Supreme Court of California

An independent adoption in which the birth parent does not agree to termination of her parental rights is legislatively authorized, and neither due process nor the doctrine of separation of powers constitutes a bar to adoption.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/04/2003
• Published 08/04/2003

Judges

•  WERDEGAR, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
•  Douglas Shepersky,William Blatchley;  John L. Dodd & Associates, John L. Dodd, Tustin, and Lisa A. DiGrazia, for Petitioner., Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard and Andrew P. Pugno, Sacramento, for Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Petitioner., Terence Chucas and Judith E. Klein, La Mesa, for Minor., Leigh A. Kretzschmar, Kathleen Murphy Mallinger;  Luce Forward, Hamilton & Scripps and Charles A. Bird, San Diego, for Real Party in Interest., Robert H. Lynn, San Diego;  Jason A. Barsi;  Maxie Rheinheimer Stephens & Vrevich and Darin L. Wessel, San Diego, for Tom Homann Law Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Real Party in Interest., Martha Matthews and Katina Ancar for National Center for Youth Law as Amicus Curiae., Alice Bussiere for Youth Law Center as Amicus Curiae., Shannan Wilber, San Francisco, for Legal Services for Children as Amicus Curiae., Farella Braun & Martel, Norman Formanek and Julie Salamon for Child Advocacy Program, University of California at Berkeley as Amicus Curiae., Donna Furth, San Francisco, for Northern California Association of Counsel for Children as Amicus Curiae., Marvin Ventrell for National Association of Counsel for Children as Amicus Curiae.,  Jordan C. Budd for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties;  Mark Rosenbaum, Los Angeles, for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California;  Jennifer C. Pizer for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund;  Shannon Minter and Courtney Joslin for The National Center for Lesbian Rights as Amici Curiae on behalf of Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, Family Matters, Family Pride Coalition, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, LHR:  The Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, The National Center for Lesbian Rights, Our Family Coalition and The Pop Luck Club., Diane Goodman, Encino, for Academy of California Adoption Lawyers as Amicus Curiae., Nancy E. Lofdahl for California Association of Adoption Agencies and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services as Amici Curiae., Morrison & Foerster, Michael N. Feuer and Elizabeth A. Thornton, Los Angeles, for the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bar Association of San Francisco, Santa Clara County Bar Association, The Bar Association of Silicon Valley, Beverly Hills Bar Association, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Women Lawyers' Association of Los Angeles, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Public Counsel and Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers as Amici Curiae., Dennis J. Herrera, City Attorney (San Francisco), Therese M. Stewart, Chief Deputy City Attorney, Kamala Harris, Julia M.C. Friedlander, Ellen Forman and Sherri Sokeland Kaiser, Deputy City Attorneys, for City and County of San Francisco and California State Association of Counties as Amici Curiae., Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, James M. Humes, Assistant Attorney General, John H. Sanders and Susan A. Nelson, Deputy Attorneys General, for California Department of Social Services as Amicus Curiae., Latham & Watkins, Richard S. Zbur, Robert J. Schulze and James R. Repking, Los Angeles, for National Association of Social Workers and California Chapter, National Association of Social Workers as Amici Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.