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SUPCO Upholds Contempt Charge In Lesbian Custody Case

The Ohio Supreme Court says juvenile courts may issue temporary visitation rights to parents who have no blood relation to a child.The ruling stems from a custody dispute between a former lesbian couple in Columbus who were raising a daughter together before they split. Julie Smith was artificially inseminated in 2002 with partner Julie Rowell by her side. Court records say when the couple split six years later, Smith denied Rowell access to the girl for years despite repeated court orders. The ruling upholds a lower court decision holding Smith in contempt for violating those orders.  

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.