Domestic Violence Homicide and Custody
Today, the The News Item published an article about Richard Curran seeking custody of his children. In 2005, Curran murdered his ex-wife, also the mother of their children. He was sentenced in 2008 to serve a life sentence and is currently incarcerated in SCI-Albion, Erie County. He filed a petition asking for periods of partial physical custody of their two daughters, ages 16 and 12, which would include visits at the correctional institution where he is housed. This may seem surprising, but Pennsylvania's laws allow for any person to file for almost anything through the court system and then at a hearing must assert their legal basis for filing that paperwork. Currently, Pennsylvania's custody law states the following about parents convicted of murder in the first degree, as Richard Curran was. § 5303. Award of custody, partial custody or visitation. (b.2) Parent convicted of murder. --No court shall award custody, partial custody or visitatio...