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:
Lisa Miller's Facebook page
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Lisa Miller Ordered to Hand Custody of Daughter to Former Lesbian Lover
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09112411.html
Lisa Miller Menaced with Loss of Custody if She Fails to Deliver Daughter to Former Lesbian Partner
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09092401.html