Lesbian set to get custody of Christian mom's child

[Bill Whatcott]

Appeals Court Hears Lisa Miller Case as Custody Transfer Looms
Friday December 11, 2009
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/dec/09121105.html



ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, December 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Wednesday, Liberty Counsel lawyers appeared in court to defend Lisa Miller. Last month a Vermont court ordered the custody of Miller's biological daughter transferred to her former lesbian lover.

The ACLU and Lambda Legal Defense Fund are seeking to transfer custody of 7-year-old Isabella to Janet Jenkins, a Vermont resident who lived with Miller in that state before the latter's conversion from the homosexual lifestyle. Miller met with the ire of a Vermont judge after she refused to send her daughter to scheduled visitations with Jenkins because, she says, Isabella has been traumatized by past visits.

The Virginia Court of Appeals heard oral argument about whether Virginia must enforce a custody order and visitation order arising from a Vermont same-sex civil union. Virginia's state law and constitution expressly ban enforcement of any right or order arising from same-sex marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships.

The Vermont trial court recently ordered that Lisa must give up custody of her daughter and place custody with Janet, despite the fact that the same court has repeatedly found Lisa to be a fit parent of Isabella. The Vermont court has ordered the transference of custody to take place by January 1, 2010.

According to Liberty Counsel lawyers, unrefuted testimony has shown that for the last five years, Janet has neither attempted to phone nor write Isabella. Lawyers say Jenkins has never sent Isabella a card of any kind for any occasion, and has refused to attend Isabella's Christmas plays, because she does not want to be around a Christian environment. Also, they say, Jenkins has said that it is not in Isabella's best interest to be raised in a Christian home.

There is no set time frame in which the Virginia Court of Appeals will issue its ruling. Liberty Counsel argued that the order arising from the Vermont same-sex civil union is void and unenforceable in Virginia.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: "The critical time has arrived in this case. The law is clear that same-sex unions and any right arising from such unions are void and unenforceable in Virginia.

"The legislature and the people have spoken clearly and with one voice on this issue," he continued. "The future of Isabella is literally being weighed in a balance between two states. Same-sex unions affect children. Such unions deprive children of the opportunity for both a mother and a father."

Related Links:

Protect Isabella Coalition
http://www.protectisabella.com/

Lisa Miller's Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81022155363

[evolution8]

Custody battle a stage for homosexual agenda?
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 12/15/2009 6:00:00
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=813398


The clash in a Vermont-versus-Virginia lesbian custody case has found its way back into court. (See earlier article)

Lisa Miller was involved in a Vermont civil union with Janet Jenkins. The former birthed a daughter, Isabella, and after the relationship between the two women ended, Miller, a born-again Christian, moved to Virginia with the child. Jenkins soon sued for custody rights.

A Vermont court recently ordered Miller, the biological mother, to turn her daughter over to Jenkins, and Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel argued before a Virginia court that the Vermont court order should not be honored.

"This case pits Virginia and Vermont against one another with regards to the marriage laws, and Virginia has some of the strongest marriage laws in the country recognizing only marriage between a man and a woman and also banning and making void...any civil union or right arising from a same-sex civil union," explains Staver.

No found record shows that Jenkins has had any contact with the child over a period of several years, so Staver concludes the true purpose of the lawsuit is to force recognition of homosexual unions on states where it is not legal.

"This, I think, is not so much about wanting to have Isabella because of a parent-child relationship, but literally to have her only as a political trophy of the homosexual agenda," he contends.


The Liberty Counsel founder further decides that not only is the case legally crucial, but more importantly, the future of the little girl is at stake.

[Bill Whatcott]

Vermont judge favors lesbian in child custody battle
Wilson Ring - Associated Press Writer - 12/29/2009 2:45:00 PM
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=832190

MONTPELIER, Vt. - The birth mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to the woman's former lesbian partner, a Vermont judge ruled, adding that it seems the woman has "disappeared" with her daughter.

Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen ordered Lisa Miller of Winchester, Va., to turn over daughter Isabella to Janet Jenkins of Fair Haven at 1 p.m. Friday at the Virginia home of Jenkins' parents.

But in the Dec. 22 order denying Miller's request to delay the transfer of Isabella, Cohen wrote: "It appears that Ms. Miller has ceased contact with her attorneys and disappeared with the minor child."

