May v. Anderson/Dissent Minton

by Sherman Minton

United States Supreme Court

345 U.S. 528

May  v.  Anderson

 Argued: Jan. 6, 1953. --- Decided: May 18, 1953

Mr. Justice MINTON, dissenting.

The opinion of the Court and the dissent of Mr. Justice JACKSON deal with a jurisdictional question not raised on the record.

As I understand the law of Ohio, 'parents are the legal and natural custodians of their minor children and each parent has an equal right to their custody in the absence of an order, judgment, or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction fixing their custody. Section 8032, General Code. It is well settled that habeas corpus is not the proper or appropriate action to determine, as between parents, who is entitled to the custody of their minor children.' In re Corey, 145 Ohio St. 413, 418, 61 N.E.2d 892, 894 895.

The instant case was a proceeding in Ohio by habeas corpus brought by the father against the mother for the possession of the minor children. The father could not succeed in this habeas corpus action unless he could show that he had an order of a court of competent jurisdiction awarding him the custody of the children. He produced an authenticated copy of a decree of the County Court of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, valid on its face and unappealed from, which awarded him the custody of the children. It is not contended that this decree is void upon its face, nor did appellant, the mother, challenge its validity in Ohio by any responsive pleading to the petition for habeas corpus.

The only question before the Ohio court was whether that court should give full faith and credit to the Wisconsin decree. That unappealed decree was valid on its face, and its validity was not attacked by any pleading. The validity of the decree is not affected by any admission in this case, on or off the record. As far as this record is concerned, the decree of the Wisconsin court was what it purported to be on its face. Since appellant failed to challenge its validity by any pleading, the decree was entitled to full faith and credit in Ohio under Art. IV, § 1 of the United States Constitution. The Ohio court properly accorded the decree full faith and credit, and it was evidence, together with parenthood, which proved the father's right to possession of the children and entitled him to succeed in the proceeding.

I would therefore affirm.

Notes