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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe following opinion was filed Friday Oct. 16, after The Indiana Lawyer’s deadline.
Indiana Court of Appeals
C.J.W v. T.H.
No. 26A-AD-1225
Appeal from the Gibson Circuit Court, Judge Jeffrey F. Meade. The court affirmed the trial court’s decision to grant T.H.’s petition to adopt his stepson, finding that consent of the biological father, C.J.W. was not required. The court determined that T.H.’s conviction for criminal recklessness was over five years old at the time of the hearing, thus not disqualifying him from adoption. It also concluded that C.J.W. had failed to maintain significant communication with the child for more than a year, which justified bypassing his consent. Additionally, the court found that the adoption was in the child’s best interest, emphasizing the stable and loving environment provided by T.H. Judge DeBoer authored the opinion, with Judges Foley and Felix concurring. Attorney for appellant: Cara Schaefer Wieneke, Wieneke Law Office LLC, Brooklyn. Attorney for appellee: Jason Spindler, Spindler Law, Princeton.
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