Miller and Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.

Cohen awarded custody of the girl to Jenkins on Nov. 20 after finding Miller in contempt of court for denying Jenkins access to the girl.

The judge said the only way to ensure equal access to the child was to switch custody. He also said the benefits to the child of having access to both parents would be worth the difficulties of the change.

Mathew Staver, Miller's attorney, declined through a spokeswoman to comment on the case.

A listing for Lisa Miller in Winchester, Va., says the phone line has been temporarily disconnected at the customer's request.

Jenkins' attorney, Sarah Star, said she hopes Miller is simply not communicating with her attorneys but plans to comply with the order.

"It is Ms. Jenkins' intent when she has custody of Isabella to allow as liberal contact as is possible with her other mother," Star said Tuesday.

When Cohen dissolved the civil union, he awarded custody to Miller but granted liberal visitation rights to Jenkins.

The supreme courts of Virginia and Vermont ruled in favor of Jenkins, saying the case was the same as a custody dispute between a heterosexual couple. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear arguments on it.

[evolution8]

Lesbian 'mother' case presents constitutional issue
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 12/30/2009 6:00:00
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=832284


A Vermont judge has ruled that the birth mother of a Virginia girl must turn custody of the child over to a former lesbian partner. (See related article)

Lisa Miller was in a homosexual relationship with Janet Jenkins in Vermont, but Miller became a Christian, gave up her former lifestyle and moved to Virginia with her daughter. Although Jenkins is not the biological mother and never tried to adopt the now seven-year-old Isabella, Vermont Judge William Cohen ordered Miller to turn the girl over to Jenkins this Friday. Attorney Steve Crampton tells OneNewsNow that Liberty Counsel argued before a Virginia judge last week, asking for Miller's protection.

"There's a very serious constitutional issue regarding whether Virginia must enforce the Vermont court order," the attorney notes. "So the clock is ticking quite loudly right now, and it remains to be seen whether we can get any relief in Virginia."

Virginia is a state that only recognizes the union of one man and one woman, and Crampton explains that "there is an enormous conflict between the laws of Vermont that have decreed a lesbian legal stranger to be a full parent and the laws of Virginia...."

Since the ruling, reports say that Miller seems to have "disappeared" with the child.

[Bill Whatcott]

Miller seems to have "disappeared" with the child.

Dear God, you know this mother's first duty must be to protect her child from harm and not to a perverse liberal court. Please help her to escape the United States and find a safe country to raise her child into a proper and morally coherent adult. We ask this in Jesus Name.......

"Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God." Acts 4:19

[evolution8]

Ex-Lesbian Lisa Miller "Disappears" as Date Passes for Court-Ordered Transfer of Daughter to Former Lover
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10010201.html

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

January 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Ex-homosexual Lisa Miller has apparently disappeared following a court order to transfer custody of her daughter to lesbian Janet Jenkins, her former partner, on January 1st.

Miller failed to comply with the order yesterday, and her whereabouts have been unknown for over a month, according to the Vermont judge overseeing the case.

According to ABC News, Jenkins has filed a police report. However, no arrest warrant has yet been issued.

Judge Richard Cohen, who has granted visitation rights and now custody of seven-year-old Isabella Miller to Jenkins despite the absence of any law authorizing it, said in a hearing on December 29 that "it appears that Ms. Miller has ceased contact with her attorneys and disappeared with the minor child".

Cohen also stated that "no one has had any contact with Lisa Miller or IMJ [Isabella Miller Jenkins] since the court's order of November 20th. Her attorneys have attempted to contact her, but she had not returned any messages. The present whereabouts of Lisa Miller and IMJ are unknown."

Miller, 40, has battled since 2003 to protect her daughter from Jenkins, 43, who was joined to her in a Vermont "civil union" in December, 2000. After a relationship that Miller says was abusive, she left Jenkins and returned to her former faith in Christ, renouncing her previous homosexual behavior.

During her relationship with Jenkins, Miller was artificially inseminated and gave birth to Isabella. Miller states that Judge Cohen granted parental rights to Jenkins and ordered visitation, despite a lack of biological relationship and the absence of any law granting parental rights to civil union partners.

