If you're not willing to separate the man from the tribe in your argument that they should have the child back for the sake of culture, then you cannot separate the tribe from the man when I point out to you that he gave up all his legal rights to the child. That means the tribe gave up their rights to the child. Read more
Meagan Hatcher-Mays
meaganhatchermays
I believe so—I think she's been living with him since the state court ordered her to be turned over to Brown. Read more
Yeah this whole things sucks, we agree there. I do feel bad that I bummed everybody out so hard this early in the morning. Read more
He did not leave her there. He filed the petition almost immediately after realizing his error (right before he deployed to Iraq, BTW). The fact that she was there for two years has more to do with the how slowly the court system works. Read more
Oh please, don't roll up in here with the "two-parent household" argument. Read more
Sorry, lots of people were saying "backsies" and I think I projected that onto you. I apologize for that. I think all your points are well said, and I don't disagree that the dad is a mess. But I think the father timely filed his petition when he realized the error—the fact that Veronica stayed with the Capobiancos is… Read more
You know, I'm someone who has worked in different public defender offices with people who have committed violent and non-violent crimes. What has always struck me is their capacity to change and evolve. I guess that's the lens I used when I read abut this case, and specifically when I read about Brown. I don't believe… Read more
I appreciate that you don't agree with me but I hope you can see how important this law is to a group of people who have historically been victims of forced removal. It really is important to think of the tribe's best interests here. A tribe isn't just a "neighborhood association" it's a sovereign entity. They have… Read more
These are all great questions (and your tone is totally fine!. As best I can figure, Brown didn't get an attorney because he didn't think he needed one. I think he thought he knew what he was signing. Of course this is not the greatest plan when it comes to a contract as important as child custody or parental rights.… Read more
I know, I feel bad about bumming everybody out this early in the morning. :( Read more
Oh, I doubt they were being deliberately deceptive, but the error resulted in a violation of the ICWA. That means the validity of the adoption is in question. Read more
I don't know the answer to that but most people can't afford a family attorney. Read more
Yeah, this case is crazy complicated. As far as the law is concerned, the appropriate procedure under federal law (the ICWA) wasn't followed, and that trumps some of these other issues. Read more
I know, I'm sorry I bummed everybody out this morning. Read more
Hey, so, this actually has a lot to do with race and class and I think I demonstrated that in this piece. Family law is never easy but it becomes increasingly complicated where there are transracial or cross-cultural adoptions. Read more
Unfortunately, if your lawyer screws something up on your behalf, you're screwed (a lot of the time). Their lawyer's error resulted in a violation of the ICWA. When your lawyer makes a mistake, you can sue them or file a complaint with the bar association, but you don't necessarily get to have the thing you hired them… Read more
Well, I can't say I agree completely with what you're saying here. It's not really "backsies"—and I think it's important to recognize that the father didn't have a lawyer. He was at a distinct disadvantage during this entire process. Family law is exceedingly complicated so I think we should be careful about assuming… Read more
Good lord. Read more
Allow me to high-five you for one million years. Read more
Yes! It only happened once but people are constantly "complimenting" my skin like that. Read more