LilMtnCbn
01-09-2004, 08:21 AM
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7654976.htm
Court hears arguments in case of 'Internet twins' adoption
KELLY WIESE
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An attorney for a woman who twice offered her twin girls
for adoption on the Internet argued to the Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday
that she should not have lost her parental rights.
The mother, Tranda Wecker, was in court for the arguments. A St. Louis judge
terminated her parental rights in December 2002.
The girls, now 3 years old, were then adopted by a St. Louis couple. Wecker has
also asked the high court to undo that adoption, which was finalized in May.
As the case played out, from California to Arkansas to England, Wecker became a
tabloid sensation as the mother of the so-called "Internet twins."
Wecker's attorney, Chris Rollins, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday the
adoption should not have been finalized before Wecker had exhausted her appeals
of the termination of parental rights.
In early 2003, Wecker asked an appeals court to halt the adoption as the
termination was reviewed, but her request was denied. Karen Dill, an attorney
for the St. Louis juvenile officer, said that appeal was filed too late.
Wecker, of St. Louis, has said she was broke and under stress when she decided
to put the girls up for adoption in 2000. That's when a California couple,
Richard and Vickie Allen, said they paid an Internet broker $6,000 to adopt the
girls.
But Wecker took the twins from the Allen's home because, she has said, she
realized they were growing opposed to allowing her visits.
A second couple, Judith and Alan Kilshaw, of Wales, said they paid the broker
$12,000 to adopt the twins in Arkansas and brought them to England. An Arkansas
judge voided that adoption, and the twins were placed in the state's care in
Missouri.
Wecker's attorneys said a key factor used by the judge in deciding to terminate
Wecker's parental rights - that the girls were in foster care for 15 of 22
months preceding the decision - was beyond her control.
Attorney Mark Kruger said after the hearing that for much of that time, Wecker
was following required procedures to regain custody of her daughters, such as
taking parenting classes and being evaluated by a psychologist.
"Through no fault of your own, you do everything right, yet they use that
against you," he said.
After the hearing, Wecker said she would "pray that they find a decision to
null and void the adoption and bring my girls home."
Dill said Wecker could have posted a bond, according to state Supreme Court
rules and state laws, to halt the adoption. As she did not, juvenile officials
had the right to proceed.
Rollins said the failure to file a bond "should not empower the trial court to
ignore ... the fundamental rights of a natural parent."
Dill said for the stability of the children's lives, it's important for the
system to allow adoptions to proceed in a timely manner. If Wecker's parental
rights are restored, the adoption could be voided.
The court did not immediately rule on the case and did not indicate when it
would.
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
Court hears arguments in case of 'Internet twins' adoption
KELLY WIESE
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An attorney for a woman who twice offered her twin girls
for adoption on the Internet argued to the Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday
that she should not have lost her parental rights.
The mother, Tranda Wecker, was in court for the arguments. A St. Louis judge
terminated her parental rights in December 2002.
The girls, now 3 years old, were then adopted by a St. Louis couple. Wecker has
also asked the high court to undo that adoption, which was finalized in May.
As the case played out, from California to Arkansas to England, Wecker became a
tabloid sensation as the mother of the so-called "Internet twins."
Wecker's attorney, Chris Rollins, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday the
adoption should not have been finalized before Wecker had exhausted her appeals
of the termination of parental rights.
In early 2003, Wecker asked an appeals court to halt the adoption as the
termination was reviewed, but her request was denied. Karen Dill, an attorney
for the St. Louis juvenile officer, said that appeal was filed too late.
Wecker, of St. Louis, has said she was broke and under stress when she decided
to put the girls up for adoption in 2000. That's when a California couple,
Richard and Vickie Allen, said they paid an Internet broker $6,000 to adopt the
girls.
But Wecker took the twins from the Allen's home because, she has said, she
realized they were growing opposed to allowing her visits.
A second couple, Judith and Alan Kilshaw, of Wales, said they paid the broker
$12,000 to adopt the twins in Arkansas and brought them to England. An Arkansas
judge voided that adoption, and the twins were placed in the state's care in
Missouri.
Wecker's attorneys said a key factor used by the judge in deciding to terminate
Wecker's parental rights - that the girls were in foster care for 15 of 22
months preceding the decision - was beyond her control.
Attorney Mark Kruger said after the hearing that for much of that time, Wecker
was following required procedures to regain custody of her daughters, such as
taking parenting classes and being evaluated by a psychologist.
"Through no fault of your own, you do everything right, yet they use that
against you," he said.
After the hearing, Wecker said she would "pray that they find a decision to
null and void the adoption and bring my girls home."
Dill said Wecker could have posted a bond, according to state Supreme Court
rules and state laws, to halt the adoption. As she did not, juvenile officials
had the right to proceed.
Rollins said the failure to file a bond "should not empower the trial court to
ignore ... the fundamental rights of a natural parent."
Dill said for the stability of the children's lives, it's important for the
system to allow adoptions to proceed in a timely manner. If Wecker's parental
rights are restored, the adoption could be voided.
The court did not immediately rule on the case and did not indicate when it
would.
-------------------------
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail . . . but, a true friend will
be sitting next to you saying, "Damn . . . that was fun!"
-----Unknown
