Case Title: Kennelly v. Davis

Citation: 221 So. 2d 415

Docket Number: 

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1969-04-09T00:00:00Z

Document:
221 So. 2d 415 (1969)
Phyllis KENNELLY, Petitioner,
v.
Richard E. DAVIS, Respondent.
No. 38208.

Supreme Court of Florida.
April 9, 1969.
Hollander & Pestcoe and Bernard C. Pestcoe, Miami, for petitioner.
Davis, Estes & Perez-Casalduc and R.K. Estes, Miami, for respondent.
BOYD, Justice.
The District Court of Appeal, Third District, has certified to us that its decision in the case of Kennelly v. Davis, 216 So. 2d 795, passes upon a question of great public interest "regarding the rights of unmarried mothers and the support of persons born out of wedlock." We, therefore, have jurisdiction of the petition for certiorari herein pursuant to Section 4 (2), Article V, Florida Constitution, F.S.A.
The facts as stated in the opinion of the District Court are:
The District Court affirmed the lower court, holding that it would adhere to the holding of the Sanders case, supra.
The study of the cases and the statute leads us to conclude that Section 742.011, Fla. Stat., F.S.A., does not permit a woman to have her child declared illegitimate and thus receive support for said child from its putative father if she was married to another person at the time of conception.
The question has been raised as to whether this interpretation may violate the equal protection clauses of both the Federal and Florida Constitutions in view of the fact that mothers of children conceived out of wedlock have a cause of action under the statute. There is no merit in this argument because the two situations are vastly different. Children who are both conceived and born to mothers who are unmarried already have the status of illegitimacy at the time of birth. Children who are conceived during wedlock or born to their mothers while married are presumed to be legitimate.
The District Court of Appeal correctly decided the matter and its order is herewith affirmed.
It is so ordered.
DREW and ADKINS, JJ., and SPECTOR, District Court Judge, concur.
ROBERTS, Acting C.J., agrees to judgment.