Court Opinion

ID: 9472890
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:14:08.083496+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:13.048020
License: Public Domain

JERRE S. WILLIAMS, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
I am in agreement with all aspects of the majority opinion except part IV which concludes that the district court improperly undertook to enjoin Sharon Heartfield from pursuing her custody claims in the Louisiana state court. I concede that there has been no direct impasse since the Louisiana court has not yet ruled upon her claim. But to me it is clear that the majority of the court thwarts the purpose of both the policy behind and provisions of the PKPA by denying the validity of the injunction in this case.
First, I stress the fact that the Louisiana court is not in any way enjoined. The injunction runs only against one of the parties to this dispute, a dispute which is of the kind which led to the passage of the PKPA. Nothing in the injunction in any way reflects upon or attempts to interfere with any decision of the Louisiana court.
Second, what is critical to me is the fact that Edward Heartfield is compelled by the majority of this court to go to the time, difficulty, and expense of litigating child visitation rights in a Louisiana state court even though under the law the Louisiana court has no jurisdiction. I assume that the Louisiana court would so hold. But in the meantime the expense is present. The delay is present. The unsettling nature of the continuing litigation to the well-being of the child and both parents would continue. The confrontation and impasse is complete as far as the parents are concerned, and I can see no reason why the courts should not enjoin one of the parents from doing something that she has no right to do to avoid the useless litigation in Louisiana.
It seems to me that a major purpose of PKPA was to avoid just this kind of continuing expense, distraction, and unsettling activity which is occasioned because the parties to such a dispute claim jurisdiction in different states. There is no question but that Sharon is claiming that the Louisiana courts have jurisdiction of this dispute. There is no question on the facts of this dispute that her claim is not valid. I cannot see why we must allow her to pursue it under these circumstances instead of enjoining her unsettling activities. I would affirm the decision of the district court in full.