Tuesday, January 31, 2006
UPDATE: Mother Wants Her Son Back
Mother goes back on baby's adoption
She now seeks custody of 2-month-old son
BY SHARON COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Sharicka Watson changed her mind.
Instead of putting her son up for adoption as she had planned, the 22-year-old mother wants to keep 2-month-old Thomas Spraggs.
The infant is at the center of a custody battle between Watson, who gave him up for adoption and Glenn Spraggs, the baby's father, who didn't know about Watson's decision in December until Thomas had given him away.
The adoption agency took Thomas away from the Dayton, Ohio, family Watson had chosen and returned the infant to his mother last Wednesday after learning Spraggs was fighting for custody. That same day, a Greene County judge voided all adoption proceedings.
After Spraggs asked for custody, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lipps determined Thursday that Watson was the boy's legal custodian, but ordered the Hamilton County Department of Jobs and Family Services to look out for Thomas' safety.
In response, the agency placed Thomas with his maternal grandfather.
"She wants to keep her baby," said Watson's lawyer, John Banner. "Adoption is off the list of possibilities."
Marriage is an option for the couple, who also have an 18-month-old daughter together, he said.
Watson did not return a phone call for comment.
Spraggs' court battle for his son continues.
The case dates to Dec. 15, when Spraggs learned Watson had given Thomas to an adoption agency.
With help from attorney Ken Lawson, Spraggs fought to get his son back.
Lipps advised Spraggs to seek an order through the Child Support Enforcement Agency declaring him the father, which would enable him to seek custody.
That involves DNA testing and can take up to three months.
Spraggs said he's working to do that.
She now seeks custody of 2-month-old son
BY SHARON COOLIDGE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Sharicka Watson changed her mind.
Instead of putting her son up for adoption as she had planned, the 22-year-old mother wants to keep 2-month-old Thomas Spraggs.
The infant is at the center of a custody battle between Watson, who gave him up for adoption and Glenn Spraggs, the baby's father, who didn't know about Watson's decision in December until Thomas had given him away.
The adoption agency took Thomas away from the Dayton, Ohio, family Watson had chosen and returned the infant to his mother last Wednesday after learning Spraggs was fighting for custody. That same day, a Greene County judge voided all adoption proceedings.
After Spraggs asked for custody, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lipps determined Thursday that Watson was the boy's legal custodian, but ordered the Hamilton County Department of Jobs and Family Services to look out for Thomas' safety.
In response, the agency placed Thomas with his maternal grandfather.
"She wants to keep her baby," said Watson's lawyer, John Banner. "Adoption is off the list of possibilities."
Marriage is an option for the couple, who also have an 18-month-old daughter together, he said.
Watson did not return a phone call for comment.
Spraggs' court battle for his son continues.
The case dates to Dec. 15, when Spraggs learned Watson had given Thomas to an adoption agency.
With help from attorney Ken Lawson, Spraggs fought to get his son back.
Lipps advised Spraggs to seek an order through the Child Support Enforcement Agency declaring him the father, which would enable him to seek custody.
That involves DNA testing and can take up to three months.
Spraggs said he's working to do that.
# posted by Senior Mom @ 1:37 PM 
