The logo of the Miccosukee Tribe

The Florida Supreme Court last week refused to hear a child custody dispute involving a member of the Miccosukee Tribe.

The tribe's court awarded custody of two children to Layla Billie, their Miccosukee mother. The non-Indian father, Kevin Stier, challenged the proceedings, which were largely conducted in the Miccosukee language.

The dispute ended up in state court, with both parties attempting to assert their rights under the Uniform Child Custody, Jurisdiction, and Enforcement Act. In April, the Florida Third District Court of Appeal ruled for the father, holding that the tribal proceedings did not "substantially conform" with the law.

Billie filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court. The justices, however, said they weren't going to hear the case in a brief order issued last Monday.

That means the appeals court ruling will stand. Stier told The Miami Herald that he will pursue joint custody of his children in the state court system.

The Supreme Court case is Layla Billie v. Kevin Stier, No. SC14-1708.

Get the Story:
Miami man wins in tribal court legal dispute (The Miami Herald 11/22)

Florida Court of Appeals Decision:
Billie v. Stier (April 23, 2014)

Related Stories:
Florida court rejects tribal jurisdiction in child custody dispute (04/24)