Despite the fact that Virginia does not recognize same sex "marriage" or "civil unions," the state courts have refused to strike down the Vermont court orders requiring visitation, and the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the case. An appeal has been filed in Virginia regarding the custody transfer.

According to Miller, her daughter has been traumatized by previous visits, even expressing a wish to die. She also says that her daughter told her she was forced to bathe naked with Jenkins.

Jenkins has filed a missing person's report and is seeking police help in obtaining custody over Isabella. Liberal media outlets are repeating insinuations by Jenkins' attorneys that that Miller is mentally unbalanced and that Isabella is in "danger," although no evidence has been given to support the claims.

Miller's last public communication was posted on her Facebook page December 4 by a supporter. She thanked her supporters and stated that "due to saving money I am not renewing my internet services." She also reiterated her trust in God following the "dark ruling" of Judge Cohen transferring custody of her daughter to Jenkins.

"I have been in prayer and Bible study over the matter of late and I believe that God is not finished. God is the God of the impossible: "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37)," wrote Miller.

Related Links:

Lisa Miller's Facebook page

Protect Isabella Coalition

Court Order Denying Appeal of Custody Transfer

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Exclusive Interview with Lisa Miller, Ex-Lesbian Fighting for Custody of Own Child against "Civil Union" Partner

Lisa Miller Ordered to Hand Custody of Daughter to Former Lesbian Lover

[Bill Whatcott]

Justice did not come from America's courts. I pray a well connected Christian helped Lisa Miller get out of the United States with her little girl. I pray she is in a country which will grant Lisa asylum so she can keep her child, and not have her child ruined by a forced relationship with a narcissistic and sexually deviant lesbian.....

[evolution8]

Justice did not come from America's courts. I pray a well connected Christian helped Lisa Miller get out of the United States with her little girl. I pray she is in a country which will grant Lisa asylum so she can keep her child, and not have her child ruined by a forced relationship with a narcissistic and sexually deviant lesbian.....

Lisa and Isabella deserve a quiet life together. They've been in my prayers since this battle began.
I'm also praying that Janet will let them go and turn to Jesus like Lisa did....

Here's an interesting video on this case:

February 1, 2010

The PFOX interview on ABC Nightline regarding the Lisa Miller case can be viewed online at the Nightline website. Look for the story titled "Mommy vs. Mommy" under Thursday: http://abcnews.go.com/nightline

[evolution8]

Lesbian Janet Jenkins Begins Media Campaign to Gain Custody of Ex-Partner's Child
Mainstream media outlets uncritically repeat Jenkins' accusations
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020306.html


By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

NEW YORK, February 2, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Janet Jenkins, a practicing lesbian who was once in a "civil union" with ex-lesbian Lisa Miller, is conducting a media campaign to locate Miller's seven-year-old daughter in an attempt to gain custody of the child.

Miller's daughter, Isabella, was conceived via artificial insemination during the pair's relationship, and has no biological relationship with Jenkins. Miller disappeared with Isabella in December, apparently in an effort to prevent a Vermont judge from transferring custody of her child to Jenkins.

But Jenkins is doing numerous interviews with mainstream media outlets, ostensibly in an effort to locate Isabella (described by Jenkins in one interview as "my child"), which are uncritically repeating her charges against Miller, while failing to mention Miller's charges against Jenkins - including that her relationship with Jenkins was abusive.

"I think she's dangerous, and I think she's very vulnerable and I think she's capable of anything," Jenkins told ABC News on January 29 when asked about Miller.

"I think she's very desperate," added Jenkins. "I think the people and the places that she is exposing herself to and my child to - our child to - it's just frightening for me to even think about."

Reports of Abuse

However, Jenkins herself has been repeatedly accused of being "dangerous" - both to Miller's child, Isabella, and to Lisa Miller herself.

In a lengthy interview with LifeSiteNews.com in 2008, Miller recounted the physical and emotional abuse she said she suffered at Jenkins' hands, and also stated that her daughter was desperate not to return to Jenkins' custody.

In addition to being "physically and emotionally abusive," and repeatedly trying to throw her out of the house, Jenkins even "said she wanted to kill me," Miller told LSN in her account of her relationship with Jenkins, which began in late 1998 and lasted more than four years.

Miller said she fled the ongoing abuse twice before leaving Jenkins permanently in 2003.

