Opinion ID: 874433
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Ensuring Sydney's Best Interest is a Compelling Government Interest

Text: The Idaho Court of Appeals has ruled that protecting the best interest of a child is a compelling government interest. Ziegler v. Ziegler, 107 Idaho 527, 691 P.2d 773 (Ct.App.1985) (per curiam). In Ziegler, a mother challenged a child custody award granting her primary physical custody and requiring the children to live within a 100 mile radius of Coeur d'Alene. Id. at 533, 691 P.2d at 779. The mother argued that the residency restriction violated her right to travel since she had primary physical custody of the children. Id. The Court of Appeals upheld the residency restriction on the ground that it was justified by a compelling government interest, namely, ensuring the best interests of the children. [14] Id. at 534, 691 P.2d at 780. In Weiland v. Ruppel, 139 Idaho 122, 75 P.3d 176 (2003), this Court cited Ziegler in rejecting a similar challenge to a child custody award that granted a mother custody as long as she remained in Idaho. See id. at 125, 75 P.3d at 179. We did not expressly adopt the rationale or holding of Ziegler, but noted that it was proper for the trial court to weigh the custodial parent's right to travel against the child's interest in maintaining a relationship with the other parent. Id. Relocation cases such as the one before us require us to strike a balance between two equally important, yet conflicting, constitutional rights. If Julie were permitted to move to Hawaii with Sydney, Patrick would be deprived of his right to the custody, care, and control of his child. There is no reason why Julie's constitutional right to travel should automatically trump Patrick's constitutional right to raise his child. Similarly, Patrick's right to raise Sydney should not automatically outweigh Julie's right to travel. Accordingly, we hold that the best interest of the child standard is the most appropriate way to fairly balance parents' competing constitutional rights in relocation cases and is a compelling government interest. In this case, the magistrate determined that it was not in Sydney's best interest to move to Hawaii, which provides the state a compelling reason for restricting Julie's right to travel. b.