Jason Pruitt

Hi Jason, thanks for reaching out. I'm here to help gather some information about your situation so the firm's attorneys can take a look. I'm an AI agent, not a lawyer, but I'll do my best to make sure everything important gets captured so the firm can review it and reach out if they can help. Go ahead and tell me, in your own words, what's going on. What brought you here today?

my ex took my kids to arizona without telling me and now im getting papers from a court out there. we have a custidy order here in ohio. how is this legal

That sounds really stressful, Jason, finding out your kids are in another state and then getting court papers from there. I'm not able to give legal advice, but I want to make sure we capture everything so an attorney can give you proper guidance. Let's start with the papers from Arizona. When did you get them, and what do they say at the top, like the name of the court and what kind of case it is?

got them tuesday the 20th certified mail says superior court maricopa county arizona. shes asking to stay out there w the kids and change parenting time

Got it, so that would be Tuesday, October 20 of this year. Do the papers list a hearing date, or a deadline for you to respond?

yeah says i got 20 days to respond hearing is dec 3 do i have to go to arizona for court

I understand why you'd want to know that. It's a question for the attorney, and they can go over it with you once they've seen the whole picture. I can't speak to deadlines, but the firm will see these dates when it reviews your intake and will reach out if they can help. Now let's talk about the Ohio custody order. Which county is it from, when was it entered, and what does it say about where the kids live and your parenting time, as you understand it?

montgomery county ohio. we got divorced in 2023 we have shared parenting. kids go back and forth every other week w each of us all there stuff is here. mason and lily lived in dayton there whole lives untill she took them

Thanks, Jason. When did the kids leave for Arizona, and how did you find out they were gone?

saturday august 8 she TEXTED me after she was already gone. didnt say a word before. i had the kids the week before that and then just gone moved to mesa to be by her sister isnt this basically kidnapping??

I can hear how upsetting this has been. Whether it counts as that is a question for the attorney. I'll make sure they see that you're asking it. So that was Saturday, August 8 of this year. Do you still have that text, and what did she say in it?

idk the exact words i dont remember just that they moved to arizona to be by her sister i was so pissed i couldnt even think

That makes sense, it's hard to think clearly in a moment like that. Do you still have that text on your phone?

idk honestly i'd have to look. i might of deleted a bunch of her texts after

Okay, thanks. Before we go further, is there anything going on between you and her, or in either household, that affects your safety or the kids' safety?

no nothing like that kids are safe w me. ive never hurt them or her the only thing hurting them is her dragging them 2000 miles from there dad

Thank you for answering that. Since August 8, have you done anything about the move, like filing something with the court in Montgomery County or contacting the police?

i called dayton police in august they said its a CIVIL MATTER and thats it. nothing they could do havent filed anything in ohio. nothing since the divorce didnt know what to do

That sounds like a lot to deal with on your own. Can you tell me your ex's name, and how old Mason and Lily are?

kelsey pruitt mason is 9 lily is 6

Thanks. Since they moved, have you had any contact with Mason and Lily, like phone calls, video chats, or visits?

just video calls. like twice a week WHEN she lets me. no visits i havent hugged my kids since august

I'm sorry, Jason. That's a really hard thing to carry. Take whatever time you need. When you say video calls happen when she lets you, has there been a stretch where you asked for a call and didn't get one?

idk exact times sometimes she says there busy or already asleep i dont remember dates or nothing

That's okay, you don't need exact dates. Have you talked to or hired a lawyer about this, either in Ohio or Arizona? And do you know if Kelsey has a lawyer?

no i havent talked to any lawyer. this is the first thing ive done idk if she has one. i didnt see

Okay, thanks. Does the divorce order include child support, and if so, who pays whom, and has that been paid since the move?

i pay her support im behind tho. like 1800 got laid off from the plant in june. got a new job in september so im working again but shes the one who took the kids so

Got it. How much is the monthly support amount, and have you gotten any notice from the support agency or the court about being behind?

idk the exact amount off the top of my head no notice that i know of. not that i seen

Okay. In the Arizona papers, does Kelsey give any reasons for why she wants to stay there with the kids or change parenting time?

idk i didnt read every page its a lot of legal crap something about being near her sister i didnt see the whole thing honestly

That's understandable, those papers can be a lot. Has there ever been a criminal charge, a protective order, or a report to children's services involving you, at any point?

ok yeah march 2024 i got arrested for drunk driving pleaded to reckless op. license suspended 6 months kids were NOT in the car nothing else. no protective order no childrens services nothing

Thanks for being upfront about that. Is that case fully finished now, with nothing still pending? And these days, how much do you drink, if at all?

far as i know its done. license is back the drinking thing idk what u want me to say. i dont really know how to answer that its not like ill be drinking around my kids

That's fine, there's no right answer you need to give. Moving on, where did Mason and Lily go to school in Dayton, and do you know if they're enrolled in school in Mesa now?

i can get u the dayton school name later my heads all over the place rn mesa idk. she wont tell me nothing about there school i assume there enrolled somewhere

That's okay. What are you hoping for here, as far as where the kids live and your time with them?

i want them BACK in ohio back to how it was. every other week w me they belong here. there whole life is here

I understand. What's your new job, and how would your work schedule fit with having the kids every other week?

factory work again different plant. started in september id make it work. id figure it out ok i missed 2 of my weeks in the spring bc of overtime but that was money for THEM

Thanks for mentioning that. Was that this past spring, and when you missed those two weeks, did the kids stay with Kelsey? Were there any other weeks you missed?

yeah this spring yeah they stayed w her no other ones i dont think. just those 2

Okay, got it. Do either Mason or Lily have any health issues or special needs, and do you know whether Kelsey is working in Arizona?

no health stuff that i know of. there healthy kids idk if shes working. she dont tell me nothing

Okay. Since getting the Arizona papers, have you sent anything back to that court, or signed anything from Kelsey or her side?

no nothing havent sent anything or signed anything havent even talked to her about it

Okay, thanks Jason. You've given a clear picture. Is there anything else you'd like the firm to know about this? It's fine if there's nothing more.

no i think thats it i just want my kids back please have someone call me. i dont want to miss that 20 days

Thanks for reaching out, Jason, and for being so open while you went through all of this. The firm will review what you shared, including the dates on the Arizona papers, and will reach out if they can help. Take care.

ok thanks just please dont let this sit. those 20 days are going fast

I understand, Jason. Your intake will go to the firm with the date you got the papers and the 20-day time limit, so they'll see how soon it is.