Christianson v. Henke

The question presented by this case is whether execution of a recognition of par*540entage (ROP) constitutes a “proceeding[ ] for ... parentage” under Minnesota’s grandparent visitation statute, Minn.Stat. § 257C.08, subd. 2 (2012). If the answer to that question is “yes,” as the court concludes, then the district court had the statutory authority to award visitation rights to Joane Christianson, T.H.’s paternal grandmother. On the other hand, if an ROP lacks the attributes of a “proceeding,” then the district court lacked the authority to award visitation rights to Christianson. In my view, an…