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Article: Court Limits Visitation Rights of Grandparents; State Can't Overrule Decision Of a Fit Parent, Justices Say
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 6, 2000
- Author:
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The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a state law allowing court-
ordered visitation rights for grandparents and others is
unconstitutionally broad and infringes on parents' "fundamental
right" to make decisions about their children.
In a 6 to 3 decision, the court ruled that a Washington state
judge erred when he granted visitation rights to the grandparents of
two young girls instead of heeding the wishes of their mother.
The closely watched case involved one of the most emotion-charged
issues that the court has dealt with this term. All 50 states have
laws granting grandparents--and in some cases other third parties--
visitation rights under varying circumstances. But few are as broad
as ...