According to Miller, Isabella had become desperate not to return to Jenkins after a visit in which she said that she had been required to bathe naked with her other "mother." She had even spoken of wanting to die.

"Last year, Isabella put a comb up to her neck and said she wanted to kill herself after one of the visits," Miller told LSN. "She took a comb and pressed it into her neck and said, 'I want to kill myself.' I don't know where she got that. It was immediately after a visit. Other people have seen huge changes. She also started openly masturbating which is not something that my child has done."

"She is 6 now (2008) but this started when she was 5 - after visits," Miller continued. "The very first time that Janet ever saw Isabella after the two and a half years, her very first over-night visit - the court ordered it and I allowed it because it was in Virginia and she was supposed to have been supervised by her parents - Isabella came home and said, 'Mommy, will you please tell Janet that I don't have to take a bath anymore at her house.'

"I asked her what happened. She said, 'Janet took a bath with me.' I asked her if she had a bathing suit on. 'No, Mommy.' She had no clothes on and it totally scared Isabella. She had never seen this woman except once in 2 ½ years and she takes a bath with her."

Other Witnesses

According to Miller attorney Rena Lindevaldsen, Miller was not alone in her accusations. In a 2008 interview with LSN, Lindevaldsen said that a psychologist who had examined Isabella before and after her trips to see Jenkins had submitted two affidavits testifying to the damaging effects of the trips.

At least two other witnesses also submitted affidavits testifying to Isabella's troubling behavior following visits with Jenkins, according to Lindevaldsen.

Even Jenkins' own parents, who are supportive of their daughter, admit that Jenkins had a "spat" with Miller while they were together, in which Jenkins threatened to force her onto the street, something they objected to.

"Janet said: 'I'm going to kick her A-double-S out. I'm going to put her clothes on the curb.' My answer was: 'You can't do this. The kid has no place to go," Jenkins' father told the Washington Post Magazine. "'You've already said you'd allow her to move in. You can't put her out on the street. You don't do stuff like that.' "

When LSN spoke to Lindevaldsen in late 2008, she said that the Vermont courts had delayed ruling on the accusations for nine months, but that a hearing had finally been scheduled. Ultimately the testimony of Miller, at least one psychologist, and multiple other witnesses was not enough to prevent Judge Richard Cohen from transferring custody to Jenkins in late 2009.

The mainstream media also has almost completely ignored the accusations, with the exception of a single 2008 Newsweek article that mentioned them in passing, along with Jenkins' rebuttal. The affidavits presented to the court were never mentioned.

However, ABC News and other major newspapers and media outlets have allowed Jenkins to repeat, without proof and without rebuttal, her accusations that Miller is "dangerous" and "capable of anything." One writer at ABC, David Schoetz, went so far as to compare Miller's disappearance to that of Clark Rockefeller, who tried to flee with his ex-wife's biological daughter. Schoetz wrote that if "we can learn anything from the Clark Rockefeller, pictured in his mugshot above, it's that hiding a child is not an easy thing to do, especially when so many people care."


Related links:

Helping Isabella Facebook Page

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Judge Gives Miller 30 Days to Transfer Daughter to Former Lesbian Lover or Face Arrest
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012901.html

Ex-Lesbian Lisa Miller "Disappears" as Date Passes for Court-Ordered Transfer of Daughter to Former Lover
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10010201.html

Exclusive Interview with Lisa Miller, Ex-Lesbian Fighting for Custody of Own Child against "Civil Union" Partner
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08102707.html

Lisa Miller Ordered to Hand Custody of Daughter to Former Lesbian Lover
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09112411.html

[evolution8]

From Linda Marie Wall - Admin
Helping Isabella on Facebook
February 24 at 10:30am


A civil union is a counterfeit, a sham, a forgery, a fake. It is false, fraudulent, pretend,imitation, bogus,forgery,unreal. Yet, the following took place today.................

IN A NUTSHELL:

Judge Cohen issued a bench warrant for Lisa’s arrest with a $50,000 bond attached to it (i.e., if they arrest her, she stays in jail until the switch of custody occurs unless she posts $50,000 bond).

Separately, VA Court of Appeals ruled against us today, saying we simply made all the same arguments again and therefore, law of the case controls. It’s a travesty of justice insofar as unquestionably this is the first time the enforcement question was raised in litigation


Thank God Almighty who has them hidden in the Nile River.

