Law | National

Cherokee Nation father to drop appeals in bitter adoption fight

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Cherokee Nation father Dusten Brown is dropping appeals in a bitter adoption and custody dispute that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Brown was forced to turn over his 4-year-old daughter to a non-Indian couple 17 days ago. He decided it would be in her best interest to end the legal battle.

"I cannot bear to continue it any longer," Brown said at a press conference today, The Tulsa World reported "I love her too much to continue to have her in the spotlight."

The Cherokee Nation is also withdrawing from the case. The tribe asserted jurisdiction over Brown's daughter but the courts in Oklahoma and South Carolina refused to block her adoption by the non-Indian couple.

The National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Child Welfare Association and the Native American Rights Fund filed a civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the girl. It's not clear if they will move forward given Brown's new legal stance.

Get the Story:
Baby Veronica case: Dusten Brown to stop custody fight for Veronica (The Tulsa World 10/10)
An Emotional Dusten Brown Drops All Legal Litigation to Regain Custody of Veronica (Native News Network 10/10)
Dusten Brown dropping legal efforts to win back custody of 4-year-old Veronica (The Charleston Post and Courier 10/10)

Oklahoma Supreme Court Decision:
Brown v. DeLapp (September 23, 2013)

U.S. Supreme Court Decision:
Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl (June 25, 2013)