Alabama court voids lesbian couple's Georgia adoption agreement

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News /Reuters

(Reuters) - The Supreme Court of Alabama on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that had recognized the 2007 adoption of three children in Georgia by one partner in a lesbian couple that has since split up.

The couple, who live and work in Alabama, had taken up official residence in Georgia to take advantage of its adoption laws.

After breaking up in 2011, one woman in the relationship, referred to as V.L., filed a petition in Alabama in 2013 saying she was being denied parental rights by her former partner, referred to as E.L., the biological mother of the children.

In a seven-to-one decision, the court said "the Georgia court was not empowered to enter the Georgia judgment declaring V.L. to be an adoptive parent of the children. ... The Georgia judgment is accordingly void, and the full faith and credit clause does not require the courts of Alabama to recognize that judgment."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/alabama-court-voids-lesbian-couples-georgia-adoption-agreement-230650782.html

[Raine1967]

1. This is messed up and shows clearly that

LGBT equality still has a long way to go. It isn't solely about equality as it is more about interpretation of the law regardless of a relationship being same sex or not same sex. Law should be applied equally, and as wonderful as it was that we saw marriage equality recognized… this case is an example of how much more needs to be done.

"What is so distressing about the opinion is for a second state to do this and void an eight-year-old adoption because it doesn't agree with the interpretation of the law of the original state. That is a terrifying prospect for all adoptive families, especially for same-sex parents," said V.L.'s lawyer, Cathy Sakimura.

Sakimura, the family law director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, said the next possible step is to seek a U.S. Supreme Court review.

The lawyer for E.L., Randall Nichols, said via email that his client was pleased with the decision but regards it as a private family matter.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. If the adoptive parent was a man, this would not stand up. So, federal courts will overturn it.

[Sienna86]

3. If appealed, this will not hold up.

And I believe it will be appealed.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. It sounds like Judge Moore is alive and well in Alabama

Kings should like a long and happy life -- in retirement. -- Thomas Paine