81-583 | Ala. | Jun 11, 1982
Ex parte Ronald Eugene ROBERTSON.
(In re Ronald Eugene ROBERTSON
v.
Robin Lee ROBERTSON (Watkins)).
Supreme Court of Alabama.
Stephen V. Hammond of Chenault, Chenault & Hammond, Decatur, for petitioner.
Miles T. Powell, Decatur, for respondent.
ALMON, Justice.
WRIT DENIED. 415 So. 2d 1085" date_filed="1982-03-03" court="Ala. Civ. App." case_name="Robertson v. Robertson">415 So. 2d 1085.
TORBERT, C. J., and FAULKNER, EMBRY, BEATTY and ADAMS, JJ., concur.
MADDOX, JONES and SHORES, JJ., concur specially.
MADDOX, Justice (concurring specially).
I agree that the writ is due to be denied. Even though the trial judge did consider "the natural relationship of mother and daughter and the intimate benefits that a daughter of tender years can derive from the relationship," I am not convinced that this Court should review the Court of Civil Appeals, especially since that court, after a review of the record, determined that the judgment of the trial court was based upon a totality of circumstances, including the sex and age of the child.
The Court of Civil Appeals found:
"While we recognize the validity of appellant's contention regarding the unconstitutionality of the `tender years' presumption, we do not find that the court's statement concerning the mother-daughter relationship in fact constitutes an improper reliance on that doctrine."
In view of the fact that the Court of Civil Appeals determined, after a review of the record, that the trial court did not rely upon the tender years presumption in its award of custody, I agree that the writ can be denied.