Opinion ID: 1582059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Presumption of Legitimacy.

Text: At the time of Lorena's birth, her mother was married to Leslie Plants. Lorena's last name was Plants, and the evidence showed that, prior to Hawk's death, she had believed she was Plant's daughter. A child born in wedlock is presumed to be legitimate, although the presumption may be rebutted by clear, strong and satisfactory evidence. In re Marriage of Schneckloth, 320 N.W.2d 535, 536 (Iowa 1982); Kuhns v. Olson, 258 Iowa 1274, 1276, 141 N.W.2d 925, 926 (1966). Lorena relies on testimony by her mother and the results of blood tests to show she could not have been the child of Leslie Plants. The trial court concluded the evidence fell short of rebutting the presumption, despite the blood test results which showed there was no possibility Plants could have been the father. The court further concluded that the testimony of Nancy Hawks, Lorena's mother, was unpersuasive and that the effect of evidence tending to show Plants was the father outweighed the blood test evidence. To reach any other conclusion, the plaintiffs now argue, would be tantamount to giving conclusive effect to the blood test. In Schneckloth, we quoted from Little v. Streater, 452 U.S. 1, 6-7, 101 S.Ct. 2202, 2206, 68 L.Ed.2d 627, 633 (1981), in assessing the weight to be given to modern blood tests for paternity: As far as the accuracy, reliability, dependabilityeven infallibilityof the tests are concerned, there is no longer any controversy. The result of the test is universally accepted by distinguished scientific and medical authority. There is, in fact, no living authority of repute, medical or legal, who may be cited adversely. . . . [T]here is now. . . practically universal and unanimous judicial willingness to give decisive and controlling evidentiary weight to a blood test exclusion of paternity. (quoting from 1 S. Schatkin, Disputed Paternity Proceedings § 9.13 (1975)). We did not give the blood test conclusive effect in Schneckloth, holding only that under our de novo review the statutory presumption that the husband was the father of the child had been successfully rebutted. Similarly, while we do not hold the blood tests are conclusive here, we believe that the tests, together with the other evidence, particularly the testimony of Lorena's mother, have rebutted the presumption of legitimacy. We conclude Lorena was not the daughter of Leslie Plants.