Parents File Formal Notice Alleging Systemic Bias and Conflicts Inside Saratoga County Family Court

TVOTT Hillbilly News has reviewed a formally submitted legal notice dated January 15, 2026, addressed directly to Saratoga County Family Court judges Amy J. Knussman, Heather N. Brondi, and Michael J. Hartnett.

The document, signed by Saratoga County parents Ethan D. Smith and Jennifer L. Dees, places the Court on formal notice of what they describe as grave ethical, constitutional, and due process concerns stemming from long-standing insider relationships and publicly funded legal roles repeatedly appearing before the same judges.

According to the filing, the issue is not a single case or isolated disagreement, but a systemic pattern in which judges, county attorneys, DSS counsel, and assigned publicly funded attorneys rotate roles within a closed local network. The authors argue that this structure creates an intolerable risk of bias and undermines both the appearance and reality of judicial neutrality in family court proceedings.

Central to the allegations is Paul Pelagalli, a former judge now appearing in a publicly funded county and DSS legal capacity. The notice claims Mr. Pelagalli has appeared repeatedly before judges with whom he previously held professional and institutional relationships, without consistent on-the-record disclosures to families involved in those proceedings.

The document argues that family court cases rely heavily on judicial discretion, credibility assessments, and interim orders that can immediately alter custody, parenting time, and parental rights. In such a setting, the authors state that even the appearance of bias or undisclosed relationships compromises due process and the legitimacy of court outcomes.

The filing further alleges that during his tenure as a judge, Mr. Pelagalli admitted on the record to approving double billing and the placement of publicly funded attorneys into cases where they were not authorized to act as state-paid representatives. The notice asserts that this conduct reflects a broader misuse of public funding streams tied to family court outcomes.

“This is not inside baseball,” the document states in substance, warning that when courts dismiss insider relationships as “known,” “routine,” or “local practice,” families are deprived of their constitutional right to meaningfully object, seek recusal, or challenge conflicts they were never told about.

The notice calls for immediate corrective measures, including:

• Mandatory, on-the-record disclosure of all professional, supervisory, political, and financial relationships when repeat institutional actors appear before the Court

• A meaningful opportunity for litigants to raise conflict concerns without fear of retaliation

• Required recusal when impartiality may reasonably be questioned

• Preservation of records related to appearances, assignments, funding authorizations, and voucher practices for potential audits and oversight review

The authors emphasize that due process does not require parents to prove actual corruption. Under New York law, they argue, due process is violated when circumstances create a serious risk of bias or the reasonable appearance of partiality—particularly in proceedings affecting fundamental family rights.

The filing concludes with a formal preservation notice, warning the Court that any failure to retain relevant records could be treated as an aggravating factor in future audits, complaints, or litigation.

At the time of publication, Saratoga County Family Court has not issued a public response to the allegations outlined in the notice. TVOTT Hillbilly News will update this story if official statements or court actions are taken.

One thing is clear: when parents formally accuse a family court system of structural bias, misuse of public funds, and constitutional failures—and put those claims on the record—those concerns deserve sunlight, not silence.