Teens learn today if they regain infant
Sandra McIntosh
The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Leah Sears-Collins promised a ruling this morning on whether Jeffrey Allen, an infant "in legal limbo," should be returned to David Vogel and Heather Lawson, the teenage parents who are fighting to regain him. The couple signed over parental rights of their day-old son, Jeffrey Allen, on Feb. 5 to the Friends of Children Inc. adoption agency.
A judge promised a ruling this morning on whether an infant "in legal limbo" should be returned to the teenage parents who are fighting to regain him.
David Vogel and Heather Lawson signed over parental rights of their day-old son, Jeffrey Allen, on Feb. 5 to the Friends of Children Inc. adoption agency.
At a final hearing on the case Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Leah Sears-Collins heard testimony that Mr. Vogel, who has since married Ms. Lawson, was the father of another illegitimate child.
Melissa Johnson, 20, told the court that she bore Mr. Vogel's child in December 1989 and that the two lived together for about a month before they split up by mutual agreement.
Ms. Johnson said Mr. Vogel has had no contact with the child and has never paid support, although she acknowledged that he offered money at one time.
The case centers around whether the Vogels attempted to revoke their consent to the adoption in time and whether that consent was freely given.
The young couple - he's 18, she's 17 - was told that they had 10 days to revoke their surrender of the baby, beginning Feb. 6. The teens testified that they believed the last day to revoke was Feb. 16, a Saturday, which rolled the deadline to the next business day, Monday, Feb. 18.
But in fact the 10 days ran out Feb. 15 and the adoption agency refused to return the infant, who has remained in foster care since leaving the hospital. An employee of the agency testified at a March 22 hearing that the agency is paid about $25,000 in fees for healthy white infants, but Mark Booz, attorney for the agency, said the fee is "irrelevant."