[Bill Whatcott]

From Linda Marie Wall - Admin
Helping Isabella on Facebook
February 24 at 10:30am


A civil union is a counterfeit, a sham, a forgery, a fake. It is false, fraudulent, pretend,imitation, bogus,forgery,unreal. Yet, the following took place today.................

IN A NUTSHELL:

Judge Cohen issued a bench warrant for Lisa’s arrest with a $50,000 bond attached to it (i.e., if they arrest her, she stays in jail until the switch of custody occurs unless she posts $50,000 bond).

Separately, VA Court of Appeals ruled against us today, saying we simply made all the same arguments again and therefore, law of the case controls. It’s a travesty of justice insofar as unquestionably this is the first time the enforcement question was raised in litigation


Thank God Almighty who has them hidden in the Nile River.

Hi hon
Can you provide a source for this please.....

I pray the homosexuals utterly fail in their attempt to steal this child from her rightful mom......

[evolution8]

Hi hon
Can you provide a source for this please.....

It was just emailed to me by Linda Marie Wall, the creator of "Helping Isabella" on Facebook but anyways, one could
easily access it by creating a Facebook account then join the group. Everything is there including photos of Isabella,
then and now.

[evolution8]

Lisa Miller's Daughter Appeared Traumatized by Visits with Lesbian 'Mother,' Court Documents Reveal
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10030512.html


By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

RUTLAND, VERMONT, March 3, 2010 (LifeSiteNews) - The daughter of ex-lesbian Lisa Miller appeared to have suffered emotional trauma following forced visits with Miller's ex-partner, according to sworn testimony submitted to a Vermont court.

The affidavits, recently obtained by LifeSiteNews, give credence to claims by Miller that her daughter was being emotionally harmed by the visitations with her ex-partner Janet Jenkins, which were ordered by Vermont judge Richard Cohen following the breakup of the couple in 2003.

Despite expert testimony and other witnesses, as well as testimony from Miller herself, Cohen continued to order unsupervised visits with Jenkins, and even ordered a permanent custody of transfer in 2009.

Miller appears to have gone into hiding with her daughter in anticipation of the ruling, where she remains after a warrant was issued for her arrest in the state of Vermont.

Experts note symptoms of trauma in Miller's daughter

Clinical Therapist Sylvia Haydash, who had two clinical sessions with Isabella and observed her for an hour on another occasion, concluded that the visits were doing serious harm to the child, causing anxiety, renewed bed-wetting, and general psychological regression.

"Isabella appears to have been traumatized by the limited visitation thus far, a serious consequence, taking Isabella in a negative direction as compared to Isabella’s condition before the recent visitations where she was a child that was well-adjusted, flourishing, above-the-curve developmentally, verbally gifted, and readily able to separate from Lisa and meet with other people," wrote Haydash in her sworn testimony of June, 2007.

Gwen Corley, a social worker who also observed Isabella, noted similar trauma. "Isabella suffers from sleep disturbance and nightmares, having difficulty sleeping through the night," she told the court in September of the same year.

She added that "Isabella also talks about death, and has expressed fear that if her mother Lisa dies she will be at risk. Without prompting, Isabella has said she is afraid that Janet Jenkins may take her away from Lisa."

A friend of Lisa Miller, who said she had cared for Isabella while her mother was out of the house, was also disturbed by behavioral changes she saw in the child.

"[Isabella] has told me she does not like to talk about her visits with Janet because it makes her cry," she wrote to the court.

Further visits could cause "permanent damage"

Both Haydash and Corley warned the court against further unsupervised visits with Jenkins, over concern that Isabella could suffer irreparable harm if they continued.

"At this point, after only two supervised two-hour visits, and the resulting regressive behaviors, it is my clinical opinion that leaving Isabella unsupervised with Janet for visitations would needlessly exacerbate Isabella’s trauma," wrote Haydash.

"I further believe that unsupervised visits would be detrimental to Isabella at this time and could cause permanent damage to normal development," she added.

Corley concluded that "the distance from Virginia to Vermont, and the time it takes to travel back in forth, coupled with these emotional concerns, are simply too great to require a five year old to make the trip during the school year ... in my professional opinion it would be detrimental to Isabella's emotional well-being for her to travel back and forth to Vermont during the school year."

