St. Louis RICO War: Will Matt Grant’s ‘Family Court Mafia’ Case Survive Judge Divine?

Lawyer-Dad Matt Grant is back in federal court, and this time his “Family Court Mafia” RICO lawsuit is leaner, sharper, and possibly more dangerous to the insiders he accuses of running Missouri’s family courts like a criminal racket.

In August, U.S. District Judge Joshua Divine torched Grant’s first 170-page filing, calling it “plainly deficient many times over” and suggesting it was filed for a “vindictive purpose.” The sprawling lawsuit named more than 100 defendants, including the State of Missouri, and demanded impossible remedies—like disbarring judges from the bench. The judge gave Grant a choice: radically revise or face dismissal.

Grant answered on September 15 with an amended 81-page complaint. Gone are the immune state defendants and outrageous demands. What remains is a targeted RICO case accusing a “shadow network” of judges, lawyers, and insiders of extorting parents and prolonging litigation for profit. The filing insists, “Plaintiffs have not asked this Court to disbar anyone,” and stresses it does not interfere with state custody cases.

The real question now: will this survive? On The Unknown Podcast, Richard Luthmann argued Grant has done enough to clear the Rule 8 plausibility standard. “He’s over the hurdle… enough, I think, to state a plausible claim,” Luthmann said, predicting the case could reach discovery.

Co-host Michael Volpe wasn’t buying it. “This is a garbage lawsuit that’s going to be dismissed,” he said, blasting the length and lack of solid RICO evidence.

Grant’s gamble pits him against one of the toughest judges in Missouri federal court. If he survives dismissal, discovery could pry open the inner workings of family court corruption. If not, this landmark challenge dies a quick death.

Either way, this showdown is set to define whether RICO can be used to take on family court corruption—or if the “Family Court Mafia” narrative collapses under its own weight.