Oregon Attorney Charged with Custodial Interference

Kyla Mazhary-Clark hit with superseding 13-count indictment, including additional charges of perjury

New criminal charges were filed last Thursday against Linn County public defense attorney Kyla Mazhary-Clark, including six counts of custodial interference in the second degree, and four more charges of perjury, in addition to those she was already facing.

The charges stem from her conduct in her own family law case in which she snatched custody of another (unrelated) woman’s two young children, through misrepresentations made to a Linn judge.

Prosecutors also asked that Mazhary-Clark’s release agreement be modified so that she can have no contact with her alleged victims: the two children and their mother.

Mazhary-Clark’s attorney objected to the requested modification, stating that if granted, “the minor kids will almost certainly be taken into DHS custody, because Ms. Mazhary-Clark currently has sole custody,” according to the fraudulently-obtained judgment which the criminal charges stem from.

Three perjury charges had already been filed earlier this year, calling into question Mazhary-Clark’s sworn statements: that she is the childrens’ aunt; that she was their sole caregiver; and that the children lived with her in the months before she filed her fraudulent petition for custody. Those statements were false, according to her own depositions taken in the custody case.

The four newly-identified lies are that the children lived continuously with Mazhary-Clark for the six months prior to filing her petition; that the children were previously put in foster care in Illinois; that the children lived with her for a year and a half with their mother’s knowledge; and that she did not know where their mother had moved to.

The custodial interference charges line up with important dates in the custody matter, including four times that Mazhary-Clark objected to the mother’s attempts to have the custody award disposed of; and two hearings in Polk County Judge Rafael Caso’s courtroom.

The most recent instance of custodial interference is from November 6th, the day that Mazhary-Clark’s lawyer and law partner Andy Ivers filed a rather thin objection. That filing also asked for mother to pay child support.

Given that Mazhary-Clark is of no relation to these children, it is jaw-dropping that she would ask for such a thing. It’s even more surprising that she is not facing federal kidnapping charges.

Because she has no prior criminal record, if found guilty of all counts in the superseding information, Mazhary-Clark will likely face only a few years in prison.

Mazhary-Clark and prosecutor’s did not immediately respond to requests for comments.