Antonio Martini, Appellant v. Christopher Price, Appellee

Summary

The court held that Antonio Martini's consent was required for the adoption of his biological daughter because the protective orders and related circumstances provided justifiable cause for his limited communication, making the circuit court's contrary finding clearly erroneous. It affirmed the adoption of his former stepson because Martini was not the child's legal parent and therefore had no consent right, and because the best-interest finding was not clearly erroneous. Justice Goodson, concurring in part and dissenting in part, would have affirmed the ruling concerning the daughter based on deference to the circuit court's credibility determinations.