Family Law

Boy, 9, is Too Young for Shotgun, Rules Wash. Judge

A judge in eastern Washington state has sided with the divorcing mother of a 9-year-old boy who is contending in court that he is too young to be given access to a shotgun by his father. Although he had earlier given his son access to the gun without incident, Sean…

Apr 14, 2009 9:22 PM CDT

Judge OKs Married Biological Mom’s Petition to Adopt Her Own Child

In the convoluted world of high-tech human fertility technology and changing marriage standards, it had to happen sooner or later. In what may be an unprecedented case anywhere, the married mother of a 1-year-old boy has been given permission by a New York surrogate court judge to adopt her own…

Apr 13, 2009 11:59 PM CDT

Mel Gibson & Wife of 28 Years to Divorce

Actor Mel Gibson’s low-profile wife of 28 years filed a high-profile divorce suit late last week. Robyn Gibson filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking custody of the couple’s one nonadult child, spousal support and attorney fees, reports the Dish Rag blog of the Los Angeles Times. She has…

Apr 13, 2009 6:56 PM CDT

Ex-Spouses Ask Mich. Judge to Decide Custody of Dog Semen

Given the unusual nature of the case before her, a Michigan family court judge couldn’t help asking herself an unusual question: Was she on Candid Camera? But no, it wasn’t a joke or a set-up for the well-known television program. A divorced couple really did want Judge Cheryl Matthews to…

Apr 10, 2009 5:13 PM CDT

Texas Judge Tells Medical Examiner to Help Mom Get Dead Son’s Sperm

Nikolas Colton Evans always wanted three sons. So, when he died after being punched and falling in a March 27 street assault in Austin, Texas, his mother, Marissa Evans, decided to try to harvest the 21-year-old’s sperm and arrange a posthumous pregnancy with the help of a surrogate mother. Now,…

Apr 8, 2009 4:58 PM CDT

Vermont Legalizes Gay Marriage; House Overrides Gov’s Veto

Gaining the required two-thirds majority by the smallest possible margin, 100-49, Vermont’s House of Representatives voted to override Gov. Jim Douglas’ veto of a bill (PDF) allowing gays and lesbians to marry, the Associated Press reports. The House vote was preceded by a Senate vote of 23-5 to override Douglas’…

Apr 7, 2009 5:01 PM CDT

Colo. Lawyer Died in Murder-Suicide, Shot By Ex-Husband

A 30-year-old Colorado lawyer died almost immediately after she was shot in the head by her ex-husband last week. Boulder officials said today that Katelin “Katie” Oakley, who once worked at Davis Graham & Stubbs, was apparently lured by Robert Bryant Oakley to his home there on April 1. He…

Apr 7, 2009 12:06 AM CDT

Why Iowa Decision Allowing Gay Marriages Will Be Hard to Overturn

A decision by the Iowa Supreme Court last week striking down the state’s ban on same-sex marriages will be more difficult to overturn by voters than a similar court decision in California. The Iowa decision held gays’ right to marry was protected by the equal protection clause of the state…

Apr 6, 2009 11:48 AM CDT

Iowa Supreme Court Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban

The Iowa Supreme Court has struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriages in an opinion that notes other state rulings at the forefront of civil rights. The court ruled the ban violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution, according to the Associated Press and the Des Moines…

Apr 3, 2009 2:32 PM CDT

Mom of 2 Boys Apparently Slain By Dad Blames Ill. Court, Seeks Name Change

When a family court judge in Illinois told Michael Connolly to get a job, find a home of his own and stop harassing his wife, he did just that. For months he behaved as the judge required and was rewarded with unsupervised visits with his two sons, Jack, 7, and…

Apr 2, 2009 1:10 AM CDT

Buggy Bear

Dad Is Disturbed Over Tattletale Teddy in Contested Custody Case

Apr 1, 2009 10:50 PM CDT

As Incomes Dive, Finance Wizards & Others Seek Divorce Modifications

In better times, Brian Myerson had no problem with paying his wife of 26 years a lump-sum divorce settlement of about $16 million. But now the former CEO of Principle Capital Holdings SA is asking a United Kingdom appeals court to cut the settlement to match his current financial situation,…

Mar 31, 2009 5:36 PM CDT

‘Lawyer of Love’ Columnist Files Sex Harassment Suit Against Playboy

A Chicago lawyer who posed nude for Playboy and wrote its “Lawyer of Love” column has filed a sexual harassment suit against the magazine. Lawyer Corri Fetman claims in her $4.5 million suit that she lost her writing gig with Playboy after rebuffing the sexual advances of an executive there,…

Mar 31, 2009 1:05 PM CDT

Husband Arrested in Murder of Up-and-Coming La. Lawyer

When Chiquita Tate met her husband-to-be, she fell for him—hard. Now he is accused of murdering the up-and-coming Louisiana attorney, whose body was found last month in her Baton Rouge law office. She had been preparing to defend a client the next week in a murder trial. Sentenced to 90…

Mar 30, 2009 9:12 PM CDT

‘Whack! Ow!’ Spanking Whistle-Blower Wins $200K in Discrimination Suit

News of a $200,000 federal jury verdict in a unusual employment discrimination suit is gathering traction on the blogosphere. Filed by a municipal worker who says she was fired after she blew the whistle on a relative spanking a child in a Chicago Park District restroom, the case started with…

Mar 24, 2009 9:54 PM CDT