Lisa Miller probably fled to Central America with daughter

Lisa Miller may have kidnapped her daughter – and fled to Central America. Miller failed to appear for a court-ordered custody swap in January with Janet Jenkins – her former lesbian partner. Jenkins’ attorney believes Miller took their daughter to El Salvador last September.

Attorney Sarah Star said a Virginia police officer told her that Miller and the girl flew to El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, from Juarez, Mexico, which is across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.

“This is obviously horrifying,” Star said Thursday. “Isabella’s not in school. She’s most likely in a country that is not as developed as the U.S., and (Jenkins is) worried about her. She’s worried she’s not in a safe environment. As far as we know, Lisa Miller doesn’t even speak Spanish.”

2/23/2010
Lisa Miller faces arrest in Vermont custody dispute between moms

A woman who is locked in a child custody battle with her former lesbian partner – and has renounced homosexuality – is facing arrest if she doesn’t appear in a Vermont court with the child.

Family Court Judge William Cohen is holding a hearing in the custody battle between Lisa Miller of Forest, Va., and Janet Jenkins, of Fair Haven, Vt.

Miller was ordered to surrender custody of the 7-year-old girl on Jan. 1, but she failed to do so and has since disappeared. Their daughter is now considered a missing person.

Miller and Jenkins got a civil union in Vermont in 2000, had the baby two years later and broke up in 2003, with Miller moving to Virginia, where she renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.

1/22/2009
Vermont Judge gives Lisa Miller 30 days to appear

The judge handling the custody dispute between former lesbian partners gave Lisa Miller 30 days to appear in court with their daughter or face arrest.

Miller has disappeared with 7-year-old Isabella Miller-Jenkins, and Miller’s former partner renewed her call for help finding the girl.

“Every day I wonder where she is, and if she’s OK,” said Janet Jenkins, of Fair Haven. “Every time the phone rings, I hope it is someone calling to tell me they have found her.”

12/29/2009
Biological mom “disappeared” with daughter

The birth mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to the woman’s former lesbian partner, a Vermont judge ruled, adding that it seems the woman has “disappeared” with her daughter.

Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen ordered Lisa Miller [pictured] of Winchester, Va., to turn over daughter Isabella to Janet Jenkins of Fair Haven at 1 p.m. Friday at the Virginia home of Jenkins’ parents.

But in the Dec. 22 order denying Miller’s request to delay the transfer of Isabella, Cohen wrote: “It appears that Ms. Miller has ceased contact with her attorneys and disappeared with the minor child.”

11/24/2009
Lesbian mom gains custody of 7-year old in first-of-its-kind parent custody change

Janet Jenkins [pictured], the non-biological mother of 7-year old Isabella, was awarded full custody of the child in a Virginia court. She’ll get custody on January 1.

Jenkins’ ex-partner – Lisa Miller – denied visitation rights, and the judge in the case got angry. Miller refused to let Jenkins even visit Isabella – who was conceived while the pair were together. The custody proceedings took months.

Judge William Cohen called the battle “a first-of-its-kind parent custody change”.

Rutland Herald:

After finding Miller in contempt of court earlier this year for denying Jenkins access to Isabella, Cohen said he decided the only way to ensure the child equal access to both parents was to switch custody.

“In the long term, the change in custody will be in (Isabella’s) best interests as she will have the opportunity for maximum continuing physical and emotional contact with both parents,” he said, adding that both parents were equal in terms of stability, financial resources, emotional availability and other considerations required for child rearing.

Where they weren’t equal, he said, was in their willingness to work together. While Miller has repeatedly blocked Jenkins’ access to Isabella, the judge said Jenkins has agreed to allow Miller access and would allow the child to continue to attend church events with her other parent.

9/24/2009
Self described ex-lesbian may lose custody if she fails to follow court order to deliver daughter to former partner

Lisa Miller says that if she doesn’t hand her daughter over to her former lesbian partner later this week, she may lose custody of her.

Although Miller says she’s turned straight, Vermont judge Richard Cohen has ruled that her former partner, Janet Jenkins, has visitation rights, and is the child’s other parent.

In a recent interview, Miller said that during the latest status conference with Cohen, her attorney was told that the judge is fed up with her repeated disobedience to his visitation orders.

“He said that there is going to be another visitation at the end of this month, and that if I do not give that visitation” he implied that “he would be forced to transfer custody at that time,” said Miller.

2/2/2009
“Ex-lesbian” continues to violate court orders regarding custody battle. Lesbian mom gets custody for five weeks in summer.

Lisa Miller continues to fight against her former civil partner over their young daughter.

Miller went to Rutland Family Court and sought to eliminate or reduce the number of court-ordered visits her former civil-union partner has with her daughter, Isabella. Judge William Cohen denied that motion.

Jenkins sought primary custody of the 6-year-old girl [pictured]. Cohen also denied that motion, but put Miller on notice that continued violation of court orders would put her custody in jeopardy. He also ordered Jenkins get custody of the child in Vermont for five weeks during the summer.

“At some point, Miss Miller’s behavior is forcing a hand,” Cohen said.

Isabella was born in 2002, when Miller and Jenkins were still together. Since they split up in 2003, they have been locked in a custody battle.

Jenkins lives in Fair Haven. Miller moved to Virginia, where state law specifically rejects the legitimacy of same-sex unions.

In court Wednesday, her attorney, Stephen Crampton, said she did not comply with Vermont court orders because she did not believe Virginia authorities would enforce them.

Image: CNN.com