“In and Out.”
That is how Sequoyah County Sheriff Ron Lockhart describes the proceedings today in his county. Dusten Brown, the biological father of the girl in a custody tug-of-war, turned himself in on a Governor’s extradition warrant.
The Sheriff tells KWGS, Brown was taken for a hearing before Judge Jeff Payton, who ordered Brown released on the original bond.
Sheriff Lockhart says he has never released anyone on a Governor’s warrant before. He checked with the Governor’s office prior to releasing Brown. Lockhart says the office told him to follow the court’s ruling.
Brown is fighting to keep custody of his daughter. A South Carolina Couple adopted the girl at her birth, but Brown later asserted his rights under the Indian Child Welfare Act and won custody. The South Carolina counter sued to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the ICWA did not apply and sent the case back to the lower courts.