Family Law Armageddon: The Story of Morgan v. Foretich

Abstract

This book chapter tells the story of the contempt case brought against Elizabeth Morgan, a Washington, D.C., doctor imprisoned for her failure to produce her daughter for extended visitation with the ex-husband she accused of sexual abuse. The chapter sets the stage for the proceeding in terms of the shift in custody law in the mid-eighties from the maternal presumption to a preference for shared parenting and the discovery of and almost immediate backlash against allegations of childhood sexual abuse. It also details Morgan's parents' flight with the child to New Zealand and provides an update of what has happened to the law and the parties since the case ended.

Keywords: family law, Elizabeth Morgan, Morgan v. Foretich, child sexual abuse, contempt, criminal contempt, parental alienation, incarceration for contempt, child custody, visitation, overnight visitation, sexual abuse allegations, fabrication of abuse claims

JEL Classification: J12, J13, J16, K14, K42