Stern v. Stern

MURPHY, Circuit Judge.

Alleging that his son DJ had been wrongfully retained in Iowa by Michelle Garland Stern, DJ’s mother, Martin Stern petitioned in the district court 2 under the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (ICARA) for DJ’s transfer to Israel for custody adjudication there. The district court denied the petition after finding that the United States was DJ’s habitual residence at the time of the alleged wrongful retention, and Martin appeals. We affirm.

Michelle, a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, first met Martin during a visit to Israel in 2000. Martin is a dual…