No. 20-1718

Samuel H. Sloan v. Maria Childress, et al.

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2021-06-11
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: child-custody interstate-custody judicial-immunity judicial-jurisdiction jurisdiction new-york parental-rights religious-freedom supreme-court third-parties virginia
Latest Conference: 2021-09-27
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Where the questions of the custody of a child have been decided by the Supreme Court of New York State, when may a family court of a county in Virginia take jurisdiction over a case and award custody of the child to unrelated third parties?

2. Where the Virginia Supreme Court has disqualified a judge from hearing the case and the judge hears and purports to decide the case anyway what is the legal effect of the judges orders?

3. Where a child has been kidnapped from a foreign country and brought into the jurisdiction, and a Virginia judge was directly involved in the kidnapping of the child, is the judge immune from suit and may the judge award the child to unrelated third partied.

4. Where as here the Amherst County Commonwealth Attorney has decided that the courts of Virginia have no jurisdiction over the matter of the custody of a child, and has dismissed the proceedings brought in that county, may a Lynchburg judge take jurisdiction over the child and award it to unrelated third parties?

5. Where both of the parents of a child are devoted followers of the religion of Islam may a Virginia court order that the child be enrolled in a Christian church and school for the purpose of changing the religious beliefs of the child?

6. Where the parents of the child object to enrolling the child in a Christian religious school and rather insist that the child attend general public school and the wishes of the parents are ignored what is the legal effect of the education of the child?

7. Where as here the child has only attended schools affiliated with Jerry Falwell and those schools are not recognized by the Virginia Department of Education, is a diploma issued by those schools legally valid and may the child attend higher education?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Where may a family court take jurisdiction over a child custody case

Docket Entries

2021-10-04
Petition DENIED.
2021-07-28
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/27/2021.
2021-07-12
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2021-07-07
Waiver of right of respondent William G. Petty to respond filed.
2021-06-07
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due July 12, 2021)

Attorneys

Samuel H. Sloan
Samuel H. Sloan — Petitioner
United States
Brian H. FletcherActing Solicitor General, Respondent
William G. Petty
Thomas Neal JamersonThe Beale Law Firm, PC, Respondent