US Army Sergeant Challenges International Custody Decision
Posted on September 04, 2012 in Child Custody and Support
For years, the Chafin family lived very far apart. Jeffrey Chafin, 41, is a sergeant 1st class for the US Army and as a result is constantly moving around the globe depending on his deployment. His wife, Lynne Chafin is a Scottish national who had lived with the couple’s daughter from 2007 to 2010 in her homeland. At that time, Lynne and her daughter came to stay with Jeffrey in Madison, AL to repair what was left of their marriage. They ended up divorcing anyway.
Lynne eventually overstayed her visa and returned to Scotland. At that same time, a state judge in Alabama awarded custody of the child to Sergeant Chafin. The custody battle has been raging for two years since that time. Upon review by a US district judge, the case was overturned. Judge Igne Prytz Johnson cited the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child abduction and explained that Scotland was the girl’s “habitual residence.” A habitual residence is legal terminology which means someone’s home for a long duration in the past.
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Governor Signs Memorial Law for Father Killed during Visitation
Posted on September 01, 2012 in Child Custody and Support
In 2008, Steven Watkins went to Jennifer’s his estranged wife’s, home in Ashland to pick up his daughter. This was a court-ordered visit based on a custody agreement that the two had when they divorced. When he went to the door he was met by Jennifer’s grandmother and a gun. Steven was shot to death on that day in November. Currently, 76 year old Shirley Skinner is serving a 55 year prison term for being convicted of the murder.
After the death of their son, Steven’s parents were awarded visitation of their granddaughter by a county judge in Cass County in the fall of 2010. Unfortunately, his parents never really had a chance to capitalize on these rights because their granddaughter was taken out of Illinois. Jennifer Watkins relocated her daughter to Florida and has not allowed the Watkins to exercise their visitation rights. The court has tried to enforce this ruling, even having Jennifer arrested for five months in Florida.
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