Nunez-Escudero v. Tice-Menley, 58 F.3d 374

Docket Number
94-1524
Published
Yes
Decision Date
1995-06-26
Name of Court
United States Court of Appeals
Opinion by
Gibson, John R
Counsel for Petitioner
Harley Per, Justin
Counsel for Respondent
Frederik van Vliet, Willem
Counsel for Court
Requesting State
Mexico
Requested State
United States of America
Procedural History

Petitioner/father filed suit seeking return of child to Mexico. The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota denied petition. Petitioner/father appealed.

Summary of Facts

Respondent/mother left Mexico with her son and returned to her parents’ home in the United States. Petitioner/father filed an action alleging Respondent/mother wrongfully removed their son from Mexico. Respondent/mother alleges that Petitioner/father physically, sexually and verbally abused her. Respondent/mother also alleges she was kept in Mexico against her will by Petitioner/father and father-in-law. Respondent/mother stated she feared for her son’s safety. Petitioner/mother stated that her husband’s family objected to her nursing her son and Petitioner/father refused to acquire a child’s car safety seat. Respondent/mother also stated she saw her father-in-law hit her son with a wooden plunger. On remand, Respondent/mother must present clear and convincing evidence of the child’s intolerable living situation or an immediate risk of grave harm for Article 13b to prevail. Both Respondent/mother and Petitioner/father failed to establish the son’s habitual residence.

Defenses Raised

Hague Article 3a: The child’s habitual residence is not the requesting state Hague Article 13b: Grave risk of harm to the child if returned to the petitioning country

Statutes Considered (ICARA)
11601(b), 11603(e), 11605
Articles Considered (Hague Convention)
11, 13(b), 20
Cases Considered
Air France v. Saks, 470 U.S. 392 1985; Currier v. Currier, 845 F.Supp. 916 1994; Friedrich v. Friedrich, 983 F.2d 1396 1993; In re Coffield, 96 Ohio App.3d 52 1994; In re Ponath, 829 F.Supp. 363 1993; Nunez-Escudero v. Tice-Menley, 1 D. Minn 000 1994; Rydder v. Rydder, 49 F.3d 369 1995; Tahan v. Duquette, 259 N.J.Super. 328 1992; Thomson v. Thomson, 119 D.L.R. 4th 253 1994
Judicial Outcome or Order
Reversed and Remanded
Posted
2006-09-19

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