Mother fights back against Oregon

CALGARY, Sept. 14 /CNW/ - When today's hearing is held in the case of the State of Oregon vs. Lisa Kirkman, Lisa's lawyer, Daniel Mol, will ask the judge to dismiss Oregon's action and award costs to his client. As well, he will seek compensation for the financial and emotional turmoil the Kirkman family has endured.

"For the past two years," Kirkman recounts, "I spent all of my time and energy fighting to bring my son home. We won the battle to get him home, but it's not over yet."

"Not only are we hitting back by filing a motion for costs against Oregon," stated Mol, "but it is also our firm intention to bring legal action against the federal government and the State of Oregon. The State of Oregon kept Noah out of his home country when they didn't have to, and our Federal Government watched it happen. A wrong like this demands a remedy."

"The State of Oregon needlessly kept a Canadian child in their own jurisdiction when they ought to have returned him to Canada," Mol continued. "We believe the federal government could have done more to help the Kirkmans and they should have done more, but didn't. The separation of this mother and child for two years was needless and so was their suffering."

In 2008, Lisa Kirkman sent her ten-year-old son to Oregon for the summer. Not long afterward, he was apprehended by social workers and their nightmare began. The boy was held in foster care in Oregon for almost two years while his mother fought to get him back. He was returned to her in June, 2010.

Mol Advocates is an Edmonton-based law firm, with a focus on cases with international dimensions.

For further information: Lisa Rushka, APR, [phone], [email protected], www.twitter.com/lrushka