A 21st St. Louis Circuit Court judge upheld the appointment of an embattled family court insider to a high-profile divorce case but a National Football League's player wife who filed the motion to remove him doesn’t plan to comply.
District Judge Julia Pusateri Lasater who was appointed to the bench by Gov. Mike Parson in 2020, issued an order denying Dawn Heimburger’s motion to set aside psychologist Dr. James Reid after a two-hour hearing last week.
“Parties to engage as per the direction of Dr. James Reid in the process previously ordered,” Lasater wrote on June 28.
Heimburgers before divorce court
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Reid was appointed the evaluator on March 10.
“I'm working on a letter from the doctors to submit to the judge,” Heimburger said. “My therapist said never sit with somebody for a neuropsych evaluation who you don't think is credible. I have several fears over James Reid.”
Heimburger has been in the process of divorcing Craig Heimburger since November 2021. Craig Heimburger played college football at the University of Missouri and was a Green Bay Packers fifth-round pick in the 1999 NFL draft.
Among Heimburger’s concerns are that Reid will potentially misdiagnose Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
“I have PTSD that is off the chart and many of the symptoms overlap with borderline so I’m literally putting my life in jeopardy getting a neuropsych evaluation while I am still recovering from PTSD because it’s constantly misdiagnosed,” she said.
Heimburger currently has full custody of the couple’s three children.
“Dr. Reid isn't credible,” Heimburger told the St. Louis Record. “So, if he’s not credible, it means you're not doing your job 100% of the time and I don't want to be in that subcategory of days where he's not on his best behavior.”
Heimburger objected to the appointment of Reid as evaluator after becoming aware of allegations in litigation concerning Reid.
“I repeatedly emailed my attorney stating this is not who I want,” she said. “I'm willing to wait a year to see someone else.”
As previously reported in the St. Louis Record, Evita Tolu, a St. Louis immigration attorney who lost custody of her two sons after being diagnosed as a narcissist, borderline, and sociopath personality, sued Reid and other family court professionals alleging constructive fraud, breach of standard of care and breach of fiduciary duty.
However, Tolu’s lawsuit was dismissed, and Reid was granted quasi-judicial immunity.
“I feel really bad for all families who are put into this situation and I think there's something going on that doesn't quite make sense,” Heimburger added. “Maybe I was put into this position to put a voice to those people. I don't like what has gone on.”
Heimburger is scheduled to meet with Reid on July 7.