Deborah Lucas v. Bill Frank Jones and Alice Fay Jones

Summary

The court affirmed the adoption decree because the mother's request to delay the hearing to seek counsel did not expressly request appointed counsel, and her constitutional arguments were therefore unpreserved. On the merits, the court held that clear evidence supported dispensing with her consent based on her significant, unjustified failure to support the child for at least one year, and that the adoption served the child's best interest. No separate opinions were filed.