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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyDecember 21st, 2015
Kenneth Miller
Isabella Miller-Jenkins is fifteen and she hasn’t seen her mother, Janet Jenkins, in at least five years.
In 2010, Lisa Miller (Isabella’s other mother) took her and fled to Nicaragua so as to avoid compliance with court orders to first allow visitation and – when she defied the court – to turn primary custody over to Janet Jenkins. Miller and Jenkins had been in a civil union when the child was conceived and both had parental rights. When the relationship soured, Miller claimed a conversion to conservative Christianity and used her newfound religious ideologies to gain allies in her custody battle.
The parental kidnapping was planned and assisted by her attorneys, Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver and Rena Lindevaldsen along with a network of other supporters. Among them was Kenneth Miller (no relation), a Mennonite minister who provided plane tickets and facilitated people to assist Miller in her abduction.
In 2012, Kenneth Miller was found guilty of aiding in the kidnapping and sentenced to 27 months in jail. Rev. Miller appealed the decision arguing that the Virginia courts did not have jurisdiction as his criminal act did not occur in that state (the Virginia courts had jurisdiction over the parental rights, the abduction took place in Tennessee, Kenneth Miller performed his role in Virginia, and Lisa fled with Isabella first to Canada and then to Nicaragua).
Now the appeals court has responded. (Reuters)
On appeal, Miller argued that Vermont, where the custody battle between the women took place, was an improper venue, as he personally was not alleged to have committed any criminal act there.
But U.S. Circuit Judge Susan Carney, writing for a three-judge panel, said it was Lisa Miller’s removal of her child from the United States that allowed that allowed for the jurisdiction.
“It was not, for example, simply violating a state court custody order and crossing a state line: Its international nature endowed it with a different character and consequences,” Carney wrote.
To date, Mat Staver and Rena Lindevaldsen have not been held accountable for their role in the abduction.
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KZ
December 21st, 2015
“To date, Mat Staver and Rena Lindevaldsen have not been held accountable for their role in the abduction.”
Oh, but they’re dying to be. Kim Davis can’t hog all the limelight of “Religious Persecution.”
SharonB
December 23rd, 2015
I hate everything these fake christian child abusers stand for. :spits on ground:
AJ
December 29th, 2015
A few corrections: Isabella Miller is 13. She will turn 14 in April and hasn’t seen Jenkins since she was seven, when she had a brief visit with her at her home. She hasn’t lived with Janet Jenkins since she was 17 months old, since her biological mother left Jenkins and moved away. Isabella saw Jenkins only sporadically after that and has lived only with her mother Lisa and been raised in her religion, either Baptist or Mennonite. Given what I have read about this case, it is highly unlikely that the girl considers Jenkins her other mother, has an emotional attachment to her or would want to live with her. Her feelings would probably be taken into account if the Hague convention ever became involved.
Timothy Kincaid
December 29th, 2015
AJ,
Thanks for the corrections.
While Isabella’s feelings would probably be taken into consideration, should Lisa Miller and Isabella Miller-Jenkins ever return to the United States, living with Miller would not be an option. Miller will be in prison.
BHiebert
May 8th, 2016
I don’t understand HOW Janet can expect to have custody for a child who is biologically NOT hers and never officially even adopted her…what is this world coming too? Who cares what religion she is tied up in… everyone has some sort of quirk…ever heard of the religion of humanism? Some worship God, some money, some ease, some worship themselves…IF there was any abuse happening, which is what Lisa claims after Isabella visited with Janet (quite likely-I mean, would you actually be surpirsed?), them there is NO question why Lisa, the biological nurturer and mother would wish her off to some protected place until Isabella is 18 and csn be free from the system. Even if Lisa faces life imprisonment, she will probably have considered sparing Isabella sexual and physical abuse would be worth it. Honestly, the girl doesn’t even KNOW the other woman, it would be like moving in with a perfect stranger. I’ve heard too many like storit’s where the parent in Janet s shoes abused the child out of sheer revenge. Not saying Janet necessarily would, but it would be no surprise. Isabella is safer with Lisa , her true mother and nurturer. Done!!!
Ben in oakland
May 8th, 2016
You sure seem to know an awful lot about people you claim to not know anything about.
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