As Pennsylvania readers may have observed, the matrimonial woes for former NFL great Deion Sanders and his wife, Pilar Sanders, continue. Until recently, they have been sharing the matrimonial residence as they work through what appears to be an increasingly stressful and adversarial divorce proceeding. But thanks to the recent decision of a family court judge, Pilar Sanders has been ordered to stay away from the marital home for 60 days. But that has not stopped her from leveling counter charges against her husband, as both sides now appear to be headed for a war over competing claims for protective orders.
The latest troubles started when Pilar was arrested and booked for assault last month concerning an altercation in the family home. That led to the wife and mother being banned form the residence for two months. Now Pilar is pursuing counter charges against Deion, alleging that he smashed a cellphone of her friend during the altercation. Further, she alleges that the cellphone contained important evidence against Deion for use in the pending divorce proceeding. She is pressing for him to be arrested on a purported criminal mischief charge for destroying evidence.
On May 3, both Deion and his wife made an appearance in court for a hearing on mutual protective orders. While it remains to be seen how these issues will play out in Texas, they are suggestive of the sort of “he said, she said” marital disputes that sometimes find their way into Pennsylvania courtrooms. During the court proceedings, both husband and wife attempted to paint one another as unfit, perhaps in the hope that the allegations would help in any child custody determination. But the legal guardian for the couple’s kids noted the children are doing poorly in school and need professional counseling, saying that the living arrangements were characterized as a war zone.
Divorce is never easy, and a contested divorce often provokes the worst response in competing parties. But when children are involved, it is helpful to keep an eye on their emotional well-being as the litigation progresses. Sometimes winning a battle can mean losing the war, and hopefully the Sanders will be able to reach a settlement that protects their individual interests while placing the best interests of their children at the head of the list.
Source: myFOXdfw.com, “Divorce, drama continue for Sanders family,” Alice Wolke, May 3, 2012
