MONTPELIER, Vt. – The birth mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to the woman's former lesbian partner, a Vermont judge ruled, adding that it seems the woman has "disappeared" with her daughter.

Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen ordered Lisa Miller of Winchester, Va., to turn over daughter Isabella to Janet Jenkins of Fair Haven at 1 p.m. Friday at the Virginia home of Jenkins' parents.

But in the Dec. 22 order denying Miller's request to delay the transfer of Isabella, Cohen wrote: "It appears that Ms. Miller has ceased contact with her attorneys and disappeared with the minor child."

Miller and Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.
not enought info here to see if she had a real claim .. did she adopt the the kid . if see didn't then the dam judge is playing god again with our laws .

Cohen awarded custody of the girl to Jenkins on Nov. 20 after finding Miller in contempt of court for denying Jenkins access to the girl.

The judge said the only way to ensure equal access to the child was to switch custody. He also said the benefits to the child of having access to both parents would be worth the difficulties of the change.

Mathew Staver, Miller's attorney, declined through a spokeswoman to comment on the case.

A listing for Lisa Miller in Winchester, Va., says the phone line has been temporarily disconnected at the customer's request.

Jenkins' attorney, Sarah Star, said she hopes Miller is simply not communicating with her attorneys but plans to comply with the order.

"It is Ms. Jenkins' intent when she has custody of Isabella to allow as liberal contact as is possible with her other mother," Star said Tuesday.

When Cohen dissolved the civil union, he awarded custody to Miller but granted liberal visitation rights to Jenkins.

The supreme courts of Virginia and Vermont ruled in favor of Jenkins, saying the case was the same as a custody dispute between a heterosexual couple. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear arguments on it.

If Miller does not turn over Isabella, the most likely scenerio is that she would be held in contempt of court and a warrant would be issued for her arrest, said Cheryl Hanna, a professor of constitutional law at Vermont Law School.

"I think the underlying thing is the fact that they are a lesbian couple doesn't mean that the court's going to treat this any differently than if they were a heterosexual couple," she said.

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That boy will probably have a fight on his hands too..not only will he have to deal with Palin Power, there is also the matter of his mother getting into a pickle a while back over drug charges. I don't recall the details, just vaguely hearing about it. He will have to distance himself from her.

With both of these situations above...It really pisses me off when people use children as a means for revenge. There is absolutely no reason both can not be involved in and have an active part in a child's life. Unless of course one is abusive and such.
When people use a child in such a way it is them who should not be in the child's life.

How is it off topic..you post is about a lesbian couple having a custody battle over a child they share....

And theirs is about Sara Palins daughter and husbands problems.

LMAO

Seems obvious the posts are off topic.

I guess that's the part I'm not understanding...the one they are forcing to give up the child is the one who actually carried it..there must be more to this story. And if she (Miller) is just keeping the child from her ex partner for becoming a Christian, or changing her sexual orientation...well, there is a problem there.
Now if the other..mother, Jenkins is criticizing Miller for her life style in front of or to the child then that is not right either...since, after all she was living that life style at the time. So, sounds pretty messed up all the way around. That is why I mentioned what Palin is doing..for one to just deny a child the love of both parents for revenge is not fair to the child. jmo

Miller and Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.

Well, yeah...that's why I'm thinking there must be more to the story. And if it were me..and anyone was forcing me to give up my child to an ex that was not part of the creation process...I would pack up my kid and take off too. F that..why are they doing this. Unless it is some homophobic judge...

That's what I'm thinking!

I agree and I guess I'm missing how the other woman has ANY legal standing in this.

they are awarding custody to jenkins because she promised to be very liberal about visitation, while the other lady is trying to cut contact completely off.

the courts frown on one parent trying to shut the other one out.

Isabella was born to Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.