Opinion ID: 1896757
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Blood Test Question

Text: Mississippi Code Annotated § 93-9-21 (1972), [1] provides as follows: The court, upon motion of the defendant, shall order the mother, the child, and alleged father to submit to blood tests. If any party refuses to submit to such tests, the court may resolve the question of paternity against such party or enforce its order if the rights of others and the interests of justice so require. This statute gives authority to order blood tests on motion of the defendant, but by its language excludes a motion of any other person. 10 C.J.S. Bastards § 82 (1938), provides that In the absence of statutory authority, a court in bastardy proceedings may not compel the parties involved to submit to blood tests. In Baker, by Williams v. Williams, 503 So.2d 249, 254 (Miss. 1987), the Court said: It is clear that the court may order such blood tests, but according to the statute, it must be upon motion of the defendant. In this case, the defendant... made no such motion. Therefore, no blood tests under Mississippi Code Annotated § 93-9-21 were required. By § 93-9-21, the legislature provided that the plaintiff in a paternity suit may be required to open himself or herself to the possibility of court-ordered blood test by filing the paternity suit. However, the legislature has seen fit to allow blood tests only on motion of the defendant, who was brought into court against his will. There is a rational basis for requiring a motion to submit to blood tests only on the part of the defendant, since he or she is an unwilling party.