Suckerpunch An Adoption Search - Part 1 - By the book

Part 1: An Adoption Search - By the book

suckerpunch
1) n. a blow that fools and surprises the recipient, who ought to have dodged or parried it.

Robert L. Chapman, PH.D. "New Dictionary of American Slang" (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. 1986), p.422

More of this Feature • Part 1: By the book • Part 2: Humiliation • Part 3: Update

Related Resources • Illinois Non-ID Law • Access to Records • Sealed Records: The Last Stigma • The Open Records Debate • Who Decides for Me and My Child? • Why Adoptees Search

Elsewhere on the Web • Bastard Nation • Dear Mom & Dad

They call him Trooper. He's 54 years old, father of five and grandfather of seven at last count. He likes to fish and camp. He's a strong guy, a patriot, a Veteran who still struggles with nightmares, a gentle man. And he's a man reeling from what he sees as a suckerpunch, delivered - not by a scam artist - but by the law of the land... a law he has spent his adult life supporting and defending.

Trooper is an Illinois adoptee searching for information about his birth family.

Illinois state law provisions allow adult adoptees to receive non-identifying information (non-ID) about their adoptions upon request (as do most states). When beginning a search, this is a common starting point for adopted persons as it generally (although not in all states) costs little if anything, and can provide at least a clue to heritage, and birth family health issues, if any. The information released does not include names or other specific means of locating birth family members - hence the name "non-identifying."

From his family, Trooper knew where and when he had been adjudged a dependent of the court, and that his birthmother had signed surrender papers. He knew where and when the adoption had taken place and had no reason to believe any part of it was illegal. Getting his non-ID should be a simple matter of requesting it from his adoption file. Even though the whole matter of treating adoptees as second-class citizens bothered him, he was willing to follow the legal steps.

When he asked, Trooper was told the information must be requested in the county where the adoption was finalized and he decided to go directly to the court with his request.

He dressed for the event, put on a coat and tie, packed up a copy of the statute and other documents relating to his birth and adoption, and set off at 5:30 a.m. for the three-hour drive from his home to the court house in the county where he was adopted.

'Your Honor, I'm an adoptee and I'm here to obtain my non-ID information.'

Waiting in the public seating area inside the courtroom, Trooper heard case after case called. Attorneys and State's Attorneys were absent for most of them, and the judge moved on down the list. Finally, the judge asked if anyone was present in the court who wanted to see him and didn't require an Attorney or State's Attorney. Feeling like a schoolboy, Trooper raised his hand and the judge told him to stand and state his business.

"The public seating section where I was standing was very crowded, and I had to speak very loudly as I was some distance from the bench. I said, 'Your Honor, I'm an adoptee and I'm here to obtain my non-ID information.' Everyone in the court room could hear me. He told me to approach the bench."

Next page > Humiliation > Page 1, 2, 3

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