Contempt case dropped against Cherokee Nation father

Friday, January 17, 2014  

Contempt charges were dropped against a Cherokee Nation father who was at the center of a high-profile Indian Child Welfare Act case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dusten Brown was accused of failing to comply with a court order in South Carolina but he reached an agreement with the non-Indian couple that adopted his biological daughter, The Tulsa World reported. However, the couple's attorneys are still seeking $1 million in fees and other expenses from Brown and the Cherokee Nation.

Brown was forced to give up his daughter after the Supreme Court ruled that ICWA didn't apply in his situation. He lived with her on tribal land in Oklahoma until she was taken in late September 2013.

Get the Story:
Baby Veronica Case: South Carolina court drops contempt charge against Dusten Brown (The Tulsa World 1/17)
Contempt of court charges dropped against Veronica’s birth father (The Charleston Post and Courier 1/17)

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

Oral Argument Transcript:
Adoptive Couple v. Cherokee Nation (April 16, 2013)

South Carolina Supreme Court Decision:
Adoptive Couple v. Cherokee Nation (July 26, 2012)