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Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , A l a b a m a A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may be made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r .

ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010

APPEALS

2090131 Ex p a r t e L e s l i e Marie Pierce

PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS (In re: Ryan Buck P i e r c e v. Leslie (Madison THOMPSON, Leslie a writ Court Marie Pierce)

Circuit

C o u r t DR-09-1025)

P r e s i d i n g Judge. Marie Pierce ("the m o t h e r " ) f i l e d an o r d e r court") a petition for Circuit court

o f mandamus r e g a r d i n g ( h e r e i n a f t e r "thet r i a l

of the Madison i nwhich the t r i a l

2090131 determined between i t had j u r i s d i c t i o n and Ryan Buck over a child-custody dispute The

the mother facts

Pierce

("the f a t h e r " ) .

pertinent

of this

matter

are undisputed. 14, 2007. 2007, when on

The m o t h e r a n d t h e f a t h e r w e r e m a r r i e d on A p r i l The they parties moved 12, resided i n California A child until was September

t o Alabama. 2008. 24, 2009,

born

to the p a r t i e s

August On

April

the mother to live

and

the c h i l d

moved

to

Durango, family. after

Colorado, The father

i n order remained

closer

to the mother's months father

i n Alabama

f o r several The

the mother

and t h e c h i l d

moved t o C o l o r a d o . i n Colorado which

visited May

the mother

and t h e c h i l d

f o r two d a y s i n was filed by t h e whether i n July on t h e

2009.

I n the underlying

action,

Father the

i n A u g u s t 2009, t h e p a r t i e s i n i t i a l l y temporarily,

disputed

f a t h e r h a d moved, a l b e i t and t h e t r i a l whether court

to Colorado evidence

2009, issue

received

ore tenus

i t had j u r i s d i c t i o n dispute. In a

to consider

the p a r t i e s ' "pendente in had this left to

child-custody lite" order

September more

23, 2009, later

that

i s discussed court 2009,

thoroughly the

opinion, Alabama

the on

trial 24,

found with

that

father

July

the i n t e n t i o n

of moving

2

2090131 Colorado. but a The father arrived to Alabama
1

i n Colorado on J u l y has

on

July

26,

2009,

he h a d t o r e t u r n medical that emergency. time.

30, 2009, b e c a u s e o f remained in Alabama

The

father

since

On A u g u s t 4, 2 0 0 9 , t h e m o t h e r f i l e d of La Plata County, Colorado

i n the D i s t r i c t "the

Court

(hereinafter

Colorado I n her to best of

court"), divorce "enter interest property

an a c t i o n complaint, orders

seeking the

a divorce asked status

from the f a t h e r . the of Colorado the

mother the

court

regarding

marriage;

of the c h i l d ; orders

for child

support; division

and d e b t s ; and any o t h e r submitted to t h i s s o u g h t an

necessary orders."

Although

the m a t e r i a l s mother

court

do n o t i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e of the parties'

expressly

award

of custody

c h i l d , under Colorado law the d i v o r c e to assert a claim f o r custody of

c o m p l a i n t was

sufficient Colorado (Colo. 6B) a

the c h i l d 907 P . 2 d

i n the

court. C t . App. of

See I n r e M a r r i a g e o f B a r n e s , 1995) ("Section

6 7 9 , 682

1 4 - 1 0 - 1 2 3 , C.R.S.

(1987 R e p l . V o l .

the [Uniform D i s s o l u t i o n of Marriage

A c t ] provides

that

The m a t e r i a l s s u b m i t t e d t o t h i s c o u r t r e v e a l t h a t 2009 t h e f a t h e r d e v e l o p e d a m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n t h a t s u r g e r y on one o f h i s e y e s . I n J u l y 2 0 0 9 , one o f t h e r e t i n a s d e t a c h e d , a n d he r e t u r n e d t o Alabama f o r treatment of that c o n d i t i o n .
1

i n June required father's further

3

2090131 parent act may commence by or We by a 'child a a custody p r o c e e d i n g ' under dissolution custody the trial [of of that the the

either

filing filing

petition petition the

for

marriage] child."). and the

seeking parties, the an

f u r t h e r note that court a l l

court, divorce of

Colorado as

treated seeking

mother's award of

complaint the child. On

asserting a claim

custody

August

20,

2009,

the

father

filed

i n the

trial

court a

a complaint

seeking

a divorce

from the the

m o t h e r and

asserting In trial

separate claim an award of than

f o r c u s t o d y of the

parties' child. that the

seeking court, the

custody, the

father

alleged had

rather custody

Colorado pursuant

court, to the Act

jurisdiction Uniform Child

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