Arizona Mother Calls for Accountability After Police Officer’s Perjury and Judicial Misconduct in Maricopa County Family Court

Disturbing allegations of domestic violence, perjury, official misconduct, and institutional failures have emerged from Arizona, as a mother and domestic violence survivor, Erin Gerlach publicly demands independent investigations into what she describes as a dangerously flawed justice system that failed to protect her and her 7-year-old daughter, Brooklyn.

A Pattern of Abuse and Retaliation

In a formal complaint submitted by Gerlach and accompanying documents, she accuses Shawn Freeman—a SWAT Operator with the City of Mesa Police Department—of a consistent pattern of coercive control, domestic violence, child abuse, legal abuse, dishonesty, abuse of power and significant acts of misconduct, both on and off duty. Gerlach recounts years of emotional and physical abuse inflicted by Freeman, including being violently assaulted in front of their child. Gerlach alleges that after ending her engagement with Freeman, he used his authority as a law enforcement officer to systematically dismantle her life—threatening to take their daughter and “destroy her,” filing false police reports, committing perjury to fraudulently obtain court orders, and manipulating the legal system to separate their daughter from her mother. These alarming allegations span nearly a decade and have sparked demands for accountability from Freeman's victims and community members.

“This is not merely about one dirty police officer committing crimes. It’s about a system that supports abusers and punishes victims for coming forward,” stated an advocate familiar with the case. “These allegations detail a terrifying violation of public trust and a troubling lack of accountability.”

Systemic Failures in the Maricopa County Family Court
Gerlach further alleges that Judge Charlene Jackson of the Maricopa County Family Court ignored overwhelming evidence of domestic violence, child abuse, violated due process, allowed false testimony to go unchallenged, and knowingly issued life-altering child custody orders based on demonstrably false and misleading information.

Maricopa County Judge Charlene Jackson is accused of ignoring evidence of domestic violence, child abuse and fraud on the court while failing to follow proper procedures, issuing orders inconsistent with Arizona law and violating Erin and Brooklyn's constitutional rights. Judge Jackson has faced public scrutiny for serious allegations of violating the Arizona Code of Judicial Conduct in a multitude of cases.

This press release details a recall petition that was filed with the Maricopa County Board of Elections stating "Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Charlene Jackson needs to be held accountable. Jackson has violated numerous Rules of the Arizona Code of Judicial Conduct. Jackson repeatedly fails to comply with Arizona Law while depriving litigants of their State and Federally Protected Constitutional Rights. Jackson habitually places victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in danger, while protecting their abusers. Jackson ignores Jurisdictional requisites. Jackson issues rulings based on her personal relationships with attorneys and litigants that she fails to disclose. Jackson demonstrates a pattern of Judicial misconduct including participating in racist, bias, and unethical conduct. When Judges violate the rights we entrust them with defending, while breaking the laws we expect them to uphold, they undermine the legitimacy of the Judicial system. Jackson is harming Arizona citizens, especially the most vulnerable population of Children and Abuse Victims. Jackson's pattern of intentional disregard for the law demonstrates her unfitness for the bench, she is incompetent and should be recalled."

A change.org petition with over 2,400 signatures calls for Maricopa County Superior Court Judge to be removed from the bench. The petition states "In Maricopa County, AZ, Judge Charlene Jackson has demonstrated a dangerous pattern of granting full custody to sexual abusers, blatantly stating 'personal motives' while usurping safe parents' rights to protect their children. She imposes no-contact orders on these innocent parents, hindering their ability to monitor their children's well-being. As members of this community, it defies comprehension that an individual, herself previously protected against domestic abuse, could turn a blind eye to such heinous acts of child endangerment."

Each time The Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct irresponsibly neglects to hold Jackson accountable for credible claims of Judicial Misconduct, they contribute to the victimization of parents and are responsible for endangering children and bankrupting families.

“The court never even reviewed the evidence. They allowed a police officer to commit obvious perjury—contradicting himself in writing—and gave him full custody of a child he abused. Now my child is living with her abuser without her mother - the parent who has cared for her daily since birth,” Gerlach said.

“These are not merely personal allegations—they signify a systemic breakdown where a law enforcement officer, who is supposed to ensure public safety, instead used his authority to harm, intimidate, silence, and meticulously dismantle the life of his former fiancé. Freeman promised Gerlach he would destroy her life if she left him, he is making good on his promise” remarked an advocate familiar with the case. “The profound evidence of perjury and egregious misuse of legal processes should raise serious concerns about the integrity of the Mesa Police Department and its internal accountability mechanisms, as well as the Maricopa County Family Court lack of oversight.”

“When perjury and fraud on the court are used to gain an unfair advantage in family court, the system becomes a tool of abuse which is never in the best interests of a child. We must not allow those in positions of power to misuse their authority to manipulate the legal system, and we must hold abusers accountable and stop shielding them from justice.”

A Pattern of Retaliation, Perjury, and Abuse of Authority
Gerlach’s complaint outlines a chilling pattern of abuse, misconduct and retaliation by Freeman, including:

Physical and sexual assault in front of their daughter.
Filing false police reports to intimidate Gerlach and to initiate bogus criminal charges.
Committing perjury and providing contradictory sworn statements in multiple courts.
Accessing law enforcement databases for personal use.
Manipulating timesheets to inflate his pay and committing workers compensation fraud.
Participating in a suspected hoax officer-involved shooting and later retaliating against the real victim.
Orchestrating a smear campaign against Gerlach by making false claims she is an abusive liar with mental health issues; a pattern Freeman has repeated with all of his former girlfriends and fiancés.
Despite these claims—and multiple formal complaints from other victims—Freeman remains employed by the Mesa Police Department. Gerlach alleges her constitutional rights have been violated, she has been stalked, harassed, and intimidated by City of Mesa employees and law enforcement officers for speaking out. “There are no whistleblower protections for former spouses of police officers. Freeman and his law enforcement allies have made sure I suffer for exposing the truth,” said Gerlach. “This is not just my story. There are many others like me.”

Community Advocates Demand Action and Accountability
Advocates for Erin and Brooklyn are calling for:

An independent investigation into allegations of Freeman's misconduct both on and off duty.
A thorough examination of all legal documents, police reports, applications for warrants and testimonies provided by Freeman in every case where he has given testimony or submitted sworn filings in child custody and criminal proceedings.
Immediate accountability including criminal charges and placement on the BRADY list for Freeman's repeated acts of legal misconduct including perjury, perjury by inconsistent statements, false statements to law enforcement, filing frivolous police reports, filing false charges, fraud on the court and official misconduct.
An Immediate investigation of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct and accountability for their repeated failure to competently investigate serious complaints of misconduct.
contact Brigette for additional details at justiceforbrooklynanderin @ gmail dot ...

News Release: Arizona Mother Calls for Accountability After Police Officer’s Perjury and Judicial Misconduct in Maricopa County Family Court
Submitted on: May 30, 2025 09:29:26 PM
Submitted by: Bridgette Anderson
On behalf of: www.justiceinarizona.com