Smith v. Casey, 79SA248

Decision Date15 October 1979
Docket NumberNo. 79SA248,79SA248
Citation601 P.2d 632,198 Colo. 433
PartiesChristina Tara SMITH, Petitioner, v. Charles R. CASEY, Judge, and the District Court for the Second Judicial District, Respondents.
CourtColorado Supreme Court

Robert Bugdanowitz, P. C., Craig A. Murdock, Denver, for petitioner.

Bernick & Moch, Richard J. Bernick, Jimmie D. Mills, Denver, for respondents.

ERICKSON, Justice.

In this original proceeding, the petitioner, Christina Tara Smith, requests that this Court issue a writ of prohibition directing the respondent district court to not proceed further in the determination of the paternity of petitioner's minor child. She also asks this Court to prohibit the respondent court from enforcing an order that petitioner and the minor child submit to blood tests to produce evidence relating to paternity of the child. We issued a rule to show cause, and for the reasons set forth in this opinion, now make that rule absolute.

The petitioner's husband, Douglas Edward Smith, filed suit for dissolution of marriage on August 11, 1978, in the District Court for the City and County of Denver. She was served with notice of the proceedings at her home in Louisiana, her state of domicile. The petitioner's minor child, also domiciled in Louisiana, was neither named as a party nor served with notice of the action.

Through her attorney, the petitioner filed a Motion for Orders on December 6, 1978, requesting, Inter alia, an order assigning all matters to a division of the District Court for the City and County of Denver, and an order denying a dissolution decree. Later, on April 24, 1979, the petitioner moved for dismissal of the action based on the court's lack of In personam jurisdiction.

In her Motion for Orders, the petitioner averred that a child was born as issue of the marriage. The husband subsequently filed a motion for blood tests to establish paternity pursuant to section 13-25-126, C.R.S.1973. At a hearing on that motion, held on May 23, 1979, the district court denied the wife's motion for dismissal based on a lack of In personam jurisdiction and entered an order directing the parties and the child to submit to blood tests.

The petitioner raises several arguments in support of her request for a writ of prohibition, including an allegation that the District Court for the City and County of Denver does not have subject matter jurisdiction to hear issues relating to paternity, and that a prior proceeding in her home state of Louisiana bars the present action. The petitioner also asserts that the child is not subject to the court's In personam jurisdiction and, consequently, that all orders relating to the child's paternity must be dismissed for lack of an indispensible party. Because we have concluded that resolution of petitioner's jurisdictional argument is dispositive of this case, we do not address any other issue.

When a paternity issue is raised in conjunction with a determination of child support under the Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act, the court must...

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9 cases
  • NCR Corp. v. Comptroller of the Treasury, Income Tax Div.
    • United States
    • Maryland Court of Appeals
    • September 1, 1987
  • Marriage of Dureno, In re
    • United States
    • Colorado Court of Appeals
    • December 17, 1992
    ...he or she can be made a party, the trial court is without jurisdiction to resolve any matters pertaining to paternity. Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 601 P.2d 632 (1979); see also M.R.D. v. F.M., 805 P.2d 1200 On July 10, 1991, when the order was entered, the child was not represented by a ......
  • People in Interest of E.E.A. v. J.M.
    • United States
    • Colorado Court of Appeals
    • December 17, 1992
    ...matter jurisdiction. See M.R.D. v. F.M., supra; In re Marriage of Burkey, 689 P.2d 726 (Colo.App.1984); see also Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 601 P.2d 632 (1979); In re Marriage of De La Cruz, 791 P.2d 1254 (Colo.App.1990). However, all such holdings resulted from a direct appeal from the......
  • People in Interest of R.T.L.
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court
    • October 2, 1989
    ...according to the procedures outlined under the U.P.A. before the legal obligation for support can be imposed. Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 435, 601 P.2d 632, 634 (1979) (when paternity issue is raised in dissolution action, court must first determine, using procedures outlined under U.P.A......
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10 books & journal articles
  • ARTICLE 25
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association C.R.S. on Family and Juvenile Law (2022 ed.) (CBA) Title 13 Courts and Court Procedure
    • Invalid date
    ...R.L.S., 807 P.2d 1201 (Colo. App. 1990). Applied in People in Interest of R.M., 37 Colo. App. 209, 548 P.2d 1282 (1975); Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 601 P.2d 632 (1979). ■ 13-25-129. Statements of a child - hearsay exception. (1) An out-of-court statement made by a person under thirteen ......
  • ARTICLE 25 EVIDENCE GENERAL PROVISIONS
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association C.R.S. on Family and Juvenile Law (CBA) Title 13 Courts and Court Procedure
    • Invalid date
    ...R.L.S., 807 P.2d 1201 (Colo. App. 1990). Applied in People in Interest of R.M., 37 Colo. App. 209, 548 P.2d 1282 (1975); Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 601 P.2d 632 (1979). ■ 13-25-129. Statements of a child - hearsay exception. (1) An out-of-court statement made by a person under thirteen ......
  • ARTICLE 4
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association C.R.S. on Family and Juvenile Law (2022 ed.) (CBA) Title 19 Children's Code
    • Invalid date
    ...contacts so that "the maintenance of the suit does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice". Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 601 P.2d 632 (1979). ■ 19-4-102. Parent and child relationship defined. As used in this article, "parent and child relationship" means the ......
  • ARTICLE 10
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association C.R.S. on Family and Juvenile Law (2022 ed.) (CBA) Title 14 Domestic Matters
    • Invalid date
    ...and therefore, denial of husband's motion to compel was proper. In re Seanor, 876 P.2d 44 (Colo. App. 1993). Applied in Smith v. Casey, 198 Colo. 433, 601 P.2d 632 (1979); In re Hartford, 44 Colo. App. 303, 612 P.2d 1163 (1980); In re Dickey, 658 P.2d 276 (Colo. App. 1982); In re Steele, 71......
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