Opinion ID: 1956270
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: My Analysis

Text: I believe that Barry has procedural standing to sue to establish his parental relationship. [5] By exalting the role of a father, selected by the mother after conception, the majority allows the mother to negate the procedural rights of a biological father who is prompt, ready, and willing to participate in parenting his child. This perpetuates the gender stereotype that the male parent does not participate in parenting. It is the policy of this state to prohibit discrimination on the basis of ... status with regard to marriage.... NDCC 14-02.4-01. As Justice Levine said in City of Mandan v. Fern, 501 N.W.2d 739, 744 (N.D.1993): Gender discrimination... impedes equal justice for men and women. This is not a case where the mother is in an inherently different situation than the father. By making the marital presumption conclusive in this case, the majority allows the mother discretion to exclude the natural father at her whim by marrying someone else prior to birth. As Caban v. Mohammed clarified, 441 U.S. 380, 99 S.Ct. 1760, the female parent should no more be able to select the father after conception than to consent to adoption by wholly excluding the genetic father from the parental role. Furthermore, the majority's interpretation will allow the child, her mother, or the marriage-presumed father to sue Barry at any time for many years to establish his parental responsibility for support. See NDCC 14-17-05(1)(b) and 14-17-06; In Interest of K.B., 490 N.W.2d 715 (N.D.1992) (child, mother, and County Social Service Board not barred by 5-year limitation from suing biological father of thirteen-year old child born while mother married to another, but since divorced); Pickett v. Brown, 462 U.S. 1, 103 S.Ct. 2199, 76 L.Ed.2d 372 (1983) (two year limitation denies illegitimate children equal protection of the law); Clark v. Jeter, 486 U.S. 456, 108 S.Ct. 1910, 100 L.Ed.2d 465 (1988) (six-year limitation denies illegitimate children equal protection of the law); Mougey v. Salzwedel, 401 N.W.2d 509 (N.D.1987) (after divorce, marriage-presumed father can sue genetically-presumed father for prior support of seven-year-old child in his home). The majority's interpretation unequally denies Barry standing to establish his parental relationship and responsibilities even though he has sought to do so promptly. I cannot join an opinion denying a putative father standing to promptly seek to foster his parental relationship, when it leaves him open to later face his parental duties, while excluding him from the most precious time of the child's life. As Caban v. Mohammed, 441 U.S. 380, 99 S.Ct. 1760, teaches by holding that a mother cannot block a father's parental rights by consenting to an adoption without the father's consent, there is a serious equal protection question when a ready, willing, and prompt father is denied an opportunity to establish his parental relationship. Of course, if the trial court finds, as the majority opinion hints, that Kelly's sexual encounter with Barry was not consensual, the court could properly refuse Barry any legal relationship with Anna. It is questionable whether a non-consensual conception merits legal recognition. [A] mere biological connection is insufficient to establish a liberty interest on the part of an unwed father. Michael H., 491 U.S. at 143, n. 2, 109 S.Ct. at 2352, n. 2. (Justice Brennan, dissenting). Also, if Barry is motivated by jealousy, not parental impulse, it is unlikely that Anna's best interests merit his participation in her rearing. But those are factual matters to be determined at a trial, not summarily by judicial fiat. Procedural due process necessitates hearing and proof, not presumption and surmise. A united family might often be more committed parents, but that is not invariably true, nor contemporary reality. [6] I view this situation, if Barry prevails in his proof, as akin to one where a divorced parent retains visitation rights after the remarriage of his former partner. In this commonplace situation, the law has resolved that the best interests of the child in preserving biological bonds outweighs any threat to family integrity. I join Justice Brennan's view in saying that we should allow Barry a hearing to prove his paternity, while reserving our opinion about the ultimate state of affairs between Barry and Anna. In order to change the current situation among these people, [Barry] first must convince a court that he is [Anna's] father, and even if he is able to do this, he will be denied visitation rights if that would be in [Anna's] best interests.... [A] determination that a State must afford procedures before it terminates a given right is not a prediction about the end result of those procedures. Michael H., 491 U.S. at 156, 109 S.Ct. at 2359 (Justice Brennan, dissenting) (footnote omitted). Accordingly, I would affirm the trial court's denial of summary judgment, and remand for blood tests, discovery, and, as NDCC 14-17-14(3) of the Uniform Parentage Act specifies, for determination of the best interests of Anna.