South Carolina continues crusade against Brown

Capobiancos Sue Dusten Brown for Nearly Half a Million in FeesAs Matt and Melanie Capobianco took possession of Veronica Brown on Monday night, another court action was brewing behind the scenes. Today, their lawyers in South Carolina are in court seeking fines, attorneys' fees and expenses totaling approximately $500,000 from Dusten Brown.South Carolina court could seek compensation from Dusten Brown, Cherokee NationThe proceedings were apparently initiated by the courts, not by Matt and Melanie Capobianco, who spent seven weeks in Oklahoma before taking custody of the 4-year-old girl Monday.Financial sanctions against Veronica’s birth father, tribe considered as attorney calls for truceTo some of Brown’s supporters, the move added insult to injury after he lost custody of the girl he cared for during the past 20 months. But Shannon Jones, his attorney in Charleston who attended the hearing but would not discuss it, called for a courtroom truce.Gov. Fallin seeks halt to Baby Veronica's father's extradition to South CarolinaWith Baby Veronica heading to South Carolina, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin was looking for ways to avoid extraditing the girl's biological father, her office said Tuesday.Comment:  It's not clear if the Capobiancos are involved in this continuing persecution. If they aren't, they should speak up and tell the courts to stop hounding Brown. Silence = complicity in the crusade.

To review, this case went to the Supreme Court, where it lost on a 5-4 vote based on an invented pretext. This wasn't some frivolous lawsuit. It was the opposite: a critical challenge to Federal Indian law.

Brown shouldn't be punished for exercising his constitutional rights. Again, the opposite is true. If South Carolina thinks it's important to take Native children from their homes uphold adoption rights, it should pay for its convictions.

Put your money where your mouth is, South Carolina, or your position smacks of hypocrisy. As in, "We insist upon the Capobiancos' rights as long as they don't cost too much."