Moreover, even the legal advocate appointed by the Vermont court for Isabella agreed that transferring custody might be harmful to the child, and acknowledged that "the position of my client [Isabella] is that Virginia is her home and she wants to stay there" and that she is a "thriving and happy go lucky kid."

While claiming that Jenkins had "a right to a relationship" with Isabella, her advocate told the court that "I certainly can extend to the Court that Isabella's doing well, that she does want to stay where she's at" and expressed concern that there was "a real risk that we have, turning her world upside down and changing, you know Virginia to Vermont."

Expert opinions ignored by court

The expert testimony submitted to the Vermont court in 2007 is in agreement with statements made by Miller herself to the press regarding the traumatic impact of the visits on her daughter.

In interviews with numerous media outlets, including LifeSiteNews, Miller stated publicly that her daughter had spoken of wishing to die after her visits with Jenkins, and had even put a comb to her neck saying she wanted to kill herself. She had also complained of being forced to bathe naked with Jenkins, according to Miller.

The expert testimony submitted to the court, along with Miller's own testimony that her daughter was suffering from emotional trauma due to the visits, did not dissuade Cohen from continuing to order unsupervised visits with Jenkins.

After years of resistance to such visits by Miller, Cohen finally ordered a permanent custody transfer of Isabella to Jenkins in November of last year. However, Miller had by that time disappeared with her child, in an apparent attempt to protect her from the court and Jenkins.

Isabella Miller was conceived by artificial insemination while Miller and Jenkins were in a Vermont "civil union" in 2002. Jenkins has no biological relationship with Isabella, and her name is not on her birth certificate.

Although an arrest warrant has been issued for Miller in Vermont, a Virginia court recently refused to do the same, noting that Miller has not been subpoenaed since her disappearance.

Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Arrest Warrant Issued for Lisa Miller in Vermont
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022310.html

Lisa Miller Safe for Now: Virginia Judge Refuses to Issue Arrest Warrant
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021807.html

Lesbian Janet Jenkins Begins Media Campaign to Gain Custody of Ex-Partner's Child
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020306.html

Judge Gives Miller 30 Days to Transfer Daughter to Former Lesbian Lover or Face Arrest
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012901.html

Exclusive Interview with Lisa Miller, Ex-Lesbian Fighting for Custody of Own Child against "Civil Union" Partner
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/oct/08102707.html

[LiberalLinoleum]

What I don't understand is why the conservative media needs to repeatedly highlight the fact that the lady is a lesbian? Is not possible that the exact same situation could occur in a heterosexual relationship? Of course not, because no one has ever heard of deadbeat dads eh?

[evolution8]

Lesbian 'mother' remains legally victorious
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 11/2/2010 4:30:00 AM
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=1221724


The Vermont Supreme Court has upheld a lower-court ruling that granted custody of an eight-year-old girl to her non-biological mother in a long-running lesbian custody case. (See earlier story)

The biological mother, Lisa Miller, became a Christian, gave up the lesbian lifestyle, and moved with her daughter to Virginia. But a 2009 order, which awarded sole custody of Isabella to non-biological mother Janet Jenkins, was upheld Monday by the Vermont Supreme Court.

Miller is represented by Liberty Counsel -- whose founder, Mat Staver, tells OneNewsNow he is not surprised by the ruling.

"They have invented the law as they have gone in the situation; and in fact, they have changed the law as it existed in Vermont regarding parental rights and child custody and raising constitutional issues," he contends.

The court never addressed whether a third party, the non-biological mother in this case, can intervene in a biological parent-child relationship. Staver discusses that aspect.

"According to the U.S. Supreme Court and other cases dealing with the constitutional rights of parents, you cannot have a third party intervene unless there is some significant showing of abandonment, abuse, or neglect," the Liberty Counsel founder explains. "And there's nothing like that in this case."

In fact, the courts have admitted Miller is a fit mother. So according to those rulings, the former lesbian partner has no right to intervene. Staver is looking into the possibility of asking the U.S. Supreme Court to jump into the case and force the Vermont court to look at the constitutional issues.

Meanwhile, Miller failed to bring the eight-year-old girl to a court-ordered custody swap in January, and the whereabouts of the two remain unknown.