rapper Nas celebrated his Daughter Destinty’s 19th birthday with her over the weekend. Talk about the perfect Father’s Day gift!

Nas and Destiny hung out Destiny and her friends inside of a suite at the Ritz Carlton hotel, and then accompanied them to dinner.

You may remember, last year Nas dropped his single “Daughters” dedicated to fathers who are raising young girls.

He also appeared on CNN to discuss his thoughts on parenting

Source: Necole Bitchie

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5 Deal Breakers for the Dating Dad

Let’s face it, if you go through a divorce or a rough breakup, it can be a little hard to get back out there and test the waters of new companionship.  Sometimes we get so used to things being a certain way that we don’t want to be bothered with going out into the world and meeting new people.   I must admit that I am constantly asking myself “who has the time to go out and make new friends?” Even though I have never been divorced, or even married for that matter,  I have been through enough break-ups to know how hard it is finding a new mate who you are compatible with.  After a divorce the thought of seeing new faces, the suggestion of having to go into a new environment and meeting new people, or the idea of sitting on the phone with someone and asking those mundane “what’s your favorite food” type of questions can be a bit unsettling.   Truly, the dating scene can be pretty tough water to tread at times, especially if you are recovering from a situation that was so emotionally draining that it felt like your head was spinning off of your body for months at a time.

Whether we want to do it now or not, eventually we all will have to get back out there and see what the world has to offer.  No, let me rephrase that.  We must get back out there and show the world what WE have to offer.  After all of the lawyers have gone home, the family court judge has banged his gavel for the final time, the assets have been divided, and we know that our previous relationship will never be reconciled we must eventually find love again.

In the grand scheme of things there are a plethora of issues for us dads to deal with after we split from our mate.  The most important thing should be what is commonly known as “the best interest of the child”.  Our children should be our first, our last, and our everything.  Not one date that you go on or one dating prospect that you may have should be more important to you than your children.    As fathers we have to be very particular about the women who we allow into our lives and the lives of our children.  If you’re on the market and just looking for the next hot thing, be careful because every personal relationship that we have ultimately affects our children.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to dating I just have certain deal breakers that cause me to totally lose interest in a person and cease all communication with them.  With my daughter around me as much as she is, I simply do not have the desire to mix and mingle with a potential partner who just isn’t on the same page as I am.

He are five deal breakers that every single father should avoid if he is currently dating or looking to date in the near future.

 Number 5 – She Isn’t Supportive Of Your Relationship With Your Kids

One of the things that really grinds my gears about today’s society is that so many people do not understand the impact that a father has on his children’s lives.  There are still some people who think that raising a child is only a woman’s duty and fathers don’t play a major part in the day to day commitments of raising a child.  If you constantly have to explain why you have to do certain things with your kids, or why you have certain obligations with your children that can’t be broken then she is not the one for you.  If she doesn’t understand your desire to be the best possible parent that you can be, she will never understand who you are at your core as a person.

Number 4 – She Doesn’t Get Along Well With Kids

As men we think that every woman has that biological motherly instinct that draws them closer to children. That’s a misconception.  You would be surprised at how many women will say that they don’t get along with children.   Not only do some women not want to have children of their own, some of them don’t even want to take the time to get acquainted with yours.  This decision is perfectly fine for some people, but as fathers we have to have a certain vetting process.  During this process we have to find out what the other person’s feelings are about children and if they willing to eventually accept your children as a part of their life as the relationship grows.

Number 3 – She Carries Baggage From A Previous Relationship

The first thing that anyone should do before stepping into a new relationship is throw out the junk that they are carrying with them from the past.   If you find that you are dating someone who is carrying hidden issues from  their past it’s best to let them go so they can handle those  issues internally before they become a burden on you which could eventually affect your children.

Number 2 – She’s Too Clingy

Some women can go overboard with showing how dedicated they are to a partner.  If she is too clingy it will make it difficult to focus on your own personal needs in addition to those needs that your children have.  You will be constantly trying to make sure that she has every accommodation that she needs, and potentially neglect those of your family.

Number 1 – She Lies

If you can’t trust her to tell you the truth about something, then you most definitely can’t trust her around your children.  The stakes are too high in our society for us to bring people around our children who lack integrity and honesty.  Even if it’s a small lie, don’t stick around.  In the long run it won’t even be worth the headache.

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The Single Father’s Blog would like to say Happy Father’s Day to every reader we have who has stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for raising their children.

Parenthood is not always easy and fun, so we understand how much fathers deserve to be recognized on this day. Our job is to raise our children to be responsible citizens and lead them into greatness.  Nobody ever said that these tasks would be easy, but as dads we are doing it! And we will continue to get the job done minute by minute and day by day.

As a father, I appreciate the kind words from everyone who has wished me a happy father’s day, and I would just like to extend the same courtesy to all of the dads out there making a difference!

Enjoy your day pops!!!

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Singer Robin Thicke recently sat down with New York’s Power 105.1FM to discuss his feelings on being a father.

Thicke, who is married to actress Paula Patton has a toddler who is ready to follow in his dad’s footsteps.

Watch the video below.

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School officials said the boy’s actions were threatening and believed that he was saying that he was going to shoo the other student.  Lynch’s parents received a letter from the vice principal of the school advising them that their son had been suspended for one day due to his actions.  According to the letter, teachers reprimanded Rodney spoke to Rodney on several occasions after he was seen making the gun gesture with his hand.  After the third warning officials suspended him.

Lynch’s parents are attempting to work the issue out with the school district and have their son’s record expunged.

This isn’t the first time that an elementary school student has been suspended for hand gestures.  Back in August 3-year-old Hunter Spanjer who is deaf  was suspended from school because officials said when he said his name in sign language the symbol resembled a gun.

I understand that extra precautions need to be made in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, but sometimes a little bit of common sense can go a long way.  The school administrators rushed to suspend the boy without even talking to the parents to make the aware of the issue.

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Owens, who has had trouble finding a job lately after being cut by several NFL teams hasn’t been keeping up with his child support payments. Terrell Owens child support struggles were documented last year on an episode of Dr. Phil where he was confronted by three of his children’s mothers for not paying support and neglecting his fatherly duties.

According to TMZ, a judge in California recently got fed up with T.O.’s unwillingness to comply with his court ordered payments and found him in contempt of court for falling behind on payments to Kimberly Floyd.

Owens was forced to work at an area Goodwill for 8 hours as punishment

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