W-b Solicitor Leaving Post For New Job 
Marisue Elias Reportedly Will Head The Great Valley Alliance, Whose Task Is To
Develop A Technology-based Economy.

40 Who've Shaped The Area Sought By Renita Fennick Renitaf@leader.net

By DAVID WEISS dweiss@leader.net
 Tuesday, January 09, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 5A 





WILKES-BARRE - Dawn Higgins moved to Florida to avoid legal hassles over
the custody of her child with the child's father, her ex-husband testified
Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The testimony by Michael Peranto came in the second day of testimony in a
contempt hearing against Higgins. She is accused of violating Luzerne County
Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr.'s order, directing
Higgins to give the boy's paternal grandmother, Patricia Windt, visitation
rights. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The 8-year-old boy's father, Todd Windt, died in an industrial accident in
August 1999. Patricia Windt, of Conyngham Township, has filed for visitation
rights. Todd Windt never married Higgins and, before his death, had no
relationship with his son, said Higgins of Wright Township. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Patricia Windt sought court-ordered visitation of her grandson in May. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Higgins said it was only after Windt hired an attorney to file suit
regarding her son's death that she decided to have a relationship with her
grandson - several years after Brandon was born. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 State law permits grandparents to seek visitation or custody if the parents
divorce or separate, if the child lived with the grandparents for a year or
more or if a parent is deceased. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Windt said Higgins has foiled her attempts to establish a relationship with
Brandon - including the move to Florida. Higgins has said she and her family
moved to Florida out of fear of Todd Windt and his repeated threats. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Olszewski will issue his ruling at 2 p.m. Thursday. He will decide whether
Higgins was in contempt of court and will issue an interim order for the
visitation until the conclusion of the trial scheduled for the matter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Peranto, of Brown Street in Wilkes-Barre, said he met Higgins in January
1993. He moved to Florida with Higgins and her family and later married and
had a child with her. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Under questioning from one of Windt's attorneys, Joe Yeager, Peranto said
Higgins told her she was moving because of some legal problem with Brandon's
father. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``She just wanted to keep the child to herself,'' Peranto said. ``The court
battles were too much of a hassle.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He also said he never tried to fight for custody of their son, Taylor,
because Higgins had threatened to leave the state ``twice as fast'' as she did
to Todd Windt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Higgins' attorney, Richard Orloski, has argued that it is a parent's
constitutional right to decide whether the child should go for the visits.
Olszewski is taking away Higgins' constitutional right by trying to play the
role of ``super parent,'' Orloski said Monday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I'm doing my best to take the appropriate evidence and make the right
decision,'' Olszewski said. ``And I'm going to continue doing that until
somebody stops me.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Family members from the opposing sides also exchanged words during Monday's
hearing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At one point, Orloski was telling Olszewski about testimony expected to
show Todd Windt allegedly broke into Higgins' home and threatened the family. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In the gallery, Todd Windt's sister, Jennifer, called the statements
hearsay. Higgins' mother, Sandra Murphy, sitting two rows behind the family,
made an unclear statement back to Jennifer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 David Weiss, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 831-7397. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Woman's Ex: Avoiding Custody Fight Cued Move 
Wright Township Woman Took Her Child To Florida To Escape Any Legal Problems
With The Boy's Father, Former Husband Says.

Woman's Ex: Avoiding Custody Fight Cued Move Wright Township Woman Took Her Child To Florida To Escape Any Legal Problems With The Boy's Father, Former Husband Says.