TRIAL STORY: CHILD OF MINE: THE FIGHT FOR BABY
JESSICA (TV)
Summary
One in this series of documentary films that present
condensed and annotated versions of high-profile trials.
This episode examines the widely covered custody case
of "Baby Jessica," a two-year-old girl whose parentage
is being contested by her adoptive and birth parents.
Roberta and Jan DeBoer, a middle-class couple from
Michigan, adopted Jessica from Cara Schmidt in Iowa
after they were unable to conceive a child themselves,
viewers learn. A year later, Cara Schmidt decided she
had made a terrible decision. Ordinarily, host Steve
Johnson explains, a birth parent who gave a child up for
adoption has no legal rights to try to win back custody.
In this case, however, Cara Schmidt had deceptively
filed the adoption papers by not having her husband --
the baby's father, Dan -- sign the papers as well.
Technically, Johnson explains, Dan Schmidt never signed
away his parental rights. The Schmidts' lawyer, Marian
Faupel, says in an interview that she does not believe
that children are adoptable "like dogs"; she suggests
that God decides who a child's parents should be by
having it born to them. The DeBoers' lawyer, Suellyn
Scarnecchia, does not think that the Schmidts have any
right to try to get their child back. The program moves
to courtroom footage. Both lawyers proceed to attack
the backgrounds of the parties opposite to try to prove
that the other set of parents is unfit for one reason or
another. Faupel brings up a criminal illegal entry
charge on Jan DeBoer's record; DeBoer states that he was
seventeen years old and the charge was for a prank at a
fast food restaurant. Scarnecchia then brings up Dan
Schmidt's history in retaliation; Schmidt has a record
of spousal abuse. Scarnecchia then drops a "bombshell"
on the Schmidts' case, according to Johnson, revealing
that Cara Schmidt is pregnant again. Commercials
deleted.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The
New York Community Trust - Haas Foundation Fund.
Details
- NETWORK: Court TV
- DATE: November 30, 1992
- RUNNING TIME: 0:49:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:65884
- GENRE: Public Affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Adoption; Trials
- SERIES RUN: Court TV - TV series, 1991-1998
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Steve Johnson … Executive Producer
- Jamie Alter … Senior Producer
- Peter Aronson … Producer
- Steve Johnson … Host
- Jan DeBoer
- Roberta DeBoer
- Marian Faupel
- Suellyn Scarnecchia
- Cara Schmidt
- Dan Schmidt