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Ind. Code § 31-19-11-1

Decree; affidavit; criminal convictions and juvenile adjudications

Applied in 11 court decisions — leading case Evans v. Murray (2004)

Most recently applied in In Re the Adoption of: C.P., Minor Child J.P. v. M.W. (June 2019)

As added by P.L.1-1997, SEC.11

How often courts cite this section

20032010201940
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

Sec. 1. (a) Whenever the court has heard the evidence and finds that:

(1) the adoption requested is in the best interest of the child;

(2) the petitioner or petitioners for adoption are of sufficient ability to rear the child and furnish suitable support and education;

(3) the report of the investigation and recommendation under IC 31-19-8-5 has been filed;

(4) the attorney or agency arranging an adoption has filed with the court an affidavit prepared by the Indiana department of health under IC 31-19-5-16 indicating whether a man is entitled to notice of the adoption because the man has registered with the putative father registry in accordance with IC 31-19-5;

(5) proper notice arising under subdivision (4), if notice is necessary, of the adoption has been given;

(6) the attorney or agency has filed with the court an affidavit prepared by the Indiana department of health under:

(A) IC 31-19-6 indicating whether a record of a paternity determination; or

(B) IC 16-37-2-2(g) indicating whether a paternity affidavit executed under IC 16-37-2-2.1;

has been filed in relation to the child;

(7) proper consent, if consent is necessary, to the adoption has been given;

(8) the petitioner for adoption is not prohibited from adopting the child as the result of an inappropriate criminal history described in subsection (c) or (d); and

(9) the person, licensed child placing agency, or local office that has placed the child for adoption has provided the documents and other information required under IC 31-19-17 to the prospective adoptive parents;

the court shall grant the petition for adoption and enter an adoption decree.

(b) A court may not grant an adoption unless the Indiana department of health's affidavit under IC 31-19-5-16 is filed with the court as provided under subsection (a)(4).

(c) A juvenile adjudication for an act listed in IC 31-9-2-84.8 that would be a felony if committed by an adult, a conviction of a misdemeanor related to the health and safety of a child, or a conviction of a felony not listed in IC 31-9-2-84.8 by a petitioner for adoption or household member is a permissible basis for the court to deny the petition for adoption. In addition, the court may not grant an adoption if a petitioner for adoption has been convicted of a nonwaivable offense under IC 31-9-2-84.8. However, the court is not prohibited from granting an adoption based upon a felony conviction for:

(1) a felony under IC 9-30-5;

(2) battery (IC 35-42-2-1);

(3) criminal recklessness (IC 35-42-2-2) as a felony;

(4) criminal confinement (IC 35-42-3-3);

(5) arson (IC 35-43-1-1);

(6) nonsupport of a dependent child (IC 35-46-1-5);

(7) operating a motorboat while intoxicated (IC 35-46-9-6) as a felony;

(8) a felony involving a weapon under IC 35-47; or

(9) a felony relating to controlled substances under IC 35-48-4;

if the date of the conviction did not occur within the immediately preceding five (5) year period.

(d) A court may not grant an adoption if the petitioner is a sex or violent offender (as defined in IC 11-8-8-5) or a sexually violent predator (as defined in IC 35-38-1-7.5).

(e) In addition to this section, section 1.1 of this chapter applies when one (1) or more petitioners is a person with a disability.

Official source: Indiana General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain Indiana statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.