Cooper v. Hinrichs

This cause is heard on petition for leave to appeal filed by plaintiffs, Dwayne Cooper and Iva Cooper, from a judgment of the Appellate Court affirming the county court’s denial of their petition for adoption of the twin daughters of defendant, Joan Hinrichs.

The primary inquiry presented on this appeal is whether section 4 — 2 of the Adoption Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1953, chap. 4, par. 4 — 2,) imposes a mandatory duty upon the trial court to deny a petition for adoption where the religion of the adopting parents differs from that of the children.

From the record it appears that the children…