Perez v. Tanner

Ray Thornton, Justice.

This case involves a jurisdictional dispute between conflicting decrees of Arkansas and Mississippi courts in a child-custody matter. Travis Vincent Perez and Donna Sue Ellis Tanner lived together in Mississippi for approximately five years. During this time, Mrs. Tanner gave birth to a daughter, C.P., and a son, T.V., in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Although both parties acknowledge Mr. Perez as the biological father of these children, the parties have never been married to one another and no court has issued an order establishing paternity.

The initial pleadings relating…