Opinion

Letter: Indian Child Welfare Act designed to protect families





Attorney for Dusten Brown, a member of the Cherokee Nation whose parental rights are at issue in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, an Indian Child Welfare Act case that was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court last week:
Your editorial about the Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl case now before the United States Supreme Court says the child should be returned by the biological father, Dusten Brown, to her putative adoptive parents. That view doesn’t reflect the voluminous evidence supporting Mr. Brown’s efforts to obtain and keep custody of his 3 ½-year-old daughter, Veronica.

That includes the comprehensive court proceedings before the Family Court and the South Carolina Supreme Court. Both courts, after reviewing all of the facts, ruled in favor of Mr. Brown. The courts both relied on key findings that The Times does not mention, including that Mr. Brown, an Iraq war veteran, has demonstrated “his unwavering love for this child.”

Get the Story:
John Nichols: High-Profile Custody Case (The New York Times 4/27)

Oral Argument Transcript:
Adoptive Couple v. Cherokee Nation (April 16, 2013)

South Carolina Supreme Court Decision:
Adoptive Couple v. Cherokee Nation (July 26, 2012)

Related Stories:
Letter: Adoption lawyers circumvent Indian Child Welfare Act (4/22)
Supreme Court decision in ICWA case expected by end of June (4/17)
Jackie Pata: Baby Veronica and Native American family values (4/17)
NARF/NCAI/NICWA: Case shows ugly side of adoption industry (4/16)
Jacqueline Davis: An Indian family torn apart in South Carolina (4/16)
Turtle Talk: More interruptions for tribal interests in ICWA case (4/16)
SCOTUSBlog: No easy answers in Indian Child Welfare Act case (4/16)
Supreme Court takes up dispute over Indian Child Welfare Act (4/16)
Editorial: Supreme Court should take Cherokee girl from father (4/16)
Editorial: Congress may need to limit Indian Child Welfare Act (4/16)
Tribes gear up for big battle with Supreme Court's ICWA case (4/15)
Column: Supreme Court set to hear racially-tinged ICWA case (4/15)
ICT interview with Cherokee Nation attorney on ICWA dispute (4/11)
Supreme Court sets times for oral argument in ICWA dispute (4/2)
Turtle Talk: Guide to briefs in Supreme Court's ICWA dispute (3/29)
DOJ submits brief in support of Cherokee father in ICWA case (3/18)
Wisbar News: Possible brief in Supreme Court's ICWA dispute (3/8)
Tribes line up support as Supreme Court takes up ICWA dispute (3/6)
Blog: Supreme Court hears Cherokee Nation ICWA case in April (3/5)
Supreme Court to hear Cherokee Nation ICWA case on April 16 (02/14)
NYT Debate: Indian Child Welfare Act and the Supreme Court (01/25)
Supreme Court ruling could impact ICWA cases nationwide (1/14)
Analysis: Media fails in coverage of Cherokee ICWA dispute (1/14)
Supreme Court takes first Indian Child Welfare Act case in years (1/7)
Supreme Court considers petition in Cherokee Nation ICWA case (1/4)

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